As part of the "Master Apprentice Meetings," organized in collaboration with the Dicle Development Agency and Mardin Artuklu University, students from Mardin Artuklu University's Vocational Schools participated in a technical visit to companies operating in the Mardin Organized Industrial Zone.

As part of the "Master Apprentice Meetings," one of the activities to be carried out in line with the "Vocational and Technical Education" theme set for 2019 by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, students from Mardin Artuklu University's Mardin and Kızıltepe Vocational Schools participated in a study visit to companies operating in the Mardin Organized Industrial Zone.

As part of the program, designed to provide short-term experience transfer to vocational schools for renowned local and international masters with field experience, so that developments in the private sector can be conveyed to students more quickly and effectively, the study visits were held to İpek Bulgur and Miray Un, two of Mardin's leading companies with high levels of institutionalization and prominent positions in their respective sectors.

Students from the Mardin Artuklu University Mardin Vocational School and Kızıltepe Vocational School's Organic Agriculture, Horticulture, and Machinery Departments visited relevant companies and, accompanied by company managers, interacted directly with the master craftspeople during production, learning about production processes.

As part of the "Master Apprentice Meetings Program," company managers provided students with general information about the factories. They stated that raising students' awareness of the challenges they face in recruiting personnel for vocational and technical training opportunities, coupled with personal development, will alleviate the shortage of qualified personnel in many sectors. The master craftspeople then provided students with hands-on demonstrations of the two companies' production processes, from raw materials to final product.

During the visit to İpek Bulgur, it was noted that approximately 25% of Turkey's bulgur production is provided by bulgur producers in Mardin. İpek Bulgur is one of the leading bulgur producers in Mardin, both in the domestic and international markets. In addition, it exports to many European countries, particularly Germany. The second company visited, Miray Flour Factory, has a fixed investment of ₺40 million and is a leading flour manufacturer in the province and the region.

At the program, company owners and managers emphasized the importance of vocational and technical education and the importance of students gaining experience in relevant fields by visiting companies in the sector through this and similar events. They also expressed their satisfaction with the program designed to increase the employability of vocational and technical education graduates.