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On-the-Job Mentorship: Current Practices and Development Paths

Ukraine
Upskilling and Reskilling
21.09.2024
The roundtable on Mentorship, organized by the EdUP project, took place in Kyiv at the DTEK Academy. The event became an important platform for discussing the current state and prospects of mentorship in Ukraine and worldwide.

A vision of the current state of workplace mentorship was presented by Yana Kochugura, Workplace Learning Expert of the EdUP project. An analysis of Ukraine's regulatory framework for mentorship was provided, emphasizing the essential role of mentors in production, supported by research findings. Plans for a universal mentorship program were also shared, highlighting mentorship development as a strategic investment in future skilled workers.

Yana Kochugura, Workplace Learning Expert of the EdUP project

International mentorship experiences in production were presented by Natalia Starodub, Dual Vocational Education Specialist, AEVO Trainer, and Deputy General Director of "Spheros-Electron" LLC. The critical role of mentors in the professional development of workers was discussed.

""Mentors in international companies assign only learning-related tasks to their mentees so that employees can focus on developing professional skills. Mentors also encourage mentees to keep records of their practice and regularly check them to ensure a quality educational process. "
Natalia Starodub, "Spheros-Electron" LLC
Natalia Starodub, "Spheros-Electron" LLC

Participants of the roundtable discussed best mentorship practices in Ukraine. Serhii Sylchenko, Head of the Vocational Education Department at DTEK Academy, presented the outcomes of mentorship.

"The main goals of mentorship at DTEK are to improve the quality of staff training, ensure safe and uninterrupted operations, and foster a responsible attitude toward work and the company among workers. A mentor with us is a specially trained employee who imparts knowledge and skills necessary to master the profession to the apprentice. Their main roles are as a manager, communicator, and teacher. 
 "
Serhii Sylchenko, Academy DTEK
Serhii Sylchenko, Academy DTEK

Successful models of production mentorship in the construction industry were shared by representatives, with Olena Hryb from IBK Development emphasizing the importance of mentorship in integrating new specialists into the field.

"We have begun building a mentorship system in the construction industry that helps address current challenges. By familiarizing mentees with norms, safety standards, and adapting to working conditions, mentorship becomes the most effective tool for integrating young specialists into the professional environment.
 "
Olena Hryb, IBK Development
Olena Hryb, IBK Development

The impact of mentorship on training qualified workers in Kharkiv was highlighted by Svitlana Kis, Deputy Director of the "Regional Center for Vocational Education of Innovative Technologies in Construction and Industry."

"Mentorship significantly influences the preparation of skilled workers, as it ensures the practical transfer of knowledge and skills. An example is the mentorship experience at the 'Zhytlobud-1' enterprise in construction professions. There, dual education is being implemented, and the results far exceed those of traditional forms of training. Practical training under the guidance of a mentor yields better results, as the quality of student preparation in the dual system is significantly higher than in groups that studied under the traditional system.
 "
 Svitlana Kis, Kharkiv
 Svitlana Kis, Kharkiv

A representative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine discussed the role of mentorship as a tool for professional adaptation in enterprises. Speaking about the importance of mentorship, Serhii Kovalenko, a state expert of the Ministry of Education and Science, noted that while the concept of mentorship is present in educational documents, it is absent in labor regulations. He also emphasized the importance of standardizing mentorship approaches.

"It is important to understand that businesses can independently develop their own approaches to training youth. However, we need to think about how to standardize these approaches to create a unified mentorship model that can be used to train the specialists our country needs.
 "
 Serhii Kovalenko, State Expert at the Directorate of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
 Serhii Kovalenko, State Expert at the Directorate of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

The roundtable concluded with an active discussion, the formulation of a resolution, and a summary. Following the official proceedings, participants had the opportunity to continue discussions during informal networking.

2020 - 2027
Ukraine
Initial vocational education and training
Public Private Partnership to Improved Professional Education in Ukraine
The EdUP project, including its Scale UP initiative, is playing a crucial role in addressing the serious challenges faced by Ukraine's vocational education and training (VET) sector during wartime. The war has destroyed many VET schools and exacerbated a skills shortage that affects several sectors, despite employers' willingness to offer competitive wages and resources. EdUP aims to rebuild and improve vocational schools and break stereotypes about vocational graduates. By decentralising training and aligning it with local economic needs, the project will improve the quality of vocational training, attract additional resources, work with the private sector, and modernise education to equip Ukraine's workforce for today's demands.  
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