Three Ukrainian vocational education and training colleges set to receive more than €24 million in EU-backed financing for new centres of vocational excellence

Ukrainian VET colleges are set to receive a total of more than €24 million in financing from the European Investment Bank to upgrade their educational and training programmes. The financing is part of a €58 million EIB programme called the Vocational Education and Training in Ukraine, which is backed by a guarantee under the European Union’s “Ukraine Investment Framework”, or UIF.

The colleges, located in the cities of Kyiv and Dnipro and in the region of Volyn, will use the EU Bank support to develop “Centres of Vocational Excellence”.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Finance, regional administrations and the participating colleges have signed agreements enabling the allocation of the financing. The planned Centres of Vocational Excellence will bring together education, retraining and business cooperation at the colleges.

As a result of the centres, young people will gain professional qualifications, adults will be able to reskill or upgrade their skills and employers will help shape training programmes. The centres will also support applied research.

“Ukraine’s recovery depends on skilled people,” said EIB Group Vice-President Karl Nehammer. “We are helping strengthen vocational education and equip Ukrainians with the practical skills needed to rebuild their country and reinforce its economy.”

“We are entering a new stage in implementing vocational education and training reform,” said Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalisation Dmytro Zavgorodnii. “This is not just about modernising individual colleges but also about a new approach to developing the entire network. The Centres of Vocational Excellence should demonstrate what modern multidisciplinary colleges can look like and set the standard for further changes.”

The EIB financing will cover three vocational education and training colleges: the TECHNO-ART Kyiv Vocational College, the Dnipro Vocational Technological College and the Volyn region-based Kolky Vocational Education Centre.

Works on the Centres of Vocational Excellence are planned in 2027-2028 and will include the renovation of educational buildings, workshops and dormitories, the construction of an agricultural machinery as well as the acquisition of new equipment and vehicles for students` practical training.

“Modern vocational education is key to Ukraine’s recovery and future competitiveness,” said Chargé d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Gediminas Navickas. “Through the UIF, we are helping colleges equip Ukrainians with the skills businesses need and create new opportunities across the country.”

EIB and Ukrainian officials are in discussions on channelling financing from the Ukraine Vocational Education and Training Programme to four other vocational colleges, which are located in the cities of Chortkiv, Kalush, Odesa and Uzhhorod.

In addition to the €58 million EIB loan, the Vocational Education and Training Programme includes €8.5 million in EU grant-funded technical assistance through the Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP). Together, these resources will help Ukraine build a more accessible and labour market-oriented vocational education system.

Background information

EIB Group in Ukraine 

Present in Ukraine since 2007, the EIB Group has significantly stepped up its financial support for the country’s resilience and modernisation following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, EIB financing in support of Ukraine has reached €4.5 billion. Through its EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative, coupled with its key role in implementing a dedicated window under the Ukraine Facility, the EIB is strongly committed to stepping up and accelerating its activities in line with the mandate given by EU leaders and in close cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and international partners.

Press contact:

Olga Sushytska, o.sushytska@eib.org

Website: www.eib.org/press