Modern career guidance hub for schoolchildren opens in Lviv!

Adolescents will now be able to learn about different professions and try them out in practice. The new hub was opened at the Interregional High Vocational School of Automotive Transport and Construction in Lviv, in cooperation with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project and the Lviv City Council.

The creation of hubs is part of a broader initiative to pilot a new career support system for students in the Lviv region in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Lviv Regional State Administration.

What is the purpose of this hub?

It was created to help young people make informed choices about their future careers. Here, schoolchildren will be able to:

• explore their interests and abilities;

• try out real-life situations, such as driving, working in a workshop or using a computer;

• understand which professions suit them;

• develop the skills needed in today’s labour market and communicate with businesses of the Lviv region.

The hub comprises eight thematic stations:

• a driver;

• an information technology (IT) operator;

• a wheel transport repair mechanic;

• a welder;

• a plumber;

• a carpenter;

• a machine operator (turner);

• a training area.

‘This hub was created as part of the support that Switzerland is providing for vocational education reform in Ukraine. The main idea is for it to become a platform for cooperation between businesses, educational institutions and the government, encouraging children in Ukraine to choose to live and develop professionally in their own country. In fact, it is a showcase for vocational education, with modern equipment enabling every child to sample different professions with the support of vocational training masters, vocational school students and business specialists. And this is only the first step in promoting blue-collar professions. This year, we are going to train career advisors for every school in Lviv, and we hope that after Grade 9, more and more students will choose a pursue professional career,’ said Valentyna Poltorak, Deputy Head of the DOCCU NGO and DECIDE Project Manager.

‘I was impressed by the design of this hub. I think that, in the future, we will modernise all our vocational schools together to make them just as modern and welcoming. After all, today it is not easy to find a good tiler or plumber — there are long waiting lists for them. Instead, Ukraine often has a cult of higher education without realising what to do with it next. I am convinced that if we introduce children to spaces like this, they will be more inclined to choose blue-collar professions,’ emphasised Andrii Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv.

‘Every child should have the opportunity to see real enterprises, learn about different professions, and find out more about the educational institutions in their community. This will help to change perceptions of modern professions and enable more informed choices. I would like to thank everyone who participated in this project. I believe that this is only the beginning of a long journey that we have embarked on together,’ stated Dmytro Zavhorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalisation.

The renovated premises cover a total area of over 270 square metres. Modern equipment, furniture, and appliances have been purchased.

The project budget exceeds UAH 8.5 million, with over UAH 2 million provided by the Lviv City Council as co-financing.

The following national and regional companies operating in Lviv and the region have already become residents of the hub: the privately held companies Varmont and Kapitel Lviv; the joint-venture LLC Sferos-Electron; the LLCs EDPRO, Epicentre K, Zavod Elektronmash, OKKO-DRIVE, Fujikura Automotive Ukraine Lviv, Aster Zakhid, Ariston Ukraine, REHAU, and Tile.

The DECIDE: VET programme:

— Comprised 6 regions: Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Kyiv.

— 10 career guidance hubs were established in vocational education institutions.

— 9 partner communities and 22 schools joined the pilot programme, with 9 coordinators working there.

— Over 40 career advisors completed the JOBs course and implemented the new career guidance system.

— 898 students in Grades 8–9 studied the JOBs course and participated in master classes.

— Over 14,500 schoolchildren had the opportunity to try out various professions at enterprises.

— 110 businesses joined the hubs and organised excursions, master classes, and training sessions for students.

The Lviv Career Guidance Hub has become one of 10 spaces in vocational and technical education institutions in six regions: Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

To view the photo gallery, click on the photo.