News

🌐Meeting of the CBU Committee on Cooperation with Educational Institutions and Industry Workforce Development

🏛️The CBU Committee on Cooperation with Educational Institutions and Industry Workforce Development was established on June 18, 2025, during a meeting of the Board of Directors of the CBU.

🗓️On July 17, 2025, the first meeting of the CBU on Cooperation with Educational Institutions and Industry Workforce Development was held under the chairmanship of Oleksii Dniprov, Rector of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.

During the meeting, the Committee addressed the following issues:

🔹Interaction between businesses and educational institutions regarding dual education, internships, employment, and the development of educational programs based on the needs of specific employers.

🔹Compliance of construction enterprises with their legal obligations toward students of colleges and educational institutions.

At the opening of the meeting, Oleksii Dniprov, Rector of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA) noted that the concept of dual education is still interpreted differently by the business community and educators. One of the key tasks of the newly established Committee should be to build an effective dialogue between educational institutions and businesses in order to develop a shared vision of the content and practical implementation of dual education.

👤Ihor Biletskyi, Rector of O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, Deputy Chair of the CBU Committee.

“When applicants come to choose a specialty, they are often confused and unsure of what to choose and why. All the career guidance work we do doesn’t always produce results. Young people need to understand where they will work and what they will do after graduation. Dual education helps address these questions. We offer a student who has just entered the university the opportunity to find a stakeholder—a company where they can study in a dual format and build their career over four years. Our educational program is structured in a way that by the second year, the student already obtains a vocational qualification, particularly in construction fields. Starting from the third year, they begin an internship at the company E-CONSTRUCTION, where they gain hands-on experience. As a result, the graduate becomes a fully qualified specialist with real work experience.”

👤Volodymyr Onyshchenko, President of the National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic", Deputy Chair of the CBU Committee.

"To date, we have developed a certain regulatory framework: our students follow individual schedules for dual education, and we have an active tripartite cooperation agreement within the dual form of higher education — a partnership between the enterprise, the student, and the university. Additionally, a draft order has been prepared to launch a pilot project for dual education in higher education institutions focused on construction."

👤Tetiana Pron, Deputy Director for Educational and Industrial Training of the Kyiv Vocational College of Civil Construction, Deputy Chair of the CBU Committee.

"Vocational education faced a crisis even earlier than higher education — we are dealing with a lack of motivation among young people and the unpreparedness of businesses for dual education. Not all companies approach training responsibly: some teach and guide students, while others simply assign them to dig foundations. We must talk about integrity and corporate social responsibility. True cooperation means not only internships but also joint training sessions, workshops, and industrial tours. The future of vocational education lies in partnerships between business, education, and the state."

During a productive discussion, participants addressed the key challenges and opportunities for the development of dual education, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between education, business, and the government in training qualified professionals.

🎓In particular, Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Development at KNUCA, noted that there is still a lack of shared understanding of dual education in society. Education must remain the core of the concept. Many senior-year students are employed and fall out of the educational process. The dual format solves this problem — it allows students to combine work in their field with systematic learning without compromising the quality of their training.

🔧Oleh Borysov, Deputy Head of the CONSTRUCTION WORKERS' UNION of UKRAINE - Profbud, spoke about an experimental initiative of practical seminars on construction technologies held without a formal program. In June, one such event took place at the Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, bringing together various educational institutions. This format helps students acquire practical skills often lacking in the curriculum.

🏗️In addition, Polina Aydin, HR Director at Caparol Ukraine, noted that 75% of the workforce shortage is in construction specialties. She believes the solution lies in the collaboration of education, the state, businesses, and HR professionals. The Caparol Academy program revealed that most academic curricula are outdated. Therefore, it is essential to modernize training and promote construction professions — rebuilding the country is impossible without qualified workers.

🏢Oksana Berdnyk, Head of the Training Center at MC “Bauhemi”, shared that the company conducts week-long industrial training sessions for college and university students. This allows them to combine theory with practice, gain a better understanding of the profession, and receive a scholarship for participation.

At the same time, Valerii Kotliar, Head of BarkS, noted that many businesses still do not understand what dual education actually means. He also emphasized that the field of ventilated facades and glazing systems is rapidly developing worldwide, but unfortunately, this area has yet to receive adequate attention in Ukraine.

🌍International experience is especially important, particularly the German model of dual education. As noted by Oleksii Oleksiuk, Component Lead of the Multi-Donor Skills4Recovery initiative, this model effectively addresses the issues of labor shortages and skill mismatches in the labor market. However, such a system requires investment and a comprehensive approach. In Ukraine, a major obstacle remains the lack of opportunities for professional advancement after vocational education, which reduces young people’s interest in skilled trades.

WE WILL WIN AND REBUILD EVERYTHING! 💪

TOGETHER TO VICTORY! 

GLORY TO UKRAINE! 💙💛