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Swisscontact started its operations in Ukraine in July 2020, just as Covid-19 was coming into effect. Due to Covid-19 and the Russian invasion, the EdUP project manager operated from the regional office in Albania. It was only after the EdUP 3 contract in July 2023, that we established an office in Kyiv with a resident country director and a project manager.
Currently, Swisscontact is implementing 3 projects in Ukraine in the areas of Skills (EdUP), Agricultural Markets (DP) and Trade Promotion (SIPPO) with a staff of 26 (70% female). The number of staff is expected to reach almost 30 by the end of 2024 due to the increase in programme activities.
The “Public Private Partnership to Improved Professional Education” is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in partnership with Geberit Trading LLC, Sika Ukraine LLC implemented by Swisscontact with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
The overall objective of the project is to create better employment and income opportunities for construction professionals graduating from Ukrainian VET schools. It promotes VET as a worldwide competitive career choice, by introducing international industry standards and close collaboration with businesses in the framework of the dual VET system.
The project facilitates the transformation of 29 local VET schools across Ukraine towards active skills development and labour market actors, by improving their education and training programs, establishing sustainable practices for better school management, and building long-term partnerships with private sector companies. A better environment for VET means better skilled graduates, leading to more and better jobs and an increased income
The project supports schools with capacity building activities for teachers and school staff, in-school investments, the establishment of sustainable support systems and business platform, etc. Under the project’s support, VET providers are capacitated to undertake activities on their own, thus ensuring the sustainability.
In April 2024, the infrastructure component was added to the EdUP project. The Scale UP initiative, led by EdUP, is a transformative project aimed at rehabilitating vocational education and training (VET) schools in the frontline regions of Ukraine. The project is a response to the significant losses suffered by the VET sector as a result of Russia's military aggression, which resulted in the destruction of dozens of schools and damage to more than a hundred others. Through Scale UP, EdUP aims not only to rebuild but also to improve the infrastructure and educational capacity of these schools, ensuring that they are equipped to meet modern educational standards and the needs of the labour market.
The primary goal of the EdUP Project is to develop the vocational education system in construction professions with the support of the private sector. This will enable young people and adults, including war veterans, internally displaced persons, and Ukrainians returning from abroad, to acquire skills tailored to the needs of the labour market and earn more money. The project aims to provide women and men with equal access to professional training in the construction sector.
Students will receive training in six different professions at 29 vocational education institutions in Ukraine, including plumbers, facade insulators, welders, electricians, tilers, and concrete workers.
The aim of Scale UP, as part of the EdUP project, is to rehabilitate selected vocational schools using an inclusive market system approach under the adage "Build Back Better".
Expected Outcomes of the Scale UP-initiative
Main achievements of Phase 2 (2020 - 2023)