The programme Vocational Integration of IDP / EU4Skills supports the Vocational Education and Training (VET)-reform in Ukraine. The programme aims to increase the effectiveness of the reform, improve the quality and attractiveness of vocational education and its relevance for the labour market, train management and teachers of VET-schools, and modernizes selected vocational education institutions. EU4Skills supports the reform of vocational education and training in Ukraine on national and regional levels, covering the following seven focus regions: Chernivtsi, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Rivne, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhia. Elements of the reform are tested in 21 focus VET-schools. The multi-donor action is supported by the EU and its member states Germany, Finland, Poland and Estonia. The implementation period of EU4Skills is from June 2019 to March 2023.
Till the beginning of the war on 24th February 2022 the GIZ coordinated part of EU4Skills was organized in two components. Component I supported the establishment of a framework for the VET reform. Among others, the programme supported the development of the relevant legislation and action plans, the strengthening of coordination on the national and regional levels and the development of recommendations on how to improve the funding and budgeting of VET. Component II assisted the implementation of the VET reform on the national level and in the focus regions.
The war in Ukraine forced the multi-donor action to adapt and redirect its activities focusing on three objectives:
- Assist VET schools which are used as hubs for internally displaced persons (IDPs): EU4Skills provides emergency assistance to VET in Ukraine including the procurement of beds, medical supplies, and other goods. At the same time the programme assists the hubs with psychosocial support, childcare, and other measures.
- Support the continuation of learning through online courses: The VET schools throughout Ukraine face the challenge on how to continue education and learning under the conditions of war. EU4Skills supports the development of online courses and materials which students can access through an online platform of the MoES.
- Support educational authorities and institutions in strengthening their capacity to address skill needs in Ukraine’s rebuilding process. After the war, the demand for skilled labour in areas like construction, social welfare and other relevant economic sectors will increase tremendously. To support the rebuilding, EU4Skills will conduct measures to help MoES and other stakeholders to identify appropriate measures and to build their capacity accordingly. This includes to strengthen managerial capacity for evidence-based planning and the capacity to deliver short courses, which support students, IDPs and vulnerable groups to acquire or update skills in relevant professions.
EU4Skills plans to continue its support for the implementation of the VET reform. Therefore, the Action will assess concepts and tools, which were developed before the war, and modify them according to the current conditions and needs.
Components 1+2 are implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as well as institutions from countries that co-finance EU4Skills.
Among the major activities of the programme in 2019-2002
National level
- support the development of the relevant legislation,
- support the National Qualification Agency in the development of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for the VET relevant levels, consistent with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the registry of qualifications,
- development of an optimized multi-channel VET funding mechanism ensuring efficiency of the financial allocations,
- introduction of career orientation into new educational standards for the New Ukrainian School,
- development of new educational and occupational standards as well as modern educational programmes for VET schools,
- the development of a framework for Qualification Centres to validate formal, non-formal and informal learning.
Regional level
- development and support the implementation of regional strategies and action plans for VET systems operation,
- strengthening VET councils to make them more proactive in the development of the regional VET sector,
- introducing a labour market information system methodology and to enable local stakeholders to collect data for the forecasting of labour market needs and planning of further VET sector development,
- conducting teacher training to introduce a competency-based approach for new educational programmes to gain new digital and soft skills,
- conducting in-service training for VET teachers and school managers to enable demand-oriented competency-based VET and in line with the reform,
- development proposals for the funding and budget mechanisms,
- introducing vocational orientation and career counselling.
Component 3 «EU4Skills: Modernisation of Vocational Education and Training Infrastructure in Ukraine»
Project is implemented by KfW through the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund
Duration: 2019-2023
Budget: 21 mln EUR
Objectives:
The Project aims to create a modern VET infrastructure that contributes to increased attractiveness for students. The Project should lay the foundation for effective, demand-driven education that equips students with skills that the Ukrainian labour market seeks. Component 3 of the Program focuses on the renovation and modernisation of VET schools and the procurement of equipment.
Activities:
The Project activities envisage the implementation of the following:
• Measures that provide early impact and visibility (“quick wins”),
• High-quality renovation of infrastructure of selected VET schools, including provision of modern teaching equipment.
The Project focuses on seven geographical regions: Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Rivne and Chernivtsi region.
Quick Win Schools: Measures that provide early impact and visibility are currently under implementation in four schools.
Other VET Schools: Within the framework of the Project, it is planned to renovate the facilities of 13 other VET schools and to provide them with the equipment necessary for the effective implementation of the educational process.
Therefore, the Third Component of the Programme “EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine” continues its work, but with some adjustments. The work of the project has been suspended in some vocational schools, generally in those educational institutions that are located close to the front line or which are located in the temporarily occupied territories.
