Eker Süt Ürünleri Receives Social Responsibility Award from BUSİAD

The 28th BUSİAD Success Awards, organized this year by Bursa Industrialists and Businessmen Association (BUSİAD), were presented at a ceremony. At the event, which drew strong participation from business representatives, Eker Süt Ürünleri was recognized with the Social Responsibility Award for its "Individuals with Autism in the Workforce" employment model.

Eker Süt Ürünleri has crowned its steady growth trajectory since its foundation with work that contributes to social development. The brand, which conducts impactful initiatives in areas such as sports, equality, inclusion and gender equality, continues to be recognized by prestigious award organizations for its employment model developed to integrate individuals with autism into society and working life.

Eker Süt Ürünleri, which is among companies synonymous with the industrial city of Bursa, won the Social Responsibility Award at the 2024 Doğan Ersöz and BUSİAD Success Awards, organized for the 28th time this year by BUSİAD, with its "Individuals with Autism in the Workforce" employment model. This meaningful award was presented by BUSİAD Chairman Buğra Küçükkayalar to Eker Süt Ürünleri General Manager Ahmet Eker and Deputy General Manager Nevra Eker. The award ceremony held on 29 May at Podyum Davet drew broad participation from business circles.

"We succeeded, now it's your turn"
Nevra Eker said the following in her speech at the awards ceremony: "The future business world is undergoing a transformation that embraces differences and provides equal opportunity for everyone. As Eker, we have developed a work model where individuals with autism can demonstrate their potential, and we believe that the widespread adoption of this model will contribute to social development. We invite all companies that add value to Bursa to be part of this transformation for a more inclusive and sustainable future. We succeeded, now it's your turn… We are very grateful to BUSİAD for this important award."

Eker's "Individuals with Autism in the Workforce" employment model, which has been carried out under the consultancy of Tohum Autism Foundation since 2018, presents an important success story in the integration of individuals with autism into working life. Thanks to this innovative employment model, 13 individuals with autism have so far entered the workforce and achieved equal opportunity. One of the most notable aspects of the model is that each three young individuals with autism receive continuous support from a job coach in the workplace. This approach facilitates the adaptation of individuals with autism to working life and enables them to work in a sustainable manner.

Eker Süt Ürünleri has not contented itself with developing an environment where 13 individuals with autism can work independently, but has pioneered the widespread adoption of the model by sharing the expertise and experience it has gained with other companies and civil society organizations. Thanks to the company's consulting services, this supported employment model is currently being successfully implemented in seven other companies besides Eker. Eker continues to contribute to increasing social inclusion through these pioneering efforts in the field of corporate social responsibility.