ISTANBUL — İsmet Efe Yücetepe, an 11th-grade student at the Bağcılar Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Istanbul, has received an exclusive invitation from South Korean automotive giant Hyundai to visit its global headquarters. The young student will participate in a specialized, week-long intensive training program at Hyundai’s state-of-the-art facilities in South Korea, focusing on electric vehicles as well as advanced automotive bodywork and paint technology.
This opportunity highlights a growing international collaboration aimed at addressing critical labor shortages in specialized industrial sectors. The training program, which took place between September 13 and September 20, brought together a select group of vocational students from across the globe to learn directly from top-tier automotive engineers and technicians.
A €450,000 Investment in Vocational Education
The invitation is the direct result of a landmark cooperation protocol signed during the previous academic year between the Bağcılar Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School and Hyundai.
The high school is one of the largest vocational institutions in the region, housing approximately 2,500 students across several technical disciplines. Its academic offerings include Aircraft Maintenance, Electrical and Electronics, Construction, Machinery, Metal, Plumbing and Air Conditioning, and Motor Vehicles Technology.
To support the practical application of the protocol, Hyundai established a high-tech workshop within the school grounds. The facility cost 450,000 Euros—equivalent to approximately 25 million Turkish Liras—and was specifically designed to serve the "Bodywork and Paint" sub-branch of the Motor Vehicles Technology department.
Currently, about 60 students utilize this modern workshop, which is equipped with professional-grade tools and machinery matching industry standards. In addition to the physical infrastructure, Hyundai donated three brand-new Hyundai i20 vehicles to the school. These vehicles allow students to gain hands-on experience working on modern automotive structures, preparing them for real-world industry demands.
Serkan Özüdoğru, the Workshop Chief of the school’s Motor Vehicles Technology Field, detailed the structure of the partnership and its long-term benefits for the students.
"This protocol with Hyundai was established specifically to address the market’s pressing need for qualified personnel in the automotive paint and bodywork sector," Özüdoğru explained. "Our students are able to carry out their practical studies directly on the modern vehicles donated by the company. Furthermore, under this agreement, our students have also begun their mandatory internship programs with Hyundai. Following their internships, students who are deemed suitable are offered full-time, permanent positions within the company’s network."
A Selective Global Initiative
The educational initiative in South Korea is not an isolated event but part of a highly selective global outreach program. Hyundai extended invitations to students from approximately 20 different countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe where the company maintains active educational protocols.
In total, only about 20 to 25 students worldwide were selected to participate in the training at the global headquarters in South Korea. Turkey was represented by just two students, one of whom was İsmet Efe Yücetepe.
"Hyundai does not run this global headquarters training program every single year," Özüdoğru noted. "It is organized periodically based on specific requests and evaluations from the global headquarters in South Korea. This year, they gathered a small, elite group of international students. While Turkey was allocated two spots, our school secured one of them. The other student selected from Turkey is specializing in mechanics, so they received training tailored to that discipline. Our student, İsmet Efe, was trained specifically in advanced bodywork and painting techniques, alongside general training on electric vehicle systems."
According to school officials, the experience is expected to significantly broaden the student’s career horizons, while boosting overall student motivation and interest in vocational education within the district.
Addressing a Critical Industry Shortage
The collaboration between Hyundai and the vocational high school addresses a major structural challenge within the automotive industry. While technical fields like electro-mechanics have seen an influx of trained professionals over the past decade, the bodywork and paint sector continues to face a severe shortage of academically certified labor.
Industry data shared by Özüdoğru reveals a striking disparity between practical experience and formal technical education in Turkey’s automotive repair sector.
"Based on our continuous dialogue with industry representatives, the market has reached a level of saturation regarding electro-mechanical specialists. There are many professionals available in that field," Özüdoğru said. "However, there is an acute shortage of trained, qualified personnel in automotive paint and bodywork. Historically, the vast majority of people working in this sector have not received formal vocational training. Instead, they entered the trade at a very early age through the traditional master-apprentice (usta-çırak) relationship in local industrial estates."
According to industry estimates, only about 3 percent of the workforce currently employed in the automotive paint and bodywork sector in Turkey has received formal vocational education in this discipline. The remaining 97 percent operate without academic training.
"This means that 97 percent of the current workforce does not possess scientific knowledge regarding the properties of metals, molecular structures, heat resistance, stretching capabilities, breaking points, or the complex chemical composition of modern paints," Özüdoğru explained. "Furthermore, many lack formal training in modern occupational health and safety regulations. Consequently, when authorized service centers hire personnel directly from traditional industrial estates, they often struggle to pass quality audits and maintain international standards. The industry is in dire need of a scientifically trained, academically qualified workforce."
Because of this systemic gap, major automotive manufacturers like Hyundai are heavily investing in vocational high schools to cultivate a new generation of certified technicians who understand both the practical and scientific elements of the trade.
Highly Transferable Skills
While the training program is rooted in automotive technology, the skills taught in the school’s specialized workshop are highly versatile and open doors to multiple sectors.
Students trained in advanced metalwork, surface preparation, and painting are not limited to the automotive repair industry. The molecular understanding of metals, corrosion prevention, and precision coating technologies are directly applicable to several high-tech fields.
"Our students acquire skills that allow them to work in any sector where metal is utilized," Özüdoğru pointed out. "This goes far beyond the automotive sector. They can find highly lucrative employment opportunities in aviation, the defense industry, and the white goods (household appliances) sector. Ultimately, whether it is a passenger car, a commercial aircraft, or a household washing machine, the fundamental principles of metal preparation and industrial painting remain the same."
A Journey of Firsts for a Local Student
For 11th-grader İsmet Efe Yücetepe, the selection was both a major academic milestone and a deeply personal adventure.
Yücetepe’s passion for the trade began before he even entered high school. During his summer breaks, he worked at a neighbor’s automotive repair shop, assisting with basic bodywork and paint jobs. When the time came to select a high school, his high Middle School Success Score (OBP) and exam results were strong enough to secure him a place at prestigious, academic-track Anadolu high schools.
However, despite pressure from his social circle, Yücetepe chose to follow his passion. He placed Bağcılar Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School at the very top of his preference list, a decision that surprised many around him.
"Before starting high school, I spent my summers helping out at a neighbor’s auto repair shop, learning the basics of bodywork and paint," Yücetepe shared. "When it came time to choose a high school, my scores were high enough for academic high schools. But because of my interest in cars and the hands-on knowledge I had already gained, I wanted to go to a vocational school. When I put Bağcılar Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School as my first choice, people around me were really surprised. But I got into my top choice, and I have no regrets."
Born and raised in the Bağcılar district of Istanbul, Yücetepe had never traveled long distances, let alone flown on an airplane or traveled abroad. The trip to Seoul, which required a flight lasting over ten hours, marked a series of major firsts in his life.
"I have lived in Bağcılar my whole life," Yücetepe said. "Although I had traveled outside of Istanbul by bus or car before, I had never been on an airplane and had never been abroad. So, this journey to South Korea was incredibly exciting for me, not just academically, but also in my personal life. My very first flight was a journey of over ten hours."
Yücetepe recalled the moment he found out he had been selected for the global program.
"When I first heard that I was the only student selected from my school to go to South Korea, I was completely shocked. I actually asked my teachers if they were playing a joke on me. Knowing that I was one of only two students selected from the entirety of Turkey makes me incredibly proud and honored," he said.
