The partnership between UNICEF Türkiye and Rönesans Holding emerged from a shared conviction that young people must be equipped with the skills and competencies required for a rapidly changing labour market shaped by digitalization, sustainability transitions, and new economic realities. Rönesans, one of Türkiye’s most influential investors in the green and industrial sectors, recognized that meaningful social contribution required going beyond philanthropy toward system-level change in education and skills. UNICEF, with its cross-sectoral mandate and technical expertise, provided the framework for aligning private-sector ambition with measurable, long-term outcomes for adolescents across the country.

Shaped as a multi-year collaboration, the partnership focuses on transforming vocational and technical education (TVET) in Türkiye by integrating labour-market relevance into educational pathways. Rather than supporting standalone projects, the partnership is designed to strengthen systems; curriculum development, teacher capacity, and national frameworks that will reach millions of students. This approach reflects a shift from traditional CSR models to a shared-value alliance, where the private sector’s strategic interests intersect with UNICEF’s mission to build inclusive, future-ready opportunities for all young people.

From ideation to execution, the partnership required careful orchestration. The process involved aligning institutional priorities, navigating different operational cultures, clarifying roles, and creating a structure that could sustain long-term collaboration. My work focused on designing this architecture: identifying the right entry points within Türkiye’s education ecosystem, translating Rönesans’ ambition into programmatic avenues that fit UNICEF’s mandate, and ensuring that both sides moved with clarity and momentum. Oversight of implementation included convening technical teams, sequencing workstreams, supporting alignment with national reforms, and ensuring that the partnership remained grounded in evidence and measurable outcomes.

As the collaboration progresses, it grows into a flagship example of how UNICEF and the private sector can co-create solutions that are scalable, relevant, and nationally owned. The partnership contributes to ensuring smooth transition from learning to earning for young people initially within the healthcare sector continuing with green and digital competencies, helping lay the groundwork for programmes that will reach millions of students in the coming years. Its success is not only reflected in outputs, but in the new way of working it modelled: a partnership built on insight exchange, accountability, and a shared commitment to shaping the future workforce of Türkiye. In bringing the parties together and supporting the partnership throughout its evolution, I helped enable the conditions for a collaboration that now stands as one of UNICEF Türkiye’s most strategic alliances.