Skills That Matter: The Skills Alliance, in Partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Shapes the Labour Market Agenda 

Ukraine must prioritise productivity growth, inclusive training, and modernised education infrastructure to overcome critical labour shortages and support economic recovery. This was the shared conclusion of participants at the Skills Alliance Annual Conference held in Kyiv on 22 January. 

The full-day conference brought together more than 150 representatives from foreign governments, development banks, implementation agencies, civil society organisations, and private-sector companies engaged in the Skills Alliance, including EBRD, UNICEF, OECD Ukraine, GIZ, KfW, Helvetas, Enabel, Nova Poshta, the European Business Association and the Centre for Economic Strategy. The Alliance currently comprises 90 member organisations, which together have committed nearly EUR 1.1 billion. Since its establishment in 2024, these investments have supported skills development for over 535,000 Ukrainians in Ukraine and across EU Member States. 

The conference, opened by Jens Busma, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine, set out a shared direction for the work of the Skills Alliance. Participants agreed on three main priorities: strengthening productivity and competitiveness through labour-market-oriented skills development, expanding inclusive and targeted training for vulnerable groups, and supporting training providers as regional hubs for innovation and workforce development. The discussions highlighted skills as a key driver of Ukraine’s economic resilience and recovery. 

Dariia Marchak, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, emphasised the importance of sustained investment in skills development as a key driver of productivity growth in the economy. 

“Productivity growth is the foundation of Ukraine’s economic reсovery in wartime and beyond. With labour shortages affecting every sector, we must ensure that every worker can contribute maximum value to our economy,” said Marchak. “The Skills Alliance enables us to modernise our workforce development system, connect training directly to employer needs, and remove barriers that prevent talented Ukrainians—whether veterans, IDPs, women, or youth—from fully participating in our labour market.” 

Dmytro Zavgorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, emphasised that modernising vocational education systems is critical for aligning Ukraine’s workforce with EU standards and future labour market needs. 

Reflecting on the Alliance’s growth, Jens Busma from the German Embassy welcomed the six new members to the Alliance and reaffirmed international support for Ukraine’s workforce transformation. 

“The Skills Alliance is delivering concrete results, with over half a million people already benefiting from improved skills,” said Jens Busma. “Our Alliance partners and Germany remain committed to ensuring that Ukraine’s workforce has the competencies needed not only for reconstruction, but for long-term competitiveness and successful EU integration.” 

The three strategic priorities identified at today’s conference will guide the Alliance’s work in 2026 and beyond, ensuring coordinated action across the coalition to address Ukraine’s most pressing workforce challenges.