Socio-econamic assessment of 14-19 age group children employed at Elazig vocational training center

Child labor is a universal problem, which destroys health and development of child and mostly emerges with combining many factors. The most often reason among these factors is poverty. Children have to be working to supply their essential requirement such as nutrition and accommodation. Wages and working conditions of child and young workers are defined by national/international agreements, laws and regulations in the world and in our country. According to results of 2012 TUIK Child Labor Survey, number of worker children is determined as 292.000 at ages 6-14, 601.000 at ages 15-17 and at total 893.000 in Turkey. The universe of this descriptive study consists of 230 children with 14-19 ages registered at the Elazig Vocational Training Center. Despite of registration to the Vocational Training Center, only 138 children could be reached questionnaire form could be applied on the date of the survey because of lack of continuity to education and refusing to attend the survey. The participation rate in the survey has been at 60%. In this research, as a data collection tool, the researchers used a questionnaire form consisting of 4 parts and 55 questions. Survey is conducted by having verbal confirmation from attendants who are at ages 14-19, and only conducted on volunteers. Fieldwork of this research is conducted between 04 April 2016 and 29 April 2016. 68,8% of students are male and their age average is 17,77±1,14 (min. 15, max. 19) and only 54,3% of them is graduated from secondary school. 48,9% of the students has stated that they have started to work in the age of 13 to 15 years. Average working hours per day is 11,54±1,45 (min. 8, max. 15) hours, age average for starting to work is determined as 14,94±1,94 (min. 9, max. 19). If the case is considered depending on gender for age of starting to work average, it was found that women participated in working life at a higher age than men work (p <0.05). According to our research data, 86,2% of students has given answer yes to question "was your decision efficient on starting to work". 87,3% of women students who are participated to the research indicate that they work for "hairdresser services", 47,4% of men students indicate that they work in "machine/hand tool maintenance and repair" field. 42,8% of students who are participated to the research think "case of working damages themselves physically and psychologically". While 56,5% of students states behaviors of employee/co-workers are nice to them, 9,4% of students declare that they are being exposed to physically and verbally harassment by employee/co-workers. Assessing of will to work of students depending on being exposed to physically and verbally harassment by employee/co-workers, statistically who are not being exposed to such situation is more eager to work then who are being exposed (p<0.05). 63% of students have expressed that insurance progress has been without problem, 23,2% of students have expressed that they have been trained on occupational health and safety. 34,8% of students have stated that at least once they have had occupational accident, 62,5% of them have given answer no to question" do you know about your rights and Occupational Safety Law". 39,1% of students have expressed that they smoke daily. While assessing statistically, there is a meaningful difference on smoking on behalf of men (p<0.05). As a conclusion, to prevent illegal child labor, socio-economic precautions need to be taken which can increase level of income and education, extinguish unfair distribution of income. Continuing application based on occupational training, procedure and principle of employing, condition to be accepted for a job, wages, suitability for occupational health and safety of work and workplace, working and break hours need to be efficiently inspected.