Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is a ministry in the Government of Sweden responsible for policies related to foreign policy, democracy, human rights, international development cooperation and foreign trade.
In the Skills Alliance for Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden is represented with one project:
• The project “SkillShiftInitiative” is a reskilling program for women in Ukraine helping them to acquire professions of truck and bus driver. It is run by Beredskapslyftet (Skills Shift Initiative) in partnership with Scania, funded by the Swedish government. It is a unique project by the Swedish non-profit organization Skill Shift Initiative, operating a training facility in Ukraine for women to become truck drivers. Every month a new group of women are provided with theoretical knowledge and practical training to learn how to operate a truck. The project’s goal is to educate 300 Ukrainian women by the end of the year, significantly improving their chances of employment. The first seed was planted by the team at Skill Shift who wanted to help the people of Ukraine. Having experience in reskilling Swedish workforce in crisis situations, they saw the possibility to help the Ukrainian transport sector which lacks qualified workers.
• Apart from meeting a direct demand in the Ukrainian economy, it is giving these women better opportunities to make a living for themselves in a male-dominated industry. It is a direct investment in human capital. It is a direct investment in women. The Swedish MFA is proud to be the main sponsor of the project. This would not have been possible without the support from Swedish businesses. Scania in Ukraine is supporting the initiative with the practical necessities – trucks, training ground, instructors. Reskilling Ukraine is a prime example of the great potential of private sector engagement in development assistance. When recovery and development aid is in sync with companies and businesses, synergies like this can arise.
As of May 2025, 1,160 beneficiaries have completed a training measure. This includes 1,135 women, 154 IDPs, and 44 veterans.