Ukraine: Vocational education grants aiding people find jobs and rebuild livelihoods

The ongoing war in Ukraine caused significant unemployment by destroying businesses and supply chains. The damage to machinery and the inability to harvest crops due to shelling or landmines impacted the agricultural sector, the core of Ukraine's economy.

To help jobseekers adapt to the changes in the job market, DRC launched a new vocational education programme helping vulnerable people to gain new skills and secure employment.

Tetiana, 42, mixes the plastering mortar, takes it with a large spatula, and applies it to the wall with a practised hand. Each movement is precise, smoothing and levelling the plaster with care. Despite the physical demands of the job, Tetiana works with a smile.

"I like the job. Gradually, my hands get used to it, and it becomes easier," she says, her enthusiasm shining through.

A month of studying at the plastering course has flown by. For Tetiana, it's a completely new skill, but the combination of theory and practice has made the learning process engaging and dynamic. Living in a private house in the village of Yurivka in Mykolaiv Oblast, Tetiana had only seen her husband and mother doing such work before.

"However, now I see that I'm doing a great job too. Our teachers praise us, and it is very motivating," she adds with pride.

When the war broke out, Tetiana lost her job as a cleaner at a local school. She is currently unemployed and spends her time doing household chores and growing vegetables. Thus, her new profession may be a pathway to additional income and personal development.

The fighting has left many houses in her community damaged, and Tetiana's newfound skills are in high demand. Snihurivka Vocational Lyceum, where Tetiana is undergoing the training, is already receiving requests from people needing repairs.

Tetiana's hromada was beyond the control of the Ukrainian government for more than eight months, a period during which they barely made ends meet.

"We probably only survived because we had canned food and flour. We cooked on the fire and washed clothes by hand because of a shortage of gas and electricity. Food was rarely delivered. I remember when bread was brought to the hromada after a long time—I was so happy," she recalls.

Slowly, the community is recovering. The agricultural company where her husband works, despite losing a lot of equipment and people due to the war, has resumed operations.

It is worth mentioning that agriculture, once a primary employment sector, has been devastated by conflict, with mined fields and damaged machinery hindering productivity and future job prospects. Industrial employment is also limited, with barriers such as lack of experience and reluctance from entrepreneurs to hire internally displaced persons (IDPs). Many communities now rely heavily on social protection and humanitarian aid, with economic recovery hindered by ongoing war and explosive ordnance contamination.

Complex support with reimbursements for materials and travel

The latest Protection monitoring conducted by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) shows that the ongoing war in Ukraine has severely disrupted the job market, particularly impacting IDPs. High unemployment rates persist, with 16% of surveyed households reporting at least one unemployed member, rising to 22% among IDPs. Contributing factors include a scarcity of job opportunities, physical impairments, and mismatched skills.

To address this problem, DRC provides grants for vocational education. The programme is designed for vulnerable people in Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the project is expected to provide over 400 people with the opportunity to learn a new profession or improve their skills.

"We also provided reimbursement for the costs of necessary materials and travel for people who studied under the grant. This is additional help to get started in a new profession. For example, seamstresses were reimbursed for fabric and thread, and cooks for food products and uniforms," says Mykola, Livelihoods Assistant at DRC.

Many participants come from rural areas or small towns with limited access to educational institutions. Thereby, small educational facilities like the lyceum in Snihurivka have become hubs for the programme participants currently training in painting, plastering, cooking, sewing, etc.

"I am glad that humanitarian organisations help people learn a new profession or discover potential. It is also important that the programme is designed for different age groups. The lyceum assures me that age is not a problem for finding a job in this field. I think such programmes are very much needed, and many more people want to study," says Tetiana.

Several participants are intending to become self-employed to support their families. Others are acquiring skills in a specific profession with the promise of future employment by local businesses.

The opportunity to master a trade with promising job prospects not only provides financial stability but also serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring participants to persevere through the hardships brought by the ongoing conflict.