Organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and hosted by Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), the “Central Black Sea Career Fair” (OKAF’26) opened its doors to visitors under the slogan “The Era of Youth Productivity.”

With the participation of partner universities from Amasya, Bartın, Çankırı Karatekin, Hitit, Karabük, Kastamonu, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa, and Yozgat, the fair continues with strong attendance at the Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sports Sciences sports halls and the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center located on the OMU Kurupelit Campus.

Rector Aydın visits stands one by one with protocol members

Following the opening program, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security Faruk Özçelik, Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, and OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, together with vice rectors and senior university management, toured and examined the stands established within the scope of OKAF’26.

Rector Aydın visited the stands of public institutions, private sector representatives, and non-governmental organizations participating in the fair one by one, receiving information from officials about ongoing activities, internship and employment opportunities, and career prospects.

During the visits, Aydın also met with students and expressed her satisfaction with the strong interest shown in the fair, emphasizing the importance of such organizations in the career planning process.

During meetings held with company representatives, evaluations were made regarding the development of university-industry cooperation, while opportunities to integrate students into the workforce as qualified human resources were also discussed.

Young people meet the business world directly

Within the scope of the fair, more than 100 institutions and organizations come together with students and graduates, while 38 activities and 60 speakers scheduled throughout the event contribute to guiding young people’s career planning.

Implemented under the coordination of İŞKUR and with the support of Türk Telekom, the fair aims to enable students to gain detailed knowledge about professions, become closely acquainted with companies, and develop awareness regarding entrepreneurship and starting their own businesses.

OKAF’26 stands out as an important platform that strengthens university–industry interaction while increasing young people’s access to employment opportunities.