The panel titled "Is Innovation Possible Without Blue Collar? Master-Apprentice Relationship" organized in cooperation with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) and Ankara City Council (AKK) Education Working Group was held at Ankara City Council on February 26, 2025. Hosting expert speakers in their fields, the panel featured our Assistant Director Lecturer Mete Özbaş and our Machinery and Metal Technologies Department Industrial Molding Program Head Lecturer Dr. Ufuk Taşçı.

The panel discussed the strengthening of vocational education through Vocational and Technical Education Courses (BELTEK) carried out in cooperation with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and Gazi University, redefining master-apprentice relations, more effective inclusion of blue-collar workers in innovation processes, and important issues regarding the social future.

In his speech titled "From Craft to Digital Age: Blue Collar", Lecturer Mete Özbaş referred to the Ahi culture and said, "The main thing in Ahi is to find a brave man who will work. Then he will become an apprentice, he will train, he will become a journeyman, then he will become a master and he will continue that culture himself. Education should be considered as a whole; students should also be socialized and their cultural levels should be increased." He expressed the impact of vocational education on social development.

In his speech titled “Education and Industry Collaboration”, Lecturer Dr. Ufuk Taşçı stated that strong collaboration between education and industry contributes to the development of innovation processes.

After the panel, a group photo was taken with the participants and the event ended.