A Skills Alliance for Ukraine: ETF insights from the Recovery Conference in Berlin
Berlin 11–12 June – At the Ukraine Recovery Conference, international organisations including the European Training Foundation (ETF) as part of the EU's commitment to the process, business community members and governments from more than 50 countries pledged to support a €700 million re-qualification initiative launched by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy.
Skills Alliance for Ukraine: A focus on the future
The Skills Alliance for Ukraine targets young people and adults, including internally displaced people and women, with the aim of empowering them as pillars of Ukraine's future reconstruction.
"The Skills Alliance will help meet Ukraine's labour needs and accelerate the country's recovery, improve employment prospects for Ukrainian youth, internally displaced people and veterans, and create conditions for the return of Ukrainians from abroad," explained Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Addressing human capital challenges
This initiative addresses the urgent human capital challenges in Ukraine posed by Russia's full-scale invasion. The war has caused significant internal and external displacement of the population and severe damage to education infrastructure, as documented by the ETF's regular monitoring. These disruptions, combined with military needs, have led to critical skills shortages, particularly in traditionally male-dominated professions, hampering economic and business development.
At the beginning of 2024, as part of the ETF's 30th anniversary campaign dedicated to partner countries, it was emphasised that Ukraine’s recovery plan must address both immediate and future needs. It is a perspective that has remained at the forefront of all areas of the ETF's support programming and delivery over the past two and a half years since the full-scale aggression began.
"There will be a huge demand for skills in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction in the short and long term," said Georgios Zisimos, ETF Head of Policy Advice and EU Programming.
Steps towards a Skills Guarantee approach
At the meetings in Berlin, these affirmations were confirmed. In line with its mandate, the ETF has focused its efforts on developing proposals to operationalise support plans for skills recovery. The launch of the Skills Alliance is a major step in this direction.
There are many expected outcomes of this multi-stakeholder initiative. From access to continuing education and training to addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups, strengthening cooperation with the private sector and ultimately facilitating Ukraine's integration into the EU.
The ETF's internal Ukraine Task Force, a group of experts with diverse professional expertise and deep knowledge of the country, addresses Ukraine's education, training and labour market needs through direct engagement with Ukrainian decision-makers, in line with the Ukraine Facility, the policy framework for EU support to Ukraine.
A perspective reiterated during ETF Director Pilvi Torsti's recent visit to Kyiv, where the ETF engaged with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sport, reconfirming concrete plans.
“We also met with state trade unions and employer organisations, all focused on critical skills needs and sharing our analysis. Hence, we have continued to develop a Ukraine Skills Guarantee approach based on our experience in policy reforms and skills,” said Torsti.
The Skills Guarantee approach for Ukraine aims to achieve results that will have a long-term and sustainable impact well beyond the recent Recovery Conference in Berlin: the Ukraine Skills Guarantee is a conceptual framework developed to ensure continued and comprehensive support for skills development, tailored to both immediate recovery and long-term reconstruction needs, and aligned with the Alliance's overall policy framework.
The European Union, represented by the European Commission, joins the Skills Alliance for Ukraine and commits to contribute to the intended outcomes of the Alliance. For its part, the ETF will continue to advocate for Ukraine's human capital development and education needs.
Did you like this article? If you would like to be notified when new content like this is published, subscribe to receive our email alerts.