Participant Perceptions on Career Fairs: A Comparison of Kudakaf '23 and Kudakaf '25

This study aimed to reveal the perception of public and private sector institutions/organizations and NGOs within the target group of Regional Career Fairs (RCFs), organized with the motto of “Talent is Everywhere” in Türkiye, through Atatürk University and its students, and Regional Career Fairs and Northeastern Anatolia Career Fairs (KUDAKAF ’23 and KUDAKAF ’25). It will also help employers provide feedback to the RCFs, regularly held at the national level since 2019, and contribute to the still-developing national literature based on the KUDAKAF example. A university hosted the RCFs under the coordination of the Presidency of Turkey and in collaboration with other universities designated by the Presidency within the region. Its objective was to bring together students from RCFs, public and private sector institutions/organizations, and host and partner universities, thus facilitating students' access to job and internship opportunities, regardless of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the regional disparities of the universities where they receive their education. The purposes of this research, designed based on the objectives of RCFs as outlined by the Presidency, were to identify the perceptions and assessments of participating employer representatives towards Atatürk University and its students, RCFs, KUDAKAF ’23, and KUDAKAF ’25, and to detect if there are differences between the two RCFs. In line with the research objective, employers who participated in KUDAKAF ’23 and KUDAKAF ’25 completed a Likert-type scale, specially developed for the current study, during the fair days, which provided quantitative data. The study analyzed the collected quantitative data through simple statistical techniques. As a result, the study concluded that participants considered career fairs essential in accessing skilled labor and that the fairs potentially offer substantial employment opportunities to students.