Against the backdrop of an acute labor shortage in Ukraine, an interesting shift is taking place: adults are en masse returning to the classroom to master new specialties. At the same time, the country preserves unique educational institutions where crafts are taught that cannot be found anywhere else. Deputy Minister of Education and Science Dmytro Zavhorodniy spoke about this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Professions that no longer exist
Despite global changes, "islands" of unique competencies have been preserved in the Ukrainian education system. The official noted that there are educational institutions specializing in training personnel for railway transport, as well as for sea and river fleets.
Particular interest is shown in the preservation of highly specialized crafts. Zavhorodniy cited the example of a stained glass training center in Lviv. This is the only educational institution in the country that teaches the art of creating and restoring stained glass. Specialists graduating from these walls are engaged in the restoration of historical monuments and artistic objects.
Jewelers are also among the rare professions. They are trained in only two educational institutions across all of Ukraine, one of which is located in Kyiv. Such specialists possess unique skills that cannot be obtained in standard technical colleges.
Labor shortage changes the rules of the game
The Ministry of Education and Science is recording an intensification of the labor shortage problem. Today, employers are experiencing a deficit of specialists in almost all sectors of the economy. The situation forces companies to change their hiring approaches: businesses are increasingly willing to hire people without relevant education and pay for their training themselves.
The greatest hunger for personnel is observed in industrial and technical sectors. Employers are actively looking for machinists, CNC machine operators, electricians, and electrical engineering specialists.
"Work and study" model
In response to market challenges, new formats of personnel training are appearing in the regions of Ukraine. A bright example is the experience of Ivano-Frankivsk. There, a public organization, with the support of local enterprises, is implementing a project to find adults ready to work in industry.
The scheme of work is simple and effective: the candidate is first employed, provided with a minimum wage and military deferment (broming), and then sent for training. Preparation takes place at the Higher Vocational School No. 21, where a modern production workshop has been created. After completing short-term programs, students immediately go to work at enterprises.
A similar practice is successfully working in Dnipro. In one of the vocational education institutions, about 500 adults annually undergo retraining or advanced training courses. A few years ago, mass adult training in vocational schools was a rarity, but now this direction is actively developing.
Ukrainian analogue of American experience
Dmytro Zavhorodniy compared the new Ukrainian model with American Community Colleges. These educational institutions help people quickly get a new profession or retrain, which is in demand in the conditions of a dynamic labor market.
Along with changing approaches to training, large-scale infrastructure updates are taking place. The Ministry of Education reported that colleges are currently being modernized, modern equipment is being purchased, and educational standards are being reviewed so that graduates meet the real requirements of the economy.