New Employment Opportunities for Neuro-Diverse Youth in Izmir

The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Supported Employment Office, established to create employment opportunities for neurodiverse youth living in the city, has provided employment for 17 young people since June. One of the young people who found a job through the metropolitan municipality, Fatih Mehmet Kuran, who has dystonia, said, “I could not find a job, I had to pay rent. I went through very difficult times but I did not lose hope. I finally found a job thanks to the Supported Employment Office.”

The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality continues to direct neurodiverse youth to the labor market. The Supported Employment Office, established on May 24, creates employment opportunities by matching employers with neurodiverse youth. As part of this, 17 young people have been placed in various sectors since June. Job coaches working at the Supported Employment Office support candidates during the application and job placement process, while also collaborating with young people regarding adaptation to the work process. Fatih Mehmet Kuran, 28, who moved from Afyonkarahisar to Izmir and started looking for a job, crossed paths with the Supported Employment Office 7 months ago. Kuran, who has dystonia, a condition in which muscles contract involuntarily and causes movement disorders, started looking for a job to make ends meet. Kuran, who started working at a supermarket through the Supported Employment Office, has been working as a section clerk and cashier for 7 months. Stating that he has not lost hope despite having difficulties in the job search process, Kuran invites young people with similar stories to the Supported Employment Office.

“The support of my business coaches continues”

Fatih Mehmet Kuran, who described his job placement process, stated that he had tremors in his hands due to dystonia and that he had difficulty doing jobs that required fine motor skills. Kuran, who said that he moved from Afyonkarahisar to Izmir on his own to stand on his own two feet and that he saw the Supported Employment Office on social media while he was looking for a job, said, “I did my research and came to the Supported Employment Office and was greeted very nicely by the job coaches. They asked me what areas I could work in and where I had worked before. As a result, they found me a job. We applied together and had interviews together. They did not just find me a job and leave. Their support still continues. I am currently working as a department clerk and cashier in a chain market. I love my job. I am a little late due to the tremors in my hands, but my employer is pleased with me. I am trying hard and have been working this way for 7 months. The process is going very well with the support of my job coaches.”

“I did not lose hope”

Kuran, who gave an example from his own story and made suggestions to young people, said, “I recommend that our disabled friends do not feel alone, come here and meet the job coaches here. I do not recommend that they spend time alone at home, between four walls. We are disabled, we gain our freedom by finding a job. Finding a job supports us both financially and spiritually. When I came here from Afyonkarahisar, I did not know any place. I had no network. With my shaking hands, I thought no one would give me a job. I had gone through a difficult period psychologically. I could not find a job, I had to pay rent. I went through very difficult times, but I did not lose hope. I did research. Finally, I found a job thanks to the Supported Employment Office. I would like to thank the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and the job coaches who were there for me with their support.”

They plan to expand in Turkey

Disability Studies Department Special Education Specialist and Job Coach Büşra Alpayım shared how the Supported Employment Office works. Noting that they aim to include neurodiverse individuals in the workforce and to provide them with job coach support and to publish the Supported Employment Program in Turkey, Alpayım said, “After individuals apply to us, we first conduct vocational career analysis. Interviews are held several times. We determine the sector by conducting interviews with the applicant’s family, school and former teachers. In the meantime, we search for jobs by conducting interviews with employers. We match job postings with individuals who apply. When our analysis methods yield 90% and above results, we direct the individual to a job. We are with them during the job application process, work process and follow-up processes. We do not just direct them to a job and leave them alone. We step in whenever they need support. So far, we have had over 200 applications from neurodiverse and different disability groups and 17 people have been employed in various sectors. We touch many young people and provide different services to each young person. “Fatih Mehmet Kuran is also a client of ours who has benefited from all the processes,” he said.