I wish I had studied a bit more and become a master mold maker

The engineering sector has fallen into a serious income pit. Both in the public and private sectors, engineers are trying to survive on figures at the starvation level.

Such a heavy workload, long hours, and immense responsibilities for this salary create an error in the algorithm. They are pulling all sorts of tricks to make ends meet with salaries that are almost at the level of a high school graduate municipal police officer in a district municipality.

While it was hoped that the construction investments that started in the earthquake zone following the Maraş earthquake would improve the situation of engineers, the exact opposite happened. While a huge shortage emerged in the fields of materials, equipment, and master-foreman-technician labor, the surplus of engineers created a reverse situation in wages.

While master and worker wages have risen to 60-70 thousand liras per month, engineer wages have not even reached half of that.

Because there are no masters, but there are too many engineers

While we are all happy that masters and workers are receiving salaries at European standards, the fact that engineers are receiving wages that do not even equal two minimum wages has created exhaustion and hopelessness in the sector.

The short story below explains the situation more clearly.

Anyone who has lived in forest villages in Anatolia or has friends who are forest villagers knows that the "forest officer" has an air about them that even a district governor does not have. The public does not fear the district governor or the governor; it is all about the forest officer. When they see the forest officer, they straighten their clothes, take their caps in their hands, stand at attention, and salute. There is even a story of a district governor who, when no one paid attention to him while visiting a village, said, "If you had studied a bit more, you could have become a forest officer."

Because they have no material other than the trees in the forest to build their houses and roofs. Even if it were their own private forest, they would cut it illegally with a thousand tricks, turn it into lumber without getting caught by the forest officer, and use it in the construction of their house.

If they get caught, according to the "forest law," they cannot save their skin without selling everything they have, like a sacrificial lamb. And that is if they are lucky.

Years of education, money spent, the sacrifice of families—rarely seen anywhere else in the world—of "it doesn't matter if I go hungry as long as my child eats," sleepless nights during finals, and the cortisol and oxytocin levels that rise as project deadlines approach are clearly reflected in university entrance exam results, showing a decrease in young people's interest in engineering.

Our most famous universities, which used to take students from the top thousand in our time, are now struggling to even accept students from the top 50 thousand.