On 2 September 2025, the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery held a regional meeting in Mykolaiv with representatives of local authorities, VET providers, businesses, and the veteran community. Participants discussed the role of vocational education and employment in enforcing regional growth and learned about the initiative's activities. The event also provided an opportunity to present the expansion of Skills4Recovery following Denmark’s contribution.
The dialogue in Mykolaiv is especially important as it marks the extension of cooperation between Skills4Recovery and the region. In light of the full-scale Invasion and Ukraine’s recovery, the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery puts emphasis on increasing the availability of skilled workforce in line with the demands of the labour market. It considers transformative economic processes in demanded sectors of the economy as well as a holistic inclusion of all target groups. The Mykolaiv region was among seven focus regions in Ukraine, which were supported by the programme EU4Skills implemented by GIZ between 2019 and 2023, in partnership with the Solidarity Fund PL. The programme supported the regional administration and selected pilot schools in cooperating with businesses, strengthening distance learning approaches and developing curricula. This foundation makes Mykolaiv a strategic partner for Skills4Recovery in strengthening Ukraine’s workforce and supporting regional recovery.
Michael Paulo, Programme Director, Skills4Recovery, outlined the overall goal of the initiative: “Skills4Recovery creates opportunities for initial and further training of people of working age, especially those who need it most: internally displaced persons, veterans and women. To achieve this, we support VET providers – from digitalisation to increasing their autonomy – to make learning more modern, flexible and responsive to the urgent needs of the economy.”
Jacob Torrild Hansen, Head of the Mykolaiv Office of the Danish Embassy, emphasised Denmark’s readiness to support the region’s development: “By joining Skills4Recovery, Denmark focuses on strengthening the workforce in key sectors of Ukraine’s economy, particularly agriculture. Our country’s agricultural sector combines modern technologies, high training standards and close cooperation with business. We are ready to share this experience with partners in the Mykolaiv region to enforce regional development and improve the well-being of communities.”
Sophie Menke, Implementation Team Leader, Skills4Recovery, presented interim results of the initiative: “Over 2,500 people have been retrained and gained the chance to find stable jobs, improve their families’ well-being and contribute to Ukraine’s recovery. We have supported more than 70 VET institutions by training teachers and managers, providing modern equipment and fostering cooperation with employers.”
During the panel discussion, local community representatives shared the Mykolaiv region's main challenges in training and employment. This exchange will help Skills4Recovery adjust its support to local realities. Participants also emphasised the importance of international assistance and agreed that joint efforts could significantly strengthen the VET sector and the local labour market.