Thirty-three vocational education and training (VET) institutions across Ukraine have strengthened their cooperation with businesses through the InConnect2 project, implemented under the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery. Key results, partnerships and next steps were discussed during the final forum held on 19 March 2026 in Kyiv.
The event brought together representatives of VET institutions, government, businesses and local communities to discuss how stronger partnerships can help train the skilled workers Ukraine’s economy needs today and support the country’s recovery.
“Today, we especially need a strong link between education and the labour market. Through such cooperation, people can gain in-demand skills, while employers can access the workforce they truly need,” Daria Marchak, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, said.
The InConnect2 project focused on strengthening cooperation between VET institutions and businesses. Together, they worked to update training programmes to match labour market needs, improve access to modern equipment, and give students more opportunities to gain practical experience directly with companies.
“The highest value of such partnerships lies in the real impact they create for people, communities and businesses. When education works closely with employers, it opens up more opportunities for young people and helps communities become stronger,” said Michael Paulo, Programme Director of Skills4Recovery, GIZ GmbH.
In total, 33 VET institutions across Ukraine participated in the project. 72 participants completed a 2,5-month training programme on partnership development and project management. As a result, 10 institutions received grants to implement their ideas, totalling EUR 40,000.
The project also encouraged strong engagement from businesses. Nine out of ten teams secured additional co-financing from companies and civil society organisations of more than UAH 958,000.
In addition, VET institutions and businesses signed 22 cooperation agreements, creating new opportunities for joint programmes, apprenticeships and future initiatives.
At the forum, teams shared examples of partnerships in agriculture, logistics, services and construction. These included a career guidance project with a career map for school students in Poltava region, training programmes for vulnerable groups in Ternopil, and the launch of an innovative “Green Agriculture” programme in Korostyshiv. These partnerships are already creating new opportunities for students and helping institutions become more practical and aligned with labour market needs.
“The most important outcome is that education, business and communities have started to listen to each other and see a shared future,” Nataliia Malynovska, Project Manager and expert at the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine, said.
Background
The project “InConnect2: Strengthening VET-Business Partnership” is implemented by the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine with financial support from the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Denmark within the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL).
