🏗️The labor shortage in the construction industry and ways to address it were discussed during a panel discussion at the CBU Business Day
📅 On March 18, 2026, as part of the CBU Business Day, a panel discussion titled “Labor Shortage in Construction: Business Needs, Incentives, and the Introduction of a Construction Quality Mark” took place.
💡 Participants discussed the problem of the labor shortage in the industry, specifically the lack of skilled workers, the imbalance between education and business needs, as well as the need to transition to new training models - involving employers, developing dual education, and implementing modern technologies.
The following speakers delivered opening remarks:
🔹 Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
🔹 Valentina Rybalko, Deputy Director of the State Employment Center of Ukraine
🔹 Yuriy Balanyuk, Head of the National Qualifications Agency
🔹 Anna Rogovchenko, Representative of the Skills4Recovery program
👤 During the thematic panel, Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, emphasized the need to strengthen practical training by conducting instruction directly in real-world settings at enterprises, which will promote the development of dual education and increase student engagement. At the same time, she stressed the importance of shortening the time required to obtain professional qualifications and implementing mechanisms to ensure their quality.
💭 “We are moving away from the ‘profession-standard’ logic and transitioning to a model based on professional standards and specific competencies. This allows us to adapt programs more quickly to market needs, implement short-term training, and develop relevant skills - from energy efficiency to working with modern technology”, noted Iryna Shumik.
📝 According to her, updating approaches to education involves developing short-term programs with certification, as well as integrating technological changes in construction and “green” skills related to energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and sustainable construction into the curriculum.
In particular, to address the shortage of workers in the construction industry, the State Employment Service is organizing training programs for adults.
💭 Valentina Rybalko, Deputy Director of the State Employment Center of Ukraine, highlighted the importance of human resources in reconstruction and the government’s response measures: “We are already working today with the adult population, internally displaced persons, and veterans, not waiting for applications - but seeking out people through government registries. The focus is on rapid training and retraining. Programs for those who have lost their jobs will launch in May to meet market needs as quickly as possible.”
👤 Participants emphasized the need to adapt the construction industry by implementing modern technological solutions. At the same time, it was emphasized that overcoming the labor shortage requires new approaches, as the tools used two decades ago no longer meet current challenges.
💭 Yuriy Balanyuk, Head of the National Qualifications Agency, noted: “We must honestly admit: there is a shortage of people, and the number won’t increase anytime soon. Therefore, the answer lies in automation, robotization, and new approaches to qualifications. Professional standards must take these changes into account; otherwise, we are training workers for yesterday.”
👤 During the discussion, participants outlined approaches to preserving and developing the industry’s workforce potential, as well as the role of international initiatives in this process.
💬 Anna Rogovchenko, a representative of the Skills4Recovery program, emphasized:
“We understand that business is profit-driven, and today there is a challenge in attracting foreign labor. At the same time, as much as possible, we must preserve and develop Ukraine’s workforce potential. Our task is to work with the market to identify critical professions, systematize solutions that are already working, and scale them up.”
📌 During the panel discussion, a Memorandum was signed between the CBU and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), for more details, follow the link:
💭 Mykhailo Schneider, CEO of KSE, emphasized: “It is important to us that vocational education be developed in tandem with the business sector. Employers themselves should determine which skills are needed and be directly involved in training personnel.”
📷 Tetyana Sytnyk, Head of the B2B and Strategic Research Department at CBR, presented research findings confirming that the labor shortage following the outbreak of full-scale war has become a key constraint on the operations of construction companies. She noted that businesses primarily face a quantitative shortage of workers, while the qualitative shortage is a long-term challenge, especially in engineering professions.
🪖 Olga Sydorchuk, a partner at Altelaw&Sempra, outlined the main causes of the problem - the unpopularity of these professions, the impact of the war, and the weak integration of business into the educational process: “The workforce training system often fails to meet market needs, as educational programs are developed without sufficient employer involvement. As a result, businesses end up with specialists who require additional on-the-job training.”
In particular, the concept of the “Quality Mark” project was presented as a tool for establishing transparent criteria for employer interaction with the workforce training system and enhancing the role of business in this process.
💭 Oleksandr Chervak, CEO of the KBU, noted: “We are talking not only about education, but also about business’s responsibility for workforce training. ‘Quality Mark’ is a mechanism that allows us to highlight companies that genuinely invest in people and work with the education system.”
This refers to a three-tier industry-specific certification system for companies that:
🔹 implement dual education;
🔹 create training positions;
🔹 provide mentorship;
🔹 demonstrate tangible employment outcomes.
To implement the initiative, which is being carried out by the CBU in cooperation with the sequa project “Professional Synergy” with the support of the multi-donor initiative #Skills4Recovery, funded by the European Union, Germany, Denmark, and Estonia, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine (SFPL), a Commission on Vocational Education and Certification is to be established. It will be responsible for approving criteria, reviewing applications, conducting assessments, and maintaining a registry of award recipients. The introduction of the “Quality Mark” aims to raise training standards, develop dual education, and strengthen collaboration between business and education.
📚 During the СBU Business Day, participants were invited to contribute to the selection of the concept and design for the “Quality Mark” award—proposals are accepted until March 30, 2026, via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For additional questions:
📞(044) 200 04 52
📞(050) 200 04 52
📌 More details about the “Quality Mark” project will follow.
📍 View the photo report of the event:
👉 Album 1:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1363287282484300&type=3&locale=uk_UA
👉 Album 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1363299052483123&type=3&locale=uk_UA
👉 Album 3:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1363497935796568&type=3
👉 Album 4:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1363506755795686&type=3
👉 Album 5: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=kbuorgua&set=a.1364138552399173&locale=uk_UA
Organizer: Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU)
Legal Partner of CBU Business Day: Altelaw & Sempra Financial Partner of CBU Business Day: Globus Bank Official Partner: Speczahyst (Special Protection)
Strategic Business Partners of CBU: East Office of Finnish Industries Oy, SKAKO Concrete A/S, NOCON NORWEGIAN CONSTRUCTION AS, VERONA SHELTERS GROUP OY, Best-Hall LTD, V94 AB, ALGECO.
Information Partners of CBU Business Day: ProfBuild, Build Portal, ZPP, Property Times, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA, ICC Ukraine, Ukrainian Outlook, Bizrelease, Marketer, RBC-Ukraine, Chas Pershykh.
WE WILL WIN AND REBUILD EVERYTHING! 💪
TOGETHER TO VICTORY!
GLORY TO UKRAINE! 💙💛