Glossary
Ustalık belgesi — meaning and English translation
An ustalık belgesi is the master craftsman certificate issued under Türkiye's Vocational Education Law, qualifying the holder to run a workshop and train apprentices in a trade.
Türkiye's apprenticeship system under Law 3308 runs through three stages: çıraklık (apprenticeship), kalfalık (journeyman) and ustalık (mastery). The ustalık belgesi is awarded by the Ministry of National Education after the required training and examination, and it is the qualification a barber, hairdresser, chef, baker, tailor, electrician or mechanic needs to open a business in that trade in Türkiye. It is distinct from the Mesleki Yeterlilik Belgesi issued by the Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK), which certifies competence against a national standard rather than completion of apprenticeship.
We render it as “master craftsman certificate (ustalık belgesi)”, kalfalık belgesi as “journeyman certificate” and the MYK document as “vocational qualification certificate”. The trade named on the certificate is translated with its Turkish original, since job titles do not map one to one.
UK employers sponsoring chefs or barbers, and UK ENIC, are the usual readers. See Turkish vocational certificates translation.