Foreword

This report was prepared as part of the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme within the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Local Development, and Tourism (CFE) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It has been undertaken in co‐operation with the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). Special thanks should be given to Turkish officials within İŞKUR who contributed to this report and participated in the OECD study visits: Askin Toren, Kagan Bayramoglu, Uğur Tunc, and Yasin Velioglu.

Special thanks should also be given to local stakeholders in each of the case study areas of Kocaeli and Trabzon, who participated in meetings and provided documentation and comments critical to the production of the report.

This project is coordinated by Jonathan Barr (Head of the Employment and Skills Unit) who was also one of the principal authors of this report, under the direction of Sylvain Giguère, Head of OECD LEED Division and Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Local Development, and Tourism (CFE). The other principal author is Serdar Sayan (TOBB University of Economics and Technology). Michela Meghnagi (OECD), Pierre Georgin (OECD) and Beatriz Jambrina Canseco (OECD) provided valuable statistical and editorial support, which was critical to the production of this report. Randall Eberts, President of the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in the United States provided valuable advice on the development of this report and participated in the OECD study visit. Thanks also go to François Iglesias and Pauline Arbel for production assistance and Janine Treves who provided useful editorial support.