Sunday, 09 March 2025 17:22 
🌐 Shortage of Construction Workers: Opportunities for Utilizing the Penitentiary System
This issue was thoroughly discussed during a webinar organized by the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine in cooperation with the National Center For Service Quality Certification on March 6, 2025.
👤 The speaker of the webinar was Yana Makhortova, Head of HR at the National Center for Service Quality Certification and a psychologist at the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.
👤 Oleksandr Chervak, CEO of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine and moderator of the webinar, stated: "This is an opportunity to involve people to partially address the labor shortage in the construction industry. These could be potential workers who possess the necessary skills and are open to joining the construction sector."
In 2023-2024, Ukraine's construction industry faced a shortage of over 150,000 workers. 30% of construction companies cited the lack of personnel as one of the key challenges in 2024. This shortage of skilled construction workers is slowing down infrastructure recovery and increasing construction costs.
🔹 At the same time, more than 8,000 people are released from the penitentiary system annually, with up to 30% of them having construction skills.
💬 As Yana Makhortova noted, former convicts with construction experience could serve as an alternative workforce source: "They are motivated to work because they do not want to return to a criminal lifestyle. The state and society are also interested in their adaptation, as an employed person is a taxpayer."
Simple steps that could help address this issue include pilot employment programs, which may involve:
✔️ A trial recruitment of former convicts;
✔️ Flexible working conditions;
✔️ Mentorship programs;
✔️ A probationary period.
The expert elaborated on the advantages of this approach for construction companies.
First, it fosters loyalty and motivation. People who get a second chance often work with greater dedication, as it is an opportunity for them to start fresh.
Second, it expands the labor pool.
Third, it demonstrates corporate social responsibility.
Webinar participants actively engaged in the discussion, shared their opinions, and received in-depth responses from the expert.
The Confederation of Builders of Ukraine has also reached out to the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine requesting information on the most common construction skills among inmates.
👉 Watch the webinar recording at the following link (Ukrainian):
WE WILL WIN AND REBUILD EVERYTHING! 💪
TOGETHER TO VICTORY!
GLORY TO UKRAINE! 💙💛