- Category Group:
- Human Resources Categories
- Category:
- Award for Innovation in Employee Engagement - All Other Industries
- Organization Name:
- Socar
- Organization Description:
SOCAR Türkiye is an integrated energy group operating in petrochemicals, refining, natural gas, trade and distribution. Through advanced technologies and strong Türkiye-Azerbaijan cooperation, it creates economic, social and environmental value, supports employment and production, and contributes to Türkiye's sustainable growth and global energy competitiveness.
Our internship journey started in 2021 under pandemic conditions as a fully online program designed only for university students. As conditions changed, the program naturally evolved. We gradually introduced hybrid and on-site working models and expanded the scope to include vocational school and high school students, turning it into a broader early-career ecosystem. While we created dedicated quotas to support employees' children and promote equal opportunity, the program has always remained open to external applicants as well. Over the years, it has become a reliable and sustainable talent pipeline for our graduate recruitment efforts. Since internships are a graduation requirement for many academic programs in Türkiye, offering qualified internship opportunities plays an important role in helping young people take their first professional steps.
By 2025, the structure matured into four parallel tracks: university, vocational school, high school, and an international Azerbaijan (Baku) integration program. Students joined 20-40 day structured experiences where they were not only introduced to technical knowledge but also developed communication skills, interview readiness, project management awareness, and sustainability perspectives. Rather than limiting the experience to observation, the program encouraged active participation, mentorship, and intercultural interaction.
In the university track, 188 students took part, with a 15% quota reserved to reduce socio-economic barriers, alongside 16 international students who enriched cultural diversity. The vocational school track reached 43 students, applied a 30% equal-opportunity quota, and worked closely with local educational institutions to contribute to regional development. The high school track was introduced for the first time and engaged 14 students, helping them gain early career awareness through partnerships with technical schools. The Baku Integrated Program provided 15 Azerbaijani students with a dual-country internship experience, and the later employment of two former participants clearly demonstrated the program's long-term talent conversion impact.
Each intern was paired with a mentor, turning the internship into a guided learning experience rather than a short-term placement. Orientation sessions included occupational health and safety, industry fundamentals, and information security, while soft-skill trainings such as interview techniques, basic project management, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability were delivered by internal trainers. This approach supported both cost efficiency and the preservation of institutional knowledge.
The outcomes have been both social and organizational. In total, 260 students participated, and satisfaction surveys showed a 96% approval rate. Partnerships with local schools strengthened regional engagement, while the cross-border dimension increased international visibility. Employee participation as mentors and trainers also contributed positively to internal motivation and company culture.
What began as a temporary online internship has grown into a long-term early-career development model. Today, the program supports equal opportunity while maintaining merit-based selection, strengthens employer branding, and builds a sustainable future talent pool. By bringing together different education levels, working models, and inclusive access principles, it has become a scalable workforce development initiative that delivers social value, employee engagement, and lasting organizational benefit at the same time.
Entry Sources & Additional Supporting Information
In addition to the structured internship model, the program was supported by project-based documents and public communication materials, strengthening both transparency and visibility. Individual internship project presentations and final reports prepared by participants clearly reflected hands-on learning, analytical thinking, and real business exposure. These outputs not only showed student development but also provided tangible evidence of the program's practical impact and knowledge transfer. Since the primary target audience was local, the shared documents and materials were prepared and delivered in Turkish.
Throughout the internship period, social media posts and short video reels also played an important role in increasing outreach and engagement. These digital contents helped raise awareness among external young talents, enhanced employer brand perception, and positioned the organization as an accessible and youth-friendly workplace. Featuring authentic student experiences, mentorship moments, training sessions, and project highlights created a genuine narrative rather than a purely promotional tone.
Together, formal project documentation and dynamic social media visibility formed a complementary communication ecosystem. While reports and presentations validated the educational and professional value of the program, digital sharing expanded reach, encouraged future applications, and strengthened institutional credibility. This balanced approach ensured that the internship initiative was not only impactful internally but also visible, inspiring, and sustainable in the broader talent market.