TASFED Opens its Third Academy in Kayseri

Turkey Elevator Industrialists Federation (TASFED) opened the third of the Elevator Academies, which they had previously opened in Ankara and Eskişehir within the scope of the protocol signed with the Ministry of National Education, at Kayseri Ayşe Baldöktü Vocational Training Center on November 11, 2021.

In an attempt to find a solution to availability of qualified technicians in elevator industry, TASFED signed a protocol with the Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education in 2018. The Elevator Department, which is in Electromagnetic Carriers section of Electrical Technology field in many vocational high schools, did not attract attention due to the lack of laboratories and equipment. In order to equip these laboratories with the latest technology, TASFED initiated an intense program. In addition to its efforts in many fields, TASFED management initiated a long-termed project and organized trainings for teachers in Vocational High Schools.  For the Elevator Academy, which is the most important pillar of the protocol, TASFED opened its first Elevator Academy in Ankara Yenimahalle Şehit Mehmet Şengül Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in 2018. Then, the second Elevator Academy was opened in Eskişehir Tepebaşı State Supply Office Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in 2019.

TASFED opened its third Elevator Academy at Kayseri Ayşe Baldöktü Vocational Training Center on November 11, 2021. Before the opening ceremony, sponsors and guests met for a lunch in Kayseri Chamber of Commerce. The guests talked about the problems of the industry and unfair competition during the lunch and then went out for a family photo and headed toward Ayşe Baldöktü Vocational Training Center.

ASFED Management, member associations, Melikgazi Mayor Dr. Mustafa Panancıoğlu, Kayseri Provincial Directorate of National Education Vocational and Technical Education Services Branch Manager Şahin Kanat, Kayseri Chamber of Commerce Board Member Erol Sırıklı and MHP Provincial President Adnan İncetoprak attended the meeting, which was held in the Conference Hall of the Training Center.

TASFED Education Committee member Rasime Sazak made the opening speech and revealed the growing interest of the students in the Elevator Academies with the figures before and after the opening of the academies. She stated that particularly TASFED and sponsors invested 2 million TL for the academies. She also expressed that the department in the Vocational High Schools was named as “Elevator Systems Department,” thanks to TASFED’s efforts.

Atik: “Elevator industry became a strategic industry”

TASFED Chairman Yusuf Atik, who made the first speech, stated that the Federation was entitled to use the phrase “Turkey” with the decision of the Council of Ministers last year, as a result of their efforts on behalf of the industry since the first day they set off.  Atik also stated that they were in close contact with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and said that the Elevator Industry was assigned as a strategic sector, like the defense sector, as a result of these efforts. On this occasion, he stated that the manufacturers should receive more incentives and support.  Atik told that their aim was to increase the number of Academies, which they open within the scope of the protocol signed between TASFED and the Ministry of National Education, to five. He also told that they work on opening Elevator Engineering department in Middle East Technical University. Atik shared some figures related to elevator industry, and said, “Elevator industry gave current surplus and we had an import volume of 83 million dollars in 2020, compared to the export volume of 172 million dollars.”

Melikgazi Mayor Dr. Mustafa Palancıoğlu took the floor then and spoke about how the elevator industry has become a sector with a current surplus over the years, and shared statistical data. He said that there were approximately 9 thousand elevators in Melikgazi district, while the number of elevators in Kayseri was around 20 thousand. He stated that the students who graduate from the Academy had several employment opportunities, including the manufacturers in Kayseri.

Following Palancıoğlu, Kayseri Provincial Directorate of National Education Vocational and Technical Education Services Branch Manager Şahin Kanat talked about the vocational education opportunities within the provincial borders.  Then, TASFED Education Committee President Nuri Kuzan and Kayseri Elevator and Escalator Industrialists Association (KAYSAD) Chairman Mehmet Ayata expressed their gratitude to sponsor companies and the guests. After the speeches, all sponsor companies that contributed to the opening of the academy were thanked with a plaque.

Following the Opening ceremony, the guests attended ribbon cutting ceremony of the Elevator Academy built on a 750 m2 area on the ground floor. At the new TASFED Academy, there are four elevator shafts built with machine-room and machine-room-less steel construction, programmable control panels, full automatic and semi-automatic doors and various types of drive motors, which will be helpful for installation practices.

KAYSAD installed an elevator in the school

Ayşe Baldöktü Vocational Training Center had an elevator shaft but no elevator. In addition to TASFED’s Elevator Academy, KAYSAD supplied and installed a machine-room elevator with a capacity of 10 people in the existing elevator shaft and set into operation.

He also shared the good news with the guests that the next Academy will be opened in Gaziantep.