Estonia supports the digitalisation of Ukraine’s vocational education system

Skills4Recovery aims to ensure Ukraine has a well-trained, highly skilled workforce to support the reconstruction and recovery of the Ukrainian economy. It's jointly funded by Germany, Estonia, Poland and the European Commission and has a budget of 14 million euros. The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has contributed one million euros to the initiative, and Mondo, an Estonian NGO, is providing digital skills training under the Skills4Recovery framework. 

During the study visit to Estonia, Mondo organised a morning discussion with experts from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and the Tallinn Industrial Education Centre to review key issues in Ukrainian vocational education. The topics covered included artificial intelligence in education, the role of educational technologists and the vocational education system's ability to meet the labour market's changing needs, all critical issues for the restoration and future development of the Ukrainian vocational education system. 

"Future skills, including digital competencies, creativity, collaboration skills and rapid adaptation, play a key role in strengthening the Ukrainian vocational education. These are essential in the labour market and for the country's reconstruction. The visit to Estonia within the framework of Skills4Recovery provides an opportunity to share our digital learning experiences, encouraging Ukraine to shape vocational education that equips people with the skills and enthusiasm to contribute to the innovative future of their country," said Kristi Kulu, ESTDEV’s programme manager for education. 

Currently, internally displaced persons, military personnel and people returning from the front need retraining to re-enter the labour market successfully. However, Ukraine requires more systematic and effective vocational training to meet the needs of a rapidly changing labour market. Yet, vocational education institutions have limited capacity to provide training in areas such as new technologies and digital skills. Furthermore, the war has damaged more than a 25% of Ukraine’s vocational schools, which hampers their ability to meet the educational needs of their communities. 

“The situation in the Ukrainian labour market has changed significantly due to the war, and the skills of the existing workforce no longer match the positions that need to be filled. Vocational schools have an important role in helping to adapt to the situation and train the necessary workforce. It is very important to contribute to the development of teachers and support them in acquiring digital tools and interactive teaching methods to equip them with the modern skills necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” said Kristi Lillemägi, a project manager at Mondo. 

The Skills4Recovery initiative was created in 2023 by Germany; Estonia, Poland and the European Commission joined as co-financiers in September 2024. The initiative is led by GIZ and will run until the end of June 2026.