EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine teaches partnership and unity

Europe traditionally pays a lot of attention to vocational education and training (VET). It is in high demand, as it is prestigious. In Ukraine, which is experiencing a serious shortage of skilled workers, this area and its reputation is gradually recovering. The European Union, while attaching particular importance to the education of the youth, is helping to create a modern, high-tech and dynamic vocational education system in Ukraine, having initiated the EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine project. The project is supported by the EU and its Member States Germany, Finland, Poland and Estonia, the countries with a traditionally high level of VET and useful experience that is suitable for Ukraine. In Ukraine, seven oblasts are involved in the project: Chernivts; Lviv; Mykolaiv; Poltav; Rivne; Vinnytsia; and Zaporizhzia.

The circumstances, however, forced those involved to change the focus of cooperation. Since the beginning of a full-fledged Russian invasion of Ukraine, the efforts of the project participants focused on helping 4 000 internally displaced persons, who found shelter in the dormitories of the VET institutions. 5 500 pillows, 1 500 blankets, 1 500 folding beds and emergency aid items have already been delivered. 22 000 packages of baby food and more than 2 million units of medical products are expected to be delivered next.

People who were forced to flee their homes because of the war and those who host them are naturally experiencing stress. Therefore, psychological support is provided for the displaced people and the volunteers have an opportunity to learn how to manage dormitories, which makes them more confident.

At the same time, EU4Skills continues working on the main project – to maintain the pace and quality of education and training, and most importantly, the interest of students in obtaining education. The work on developing new programs continues, online classes are held, and the students now have access to adapted online courses and materials translated into Ukrainian. Also, over 2 200 teachers and students regularly communicate at online café events. This powerful community helps people find new friends, new knowledge and support. Finally, EU4Skills is helping Ukrainian VET institutions join the Erasmus+ project, which offers a unique opportunity to interact with peers from European countries, work together on proposals and find partners across Europe.

It would have been understandable to shift the focus away from education because of the war. In truth, now is the time to learn, develop projects and prepare for rebuilding Ukraine, particularly when EU4Skills offers real opportunities for this. What does the example of the EU4Skills project, which is being implemented in seven oblasts and is directed at the VET reform, teach us? As we can now see, the question is not about the scope of activity, but about the approaches, flexibility and readiness for transformations. Even in this local program, the EU found an opportunity to quickly and correctly respond to the challenges Ukraine and Europe faced.

“The EU continues its support to Ukraine through all of our projects. EU4Skills is one of our programmes which cover the most crucial emergency needs of IDPs. In cooperation with our Member States Germany, Finland, Poland and Estonia we will also further support VET schools in offering learning possibilities through EU4Skills,” said Frederik Coene, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

For more information

EU4Skills is a programme to support the reform of vocational education and training in Ukraine. The programme is supported by the EU and its Member States Germany, Finland, Poland and Estonia. EU4Skills is aimed at modernising VET institutions, purchasing equipment, establishing Centres of Excellence, and training school managers and teachers in seven pilot regions: Chernivtsi; Lviv; Mykolaiv; Poltava; Rivne; Vinnytsia; and Zaporizhzhia. EU4Skills is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) in close cooperation with Finnish, Polish and Estonian partners.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will lend EUR 58 million to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and will finance the ongoing modernisation of the country’s VET system. The loan supplements the implementation of the EU4Skill: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine project, which is jointly financed by the EU and the governments of Germany, Finland and Estonia.

The investment from the EU bank will finance the establishment of up to nine VET Centres of Excellence in nine oblasts of Ukraine (Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, City of Kyiv, Odesa, Ternopil, Volyn and Zakarpattia) and will improve educational facilities for over 10 000 teachers and students.

The EU has complemented the loan with an EUR 8.5 million grant under the Neighborhood Investment Platform (NIP), which will provide technical assistance for efficient project preparation, implementation and procurement.

This EIB operation is a part of Team Europe activities in Ukraine supporting reform and modernisation of the country’s educational system as well as supporting green and sustainable social and economic growth.