Intervention (Hidden)
The proposed evaluation aims to identify and estimate the causal impacts of a package (program) of active labor market interventions in Türkiye, under the Support for Transition to Labor Market project. Among officials and stakeholders familiar with the project, it is commonly referred to by its Turkish acronym, ISDEP 2.
ISDEP 2, which became effective in August 2022, is financed by the European Commission through a grant under the European Union Facility for Refugees in Türkiye and is administered by the World Bank. The project aims to: (1) improve the employability of Syrians under Temporary Protection (referred to as Syrian refugees), International Protection Status Holders and Applicants (referred to as refugees of other nationalities), and Turkish citizens; and (2) facilitate access to registered (or formal) employment. ISDEP 2 is being implemented in eight (out of 81) provinces in the country, namely Adana, İstanbul, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, İzmir, Bursa, Kocaeli, and Konya.
The implementing agencies of ISDEP 2 are the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), and the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC). The latter two agencies are responsible for the program of interventions subject to impact evaluation. TRC, a humanitarian organization, provides aid and support to vulnerable populations in Türkiye and around the world. Its services include disaster response, emergency relief, healthcare, social support, education, and community resilience. Additionally, TRC addresses the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons by offering shelter, food aid, healthcare services, psychosocial support, and assistance with integration into host communities. İŞKUR, a government agency operating under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, facilitates employment and workforce development in Türkiye by providing services such as job placement, vocational training, unemployment benefits, and labor market information.
Refugees from other countries residing in Türkiye, particularly Syrian refugees, are a key target beneficiary group in ISDEP 2. TRC administers a subset of program interventions to directly tackle the challenges refugees face in securing formal jobs. TRC delivers its program interventions under ISDEP 2 through nine community centers located in the eight project provinces.
For individuals entering the program through TRC, the full possible chain of primary interventions includes job orientation consultation services (referred to as livelihood counseling services), Turkish language training, and job readiness training, all delivered by TRC. For those who receive livelihood counseling and express interest in continuing with the program, TRC conducts a profiling exercise using a standardized questionnaire and computer-aided personal interviews (CAPI), an important step in administrative data collection. After TRC provides its interventions, it refers individuals to İŞKUR for job information and intermediation consultation services (referred to as job and vocational counseling services), and placement in on-the-job training programs at formal private enterprises, referred to as applied training programs (ATPs). During the ATP, İŞKUR covers the trainee’s pay and full short-term occupational health and safety and general health insurance premium contributions. The enterprise is then expected to formally employ, on its own payroll, at least 20 percent of the trainees within a specified period following its ATPs.
As of March 31, 2024, TRC had offered livelihood counseling services to approximately 14,700 individuals, profiled 11,500 individuals, delivered or was in the process of delivering Turkish language training to 1,500 individuals, provided job readiness training to 5,200 individuals, and referred 4,800 individuals to İŞKUR. As of April 30, 2024, İŞKUR had offered job counseling services to approximately 1,700 individuals, with 1,600 having been placed in ATPs. Of the 11,500 who were profiled, 48 percent were women, 85 percent were Syrian refugees, 13 percent were other refugees, and 31 percent were ESSN program beneficiaries.