On 28 July, Kyiv hosted Career Speed Networking 50+, organised as part of the national project Experience Matters. The event brought together more than 270 participants and 19 employers, including Silpo, Ukrainian Railways, Metinvest Digital, WOG, Sense Bank, Oschadbank, FoodMarket and others.
Each interview lasted seven minutes, giving participants an opportunity to present their professional experience, learn about current vacancies and agree on further contact with potential employers. The format enabled each candidate to meet representatives of several companies in a single day.
According to preliminary estimates, more than 800 interviews were held during the event. The final results, including the number of participants invited to further recruitment stages, internships and employment, will be compiled once feedback has been received from employers.
“It is essential for us that employment policy creates tangible opportunities for people. People aged 50+ have extensive professional experience and are fully capable of working effectively, continuing to learn and acquiring new skills. At the same time, they still face prejudice in recruitment. The Experience Matters project helps address these barriers through training, career guidance, internships and direct contact with employers. It is one of the practical instruments supporting the implementation of Ukraine’s Employment Strategy until 2030. The next step should be to expand the project and involve more employers across different regions of Ukraine,” said Dariia Marchak, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.
The State Employment Service prepares participants for the meetings and provides them with continued support. Its specialists help candidates define their professional goals, update their CVs, prepare for interviews, select suitable vacancies and, where necessary, undertake training or a short-term internship.
“The role of the Employment Service is not simply to provide people with a list of vacancies. We help candidates assess their professional experience, identify their strengths, prepare for conversations with employers and support them throughout their journey towards employment. Career Speed Networking significantly shortens the path between starting a job search and attending a first interview. Our specialists will now continue working with both participants and employers,” said Yuliia Zhovtiak, Director of the State Employment Service.
The national project Experience Matters combines candidate profiling, career guidance, training, direct meetings with employers and internships lasting up to ten days. It helps people aged 50+ enter or re-enter the labour market, update their skills and find employment.
A separate strand of the project focuses on cooperation with companies. Employers receive support in introducing more inclusive recruitment practices, attracting experienced professionals and organising internships.
As of 17 July, more than 3,000 candidates had joined Experience Matters. Employers had offered almost 3,500 vacancies, 1,522 participants had already found employment, and a further 1,177 had undertaken internships.
Following the event in Kyiv, Career Speed Networking 50+ is also planned to take place in Lviv. The project is expected to expand to additional regions, engage new employers and create more opportunities for training, internships and employment.
The Career Speed Networking 50+ component of the Experience Matters project is implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine and the State Employment Service together with the Zhyttieliub Charitable Foundation, Astarta-Kyiv and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.
It is financially supported by the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Denmark through the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL).
