In the energy sector, which is responsible for 75% of global carbon emissions, even a reduction of a few gigatons plays a critical role in achieving climate targets. While the development of the renewable energy market offers hope for the future of the planet, the fact that the desired reduction in emissions has not yet been achieved makes other requirements for the sector's transformation process even more important. This is where social transformation comes into play. In order to successfully complete the transformation, it is crucial to include workers and communities in the process fairly and inclusively, and to develop and implement social responsibility projects. Guided by the motto 'Discover and Redefine', ODAŞ launched the ODAŞ People project in 2010, with the aim of contributing to the development of generations that create value by focusing on young people. ODAŞ Corporate Communications Manager Yasemin Aydınlar stated that the project is an interactive platform and said: "Through competitions in categories such as design, articles and photography, we aim to encourage young people to generate ideas that contribute to their personal growth and foster social awareness. We are learning, dreaming and discovering innovations alongside young people."
The goal of reaching more young people Aydınlar emphasised that ODAŞ invests not only in the academic achievements of young people, but also in their imagination, desire to create and courage to think differently, saying, "ODAŞ People is a platform that is constantly evolving and growing with the dynamism of young people. As with all our other projects, we adopt a value-oriented approach in this project as well. We started with this ISG-themed competition, but we have many new projects ahead of us where we will create together and make a difference on many different themes. We want to reach as many young people as possible and contribute to social solidarity and development together with them. Within the scope of ODAŞ People, we have allocated approximately 1 million TL for our first competition, including website development, communication processes, and prizes. “Traditional definitions of talent are struggling to keep up with the new order” Yasemin Aydınlar, who assesses the talent gap among young people, says, “In the past, theory and practice fed into each other, and individuals who graduated from education were better prepared to enter the world of work. Today, however, with the dizzying pace of technology, aligning theory with practice requires more effort than ever before. Traditional definitions of talent are struggling to keep pace with this new order. This mismatch creates a significant barrier to young people realising their potential. This situation poses significant risks in terms of sustainability. Individuals who cannot keep pace with new technologies, changing work practices, and global competition may slow down not only their own development but also the institutions, sectors, and even countries in which they operate. In other words, what appears to be an individual shortcoming actually carries the risk of evolving into a barrier to social transformation," she said. “We value social benefit” Aydınlar also stated that they attach particular importance to employees participating in socially beneficial work on a voluntary basis, saying, “With our ODAŞ People Volunteers Programme, we have reached 2,500 hours of volunteer work in 21 different projects over three years. By collaborating with civil society organisations such as the TOHUM Autism Foundation, KAÇUV, AFAD, and KEDV, we have taken an active role in social campaigns. Our volunteer initiative has also been recognised. In 2023, we won an award in the Corporate Volunteering category at the “Social Benefit Awards” organised by DÜNYA Newspaper, which recognises successful social responsibility initiatives by the private sector, public institutions and local governments. On the other hand, in 2024, based on the results of our research conducted with ERA Research & Consultancy titled “Roadmap to Reputation at the Summit” and the actions we took based on the research results, we were awarded the 'Reputable Owl Award' This award also highlights our success in reputation and stakeholder management." ‘A single photograph can replace hundreds of words.’ ODAŞ Corporate Communications Manager Yasemin Aydınlar stated that they aim to offer new perspectives in this field with their ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ project, launched with the slogan ‘Attention: Ideas May Spark.’ “We believe that young people’s creative minds, changing worldview, and reflexes to keep pace with development will make significant contributions to raising awareness about the important issue of occupational health and safety.Because change begins in the mind, and sometimes a single photograph can convey what hundreds of words cannot. On the other hand, the “Attention: Ideas May Spark!” Poster Design Competition quickly attracted the interest of young people, and we received a number of impressive entries for our competition. Due to the high level of interest, we extended the deadline from 29 June 2025 to 11 July 2025. Our jury evaluation meeting took place on 16 July 2025. Over 200 students participated in our competition with their poster designs. We will announce the results at the award ceremony on 1 August," she said.
