Project: Technical and Vocational Education and training (TVET)
Organisation: UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization committed to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. They lead international efforts to safeguard refugees, stateless persons, and other forcibly displaced communities. Their vision is a world where every person forced to flee can live in safety, rebuild their life with dignity, and contribute to society.
Every year, millions are uprooted from their homes and cannot return without risking their safety, freedom, or life. UNHCR is present at every stage of their displacement - from the outbreak of an emergency through prolonged crises - providing life-saving assistance, advocating for fair asylum laws, and working to secure durable solutions. Their efforts extend to helping refugees find employment, access education, and realize their full potential. Once it is safe, UNHCR assists them in returning home; for those who cannot return, they facilitate integration in their host countries or resettlement in third countries.
Mission
The mission of the TVET program within UNHCR’s DAFI Scholarship Programme in Türkiye is to empower refugee and returnee youth with the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need to achieve self-reliance and meaningful participation in society. By providing access to accredited vocational and technical education, the programme seeks to bridge the gap between education and employment, enabling young people to build sustainable livelihoods, contribute to their host communities, and shape a future defined by dignity, opportunity and hope.
Project
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme in Türkiye offers refugee and returnee students a transformative pathway to accredited diplomas and certificates that directly respond to labour market needs. As part of UNHCR’s broader DAFI Scholarship Programme, TVET complements traditional tertiary education by providing short-cycle, vocationally oriented study that combines academic knowledge with practical, job-ready skills. With financial and academic support, students can fully focus on developing their professional and technical capacities, earning qualifications that are recognised and highly relevant in Türkiye’s dynamic labour market. Beyond employability, the programme empowers refugee youth to actively contribute to their host communities, pursue sustainable livelihoods, and transform experiences of displacement into opportunities for independence, dignity, and hope.
Impact
The TVET program in Türkiye has made a profound difference in the lives of refugee and returnee youth. Türkiye hosts 144 DAFI-TVET students—the largest cohort worldwide—demonstrating how short-cycle, vocationally oriented programmes can bridge access gaps to tertiary education. Students gain practical, job-ready skills in high-demand sectors such as health, technology, and business, preparing them for meaningful employment and sustainable livelihoods. Participation of women is particularly strong, with female students forming the majority across both Syrian and non-Syrian cohorts, highlighting the programme’s commitment to gender inclusion. Many students are motivated to pursue internships, IT training, and pathways into further study or professional opportunities. By aligning education with labour market needs, fostering gender equality, and providing accessible vocational pathways, the TVET programme in Türkiye empowers young refugees to transform displacement into opportunity, build self-reliance, and shape futures defined by dignity, hope, and tangible impact.