Ukraine: How women are mastering welding with DRC support

Thanks to a vocational grant programme supported by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, women in Mykolaiv are acquiring the skills, confidence, and certifications needed to enter the workforce as qualified welders.

“Like embroidery”: the art of welding

At the Pivdennoukrainskyi vocational lyceum, 13 students stand proudly beside their exam projects — handcrafted metal chairs, wood-burning stoves, and trash bins — the result of eight months of intensive training in manual arc welding. Today, they receive their diplomas.

Among them are five women who not only learned a new trade, but found solidarity and friendship in the process.

“When I visited their class, I saw that spark in their eyes — the way they held the electrodes for the first time, how they struck the arc,” says Olha, a methodologist at the Lyceum.

The women proudly present their final projects. Inna, who previously worked in a kindergarten and an optician’s shop, built a small wood-burning stove entirely on her own — working from her husband’s garage.

Her journey into welding began on impulse: “I saw a banner for welding courses and thought — this is like embroidery, but on metal. I’ve always loved working with my hands.”

“Not borscht — but metal”

Another participant, Oleksandra, contributed to a metal waste bin for the lyceum. She had worked here as a culinary instructor, and joined the programme after her maternity leave — surprising even her husband with her decision.

“I wanted to break stereotypes. Not cook borscht — but weld metal”, says Oleksandra.

The course wasn’t easy. Students studied physics, chemistry, and mathematics — many of them from scratch. The training combined classroom theory with hands-on experience in welding workshops.

“It felt like my brain was boiling,” Inna laughs. “But I loved it.” Oleksandra adds, “At first, the noise overwhelmed me. But then I found my flow.”

A spark for сhange

Both Oleksandra and Inna enrolled in the course thanks to the DRC vocational education grants program.

Each of the 13 students received a $1,500 grant. Approximately $1,000 covered direct training costs, and the remainder helped participants travel from remote areas and supported essential daily needs during the training period.

For Inna, the grant made all the difference: “I was told I was too old to start education in this lyceum. But when new courses opened, I decided to try anyway — and I’m glad my age was not a problem.”

Today, the programme’s impact is already visible. Two graduates have been offered jobs at the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant. Oleksandra now teaches welding at the same college where she trained, passing her skills to new students.

Olha, the Lyceum’s methodologist, reflects: “Welding is a highly needed trade now. This collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council brought real value to our institution and gave these women not just skills, but confidence.”

With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, welding masks are no longer just a symbol of male labour. Today, they represent opportunity, independence, and a future women are forging — one spark at a time.