Estonia's support for Ukrainian vocational education is key to rebuilding the country

Even before the war began, Ukraine's vocational education sector urgently needed reform. Over the past four years, the need for change has become even more critical, as labour market conditions have shifted dramatically - 32% of employers report a shortage of workers with the necessary skills. The large number of people sent to the front has also significantly affected the availability of skilled labour. At the same time, the destruction caused by the war has increased the demand for builders, electricians, software developers, and other skilled workers who can contribute to the country’s physical and digital reconstruction. 

In autumn 2024, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) joined the international Skills4Recovery programme for Ukrainian youth and adults to increase training opportunities and support the acquisition of the skills needed to rebuild the country. Although today's vocational education conference ended Estonia's activities within the framework of this program, cooperation between Estonia and Ukraine in this area will certainly continue in the future. 

Estonia's role in the Skills4Recovery programme has focused on digitalising the vocational education system and creating opportunities for individuals to develop their digital skills. NGO Mondo collaborated with ESTDEV to share Estonia's digital expertise with Ukraine. According to Toomas Tirs, Country Manager of ESTDEV in Ukraine who opened the conference, one cannot talk about improving the education system in Ukraine without developing digital competencies. 

According to Kristi Kulu, ESTDEV's programme manager for Education, strengthening digital skills and supporting teachers are among the most critical steps to modernising vocational education in Ukraine. 

"Vocational education reform in Ukraine implies creating new curricula while also ensuring that teachers have the skills and tools to deliver up-to-date instruction. Mondo's activities in developing digital skills and creating an educational technology curriculum will help strengthen the entire system. This enables vocational schools to provide education that supports people's readiness to contribute to rebuilding Ukraine's economy and society," said Kulu. 

Over the past year and a half, Estonia has supported Ukraine's nationwide reform of its vocational education system to ensure it can respond to labour market challenges arising from the war. Through training organised by Mondo, over 400 teachers' digital skills in 45 vocational schools have been raised to a new level. An educational technology curriculum has also been developed for Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science to ensure that educational innovation in schools is sustainable and can be rolled out nationwide. 

"Because of the war, the role of women in society is changing dramatically, and there are many fields where they must now enter the labour market with new skills. At the same time, many people whose physical abilities have changed due to the war must find new roles to contribute to reconstruction, because while Ukraine is fighting a war, it is also already rebuilding itself. Vocational education is the best place to support these people so they can contribute to Ukraine's reconstruction," said Triinu Ossinovski, a member of Mondo’s management board. 

"A school cannot remain separate from society; it must move forward with it. If we do not educate people who can cope in today's world of work, no one will need these students," said Arnold Pastak, the director of Olustvere School of Rural Economics and Service, who shared his thoughts on the importance of digital skills in vocational education at the conference. 

For Estonia, joining the Skills4Recovery initiative was a logical step, as ESTDEV already had experience in developing vocational education in the Zhytomyr Region. This work aligns with Estonia’s experience developing a digital state and world-class educational technology. 

The overall goal of the Skills4Recovery programme is to provide retraining for 5,800 people. In total, more than 70 vocational education institutions have received support to train teachers and managers, strengthen institutional capacity and enhance employer cooperation. 

The initiative has also contributed to Ukraine's policy reforms. It has supported the development of the national employment strategy, improved the veterans' education platform (which now offers 1,620 courses), trained 150 policymakers in EU-regulated professions, and established a sectoral education committee that brings together the government, training providers and employers. 

The programme is co-funded by the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Denmark.