Nearly 100,000 Ukrainians mastered new professions in 2024 – Ministry of Economy

This was reported by the head of the Ministry of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko.

"The ongoing economic recovery, now in its second year, requires skilled workers, especially in labor-intensive sectors. Demand for specialists has reached pre-war levels, as evidenced by data from the Unified Job Portal. At the same time, we face the challenge of structural unemployment. In response, the Ministry of Economy, together with partners, launched over a dozen training and retraining programs, enabling nearly 100,000 Ukrainians to master new professions," she stated.

The official assured that even more learning opportunities will be available for Ukrainians in 2025. She outlined government efforts to implement the €700 million Skills Alliance program, which will allow for the retraining of 180,000 Ukrainians over the next three years.

Svyrydenko noted that in 2024, the government expanded its voucher program, increasing the number of available professions to 155, and introduced specific vouchers for women seeking to learn "male-dominated" professions. The government plans to expand the categories of voucher recipients, added the Minister of Economy.

The official also reminded that in 2024, her ministry developed a draft of a new Labor Code, which is awaiting parliamentary approval.

"In the draft law, we are introducing eight types of employment contracts, including for remote and teleworking. The draft law enhances opportunities for people with disabilities and aims to close the gender pay gap, where women in equivalent positions to men earn less. Overall, it transforms approaches to better align with today's challenges, moving away from outdated Soviet-era practices. This year, our team held dozens of meetings with representatives from civil society, businesses, and international organizations to collaboratively refine the draft law to meet the needs of both employees and employers," Svyrydenko explained.

She also expressed hope that the "Made in Ukraine" policy will foster job creation in the coming year.

• In January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees establishing the Council for Business Support and the economic platform "Made in Ukraine."