Fifty-one vocational education and training (VET) institutions across Ukraine will receive grants of up to UAH 250,000 each to introduce and scale up proven approaches to improving vocational education. The initiative, supported by Skills4Recovery and implemented by the National Development Institution, aims to help more training providers adopt practical solutions that strengthen the quality, accessibility and relevance of VET.
The grants are awarded under the project “Scaling VET Improvements: Support for Replication of Proven Approaches by Training Providers in Ukraine”.
The competitive selection process attracted 263 applications from 181 VET institutions across Ukraine, demonstrating strong interest in adopting approaches that have already proved effective in other institutions.
Following the assessment, 51 institutions were selected to implement projects across six priority areas, ranging from cooperation with employers and inclusive learning environments to digitalisation, career guidance and institutional development.
Strong demand for cooperation with employers
Partnerships with businesses emerged as the most popular area, accounting for more than 30% of all applications.
This interest reflects a growing recognition among VET institutions of the importance of working closely with employers to make training more responsive to labour market needs.
For businesses, stronger partnerships with VET providers can help address pressing workforce challenges, including shortages of skilled workers and the need to reskill employees as technologies and job requirements evolve.
Six areas for practical improvements
The selected institutions will implement projects in the following areas:
Cooperation with businesses: Joint projects with employers – 10 institutions selected.
Cooperation with businesses: Professional development for teachers and practical training instructors – 10 institutions selected.
Inclusive learning environments: Improving accessibility for people with disabilities – 9 institutions selected.
Digitalisation of education services: Improving access to online learning – 8 institutions selected.
Better integration into the labour market: Career centres and support for self-employment – 8 institutions selected.
Greater autonomy for VET institutions: Developing a new identity and repositioning – 6 institutions selected.
From proven solutions to wider impact
The projects will be implemented during October and November 2026.
By supporting institutions to replicate approaches that have already demonstrated results, Skills4Recovery aims to extend the benefits of successful practices beyond individual projects and institutions.
This approach contributes to a more adaptable, inclusive and employer-responsive VET system, helping Ukraine prepare the skilled workforce needed for recovery and long-term economic development.
The full list of selected institutions and the ranking of applications are available on the National Development Institution website.
The project “Scaling VET Improvements: Support for Replication of Proven Approaches by Training Providers in Ukraine” is implemented by the National Development Institution as part of the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery.
Skills4Recovery is jointly co-financed by the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Denmark, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL).