Sunday, 04 May 2025 10:51 
🤝The Bridging Skills for Construction project has been launched under the Skills4Recovery initiative:
Joining forces to provide Ukraine's construction sector with a skilled workforce
On April 24, 2025, the first meeting of the Bridging Skills for Construction project under the Skills4Recovery initiative took place – "Bridging Skills in Construction: A Roadmap to Deliver a Skilled Workforce."
In partnership with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and in cooperation with the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the event launched a series of discussions aimed at building cooperation, exchanging experience, and coordinating efforts to develop a roadmap that will support the long-term sustainability of the construction sector and the economic development of Ukraine.
During the meeting, participants discussed the issues of labor shortages and skills mismatch in the construction sector. Dariia Andriunina, Director of the Employment Department at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, presented the government's priorities and actions to address this challenge.
The current level of workforce shortage in construction was also highlighted by Lev Partskhaladze, President of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine: “A significant number of construction workers are currently defending Ukraine on the front lines. 70% of companies are facing a shortage, and the lack of specialists can reach 40–70%.”
Mr. Partskhaladze emphasized the great potential in training and upskilling veterans – helping them reintegrate into civilian life. Effective tools could include specialized courses and employment incentives.
Vocational education is the core of workforce training for construction. This was emphasized by Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. She noted that 80% of graduates find employment in their field. Among the directions for improving existing programs, which graduates find beneficial, Ms. Shumik listed increasing knowledge of regulatory frameworks, technical skills (adapted to employer needs), and training in stress resilience.
Marko Stermšek, Chief Economist of the Strategy and Policy Implementation Department at the EBRD, shared information on how to generate demand for a skilled workforce to ensure the sustainability of the construction sector. The EBRD, in particular, is implementing reskilling programs, encouraging women's participation in the sector, and researching employer needs and positions.
Oleksandr Chervak, CEO of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, stressed the importance of working more actively with the younger generation — communicating the prospects of the construction sector to graduates and parents, and explaining that construction can be a priority, in-demand, and well-paid profession. He also suggested that to attract youth, more modern technologies should be integrated into education: digital platforms and materials.
"The Bridging Skills for Construction project will contribute to building effective partnerships between businesses and educational institutions, and aims to develop a roadmap that addresses Ukraine’s needs for effective reconstruction and recovery," emphasized Oleksii Oleksiuk, Component Lead of the Multi-Donor Skills4Recovery initiative.
Participants of the meeting are invited to contribute recommendations and comments to the further development of the roadmap throughout 2025.
https://forms.gle/Ftz7K4mnMZfQRGLB6
You can watch the recording of the event at the following link (Ukrainian language):
Background:
The Skills4Recovery Multi-Donor Initiative aims to support training and retraining of a qualified workforce in economic sectors crucial for the recovery process: construction, transport, agriculture, services, and manufacturing. This goal is achieved by strengthening the capacity of vocational education providers to deliver quality, labor market-oriented services, engage vulnerable groups, and cooperate with employers.
Skills4Recovery is funded by the European Union, Germany, Poland, and Estonia. It is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL). The initiative will run until June 2026 and covers all regions of Ukraine. The total budget is €14 million.