Your career begins with career guidance: what would reconstruction look like without professionals in key roles?

Young people do not necessarily have to go abroad to fulfil their potential. Students can already visit companies and find internships in their own communities.

However, for this system to work effectively on a national scale, joint efforts are required from the government, businesses, the education sector and the public.

"Through the DECIDE: VET initiative, we are piloting new models of cooperation between government, education, and business to develop a career support system for young people, focusing on professional orientation. Ten partner vocational education institutions are finalising the creation of career guidance hubs for students in grades 5–9. Vocational schools have also devised their own development strategies with the support of DECIDE mentors, and together with us, they are establishing partnerships with businesses and schools. Almost 50 small, medium and large companies working in partner communities have already become residents of our hubs!", shared Valentyna Poltorak.

In addition, community career guidance coordinators and career advisors are already working in partner communities and schools. In collaboration with Ukrainian experts and specialists from the Zurich University of Teacher Education, 22 schools have piloted an integrated career guidance course for 8th and 9th-grade students. This academic year, a total of 900 students have joined the course, and over 14,000 schoolchildren have attended career guidance events within the programme.