With the impact of global developments in the business world and the EU acquis alignment process, the “Law No. 5544 on the Vocational Qualification Authority” was published in the Official Gazette dated October 7, 2006, and came into force. This law excludes professions such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, engineering, and architecture, as well as other professions requiring at least a bachelor's degree and regulated entry requirements, from its scope. Its purpose is to establish a national qualification system to determine the principles of national competencies in technical and vocational fields based on national and international occupational competency standards, and to conduct activities related to inspection, measurement and evaluation, certification, and credentialing, thereby facilitating regulations related to the Turkish Qualifications Framework. A process for preparing and certifying occupational competency standards and qualifications with international validity has been initiated across all sectors, and a progressively expanding application has been implemented through announcements published intermittently.
According to the "Notification on Workplace Hazard Classifications Related to Occupational Health and Safety," published in the Official Gazette dated December 26, 2012, metro-tunnel activities classified under "Construction Works" are categorized as "very dangerous" jobs, and it is mandatory for all employees to possess occupational certificates related to their work.
In March 2017, the Tunneling Association evaluated the issue in its Board of Directors and decided to form a Working Group to make some job and occupation definitions related to the sector and to apply to the Vocational Qualification Authority (MYK). An informational meeting regarding the path to be followed for the "Working Group" was held by MYK on July 19, 2017.
In this context, an application was made to MYK, and on August 15, 2017, a protocol was signed between the Tunneling Association and MYK for the preparation of the National Occupational Standard (NOS) for the professions of Shotcrete Machine Operator (Level 3), Tunnel Boring Machine Operator (Level 3), Tunnel Worker (Level 3), and Tunnel Worker (Level 4). Working groups, including practitioners from the profession, were formed within the scope of this protocol, and workshops were conducted with groups of workers in the specified professions on different dates, resulting in the preparation of four drafts of the National Occupational Competency Standards. The National Occupational Standard (NOS) represents the minimum norms recognized by MYK for the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors required to successfully perform a profession.
We proudly share that the National Competencies for "Tunnel Worker (Level 3), Tunnel Worker (Level 4), Tunnel Boring Machine Operator (Level 3), and Shotcrete Machine Operator (Level 3)" which we are involved in through our brand Soner Temel Engineering, were approved by the MYK Board of Directors with its decision dated October 27, 2021, and went into effect as National Competencies. The newly established standards will increase the qualified workforce in tunnel operations and contribute to the personnel being better equipped in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS), quality, and technical capacity. We wish this to be beneficial for our sector.