The groundbreaking ceremony for the İvrindi Gold and Silver Mine, the latest project of Nurol Holding subsidiary Tümad Mining, and for the İvrindi Natural Resources Anatolian Vocational and Technical High School, to be constructed by Tümad Mining, were held in the İvrindi country of Balıkesir with the participation of Fatih Dönmez, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Ziya Selçuk, Minister of National Education. Taking place in two separate locations, the joint groundbreaking ceremony for both events was held simultaneously thanks to a barcovision connection, with the Ministers leading the school’s groundbreaking ceremony in place, while the groundbreaking of the mine located within the country of İvrindi was led by Mithat Cansız, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. In his speech at the event, Gürol Çarmıklı, Member of the Board of Directors of Nurol Holding, said, “I would like to thank all of you, both personally and on behalf of the Nurol family, for joining us on this day, which makes us both happy and proud. Through Tümad, we have carried out two major mining sector projects in the Lapseki county of Çanakkale and in the İvrindi county of Balıkesir. We are also proud in the knowledge that both projects were implemented through the works of young and dynamic Turkish engineers and workers. During the investment and management stages of these projects, which we have conducted to the highest international standards, we experienced a marked lacked of qualified intermediate personnel in the sector. That is why we feel it is important for the mining sector – which will assume a driving role in the economic development of our country – to be supported by a qualified workforce. Accordingly, the mining and energy sector reacted with great pleasure to the initiation of an educational mobilization for ‘National Energy’ by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education. Our group will contribute to this mobilisation effort, aimed at meeting the need for qualified and well-trained intermediate personnel, by building four schools. I hope that these schools will prove to be most beneficial to our youth, our country and our nation. As for the İvrindi Gold and Silver Mine Project, whose grounds we will be laying today, we expect to complete it within 2019. The employment opportunities and the 40 billion Turkish liras of added value the project will create will make it one of the most important investments for the economies of both the region and the nation.”