About Skills Alliance
Ukraine is suffering from a shortage of skilled workers due to demographic changes in the population, war-related displacement, the military conscription, and the widespread destruction of the educational and vocational training infrastructure. The Ukrainian Ministry of Economy (MoE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) anticipate an additional demand for skilled workers of up to 8.6 million people in the coming years to reach the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target of the government of Ukraine for 2032.
In view of the high priority of this issue and the need to undertake new efforts in a coordinated manner, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and MoE have called for the training, re- and upskilling of Ukrainians for reconstruction and recovery. Therefore, the Skills Alliance for Ukraine was established as a joint multi-stakeholder Alliance of donors, international organisations, civil society organisations and the private sector at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 in Berlin (URC2024).
Objectives
The Skills Alliance is a joint initiative of 90 donors, their implementing organizations, international and civil society organizations, and businesses. Its goal is to support the Ukrainian government’s efforts in vocational education and training, establish a dialogue between members and the government, and mobilize additional funding. In doing so, it creates synergies between existing and new initiatives to promote vocational education both in Ukraine and in EU member states.
The alliance pursues five objectives:
- Provision of suitable re-/upskilling programmes for people in the working age, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable groups, in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainians living abroad, with a focus on reducing barriers for return and reintegration;
- Strengthening the cooperation between the public and the private sector in a flexible and mutually beneficial manner to increase the knowledge about labour market needs and reduce the current skills mismatch;
- Addressing special needs and ensuring inclusion of women, youth, people with disabilities, elderly, veterans, temporarily displaced Ukrainian abroad and vulnerable groups to facilitate their economic empowerment through skills, training and employment paying special attention to fair work and ethical employment and training programmes;
- Facilitating Ukraine’s EU integration by improving the mutual recognition of qualifications, and by aligning standards with EU requirements;
- Access to uninterrupted vocational and higher education and training providing skills needed for recovery and reconstruction; thereby creating perspectives for the future, especially for Ukrainian youth.
The Alliance connects actors active in the field and strengthens the synergies between their initiatives and projects, thereby creating visibility of the variety of existing initiatives and projects.
The focus of the Skills Alliance is primarily on support within Ukraine, but initiatives that qualify and train Ukrainians abroad to contribute to recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine are equally welcome to ensure a holistic approach. International and Ukrainian businesses are essential partners in this initiative as they employ the workforce that will drive Ukraine’s economic recovery.
This initiative is aligned with the Ukraine Plan of the EU-Ukraine Facility, which amongst others, includes reforms aimed at improving vocational education and training and access to rapid skills upgrading programmes to address the short- and medium-term labour needs and facilitate reconstruction activities. On the accession track, the 2023 Enlargement Report recommended Ukraine to adopt legislation to modernise and regulate vocational education and training in the next year.
Upskilling and vocational training
Challenge and goal:
According to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the ILO, Ukraine will need 8.6 million additional skilled workers by 2032. Displacement, demographic change, and destruction of educational institutions are root causes for the shortage of skilled workers. Therefore, in the focus area of “Upskilling and Vocational Training”, the Skills Alliance members exchange on labour market needs to address the skills mismatch, update each other on vocational education and training programmes and innovative approaches as well as potential sources of funding.
Deliverables:
- Mapping of continuing education and vocational training programs;
- Identification of current funding opportunities and creation of a strategic plan to secure further resources;
- Assessment of labour market demand in key sectors for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Addressing Special Needs and Ensuring the Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups
Challenge and goal:
To address the severe shortage of skilled labour in Ukraine effectively, vocational training and labour markets must be inclusive for all potential target groups, including women, veterans, IDPs and people with disabilities. Therefore, in the focus area of “Addressing Special Needs and Ensuring Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups”, the Skills Alliance members assess the availability and demand for training for target groups, support the matching of vulnerable groups with existing opportunities, developed and disseminate recommendations to promote inclusive training and employment.
Deliverables:
- Assessment of the availability and demand for education and training programmes tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups;
- Support in matching vulnerable groups with existing upskilling and training opportunities in Ukraine;
- Development of recommendations to promote inclusion in education and employment, in alignment with Ukraine’s employment strategy, the Vocational Education Act, and other relevant policies.
Vocational Training in Host Countries and Mutual Recognition of Qualifications
Challenge and goal:
Failing to invest in displaced persons is not an option given the prolonged displacement. The challenge is to qualify displaced people for life and work in host countries while also preparing them for a potential future return to Ukraine (dual intent). Mutual recognition of qualifications is key for mobility of displaced people but still restricted by multiple barriers, diverse, unclear and fragmented processes. Therefore, in the focus area of “Vocational Training in Host Countries and Mutual Recognition of Qualifications”, the Skills Alliance members assess qualifications not yet recognised in Ukraine and vice versa, discuss how to increase in bilateral agreements and other means of mutual recognition and operationalise the dual intent approach for training in host countries while also exchanging on vocational training abroad in recovery-relevant sectors.
Deliverables:
- Assessment of qualifications from EU member states and other countries that are not yet recognised in Ukraine, and vice versa;
- Expansion of bilateral agreements and other mechanisms for mutual recognition;
- Operationalisation of the dual intent concept for vocational training in host countries;
- Mapping of vocational training opportunities abroad for Ukrainians in sectors relevant to Ukraine’s reconstruction.