The national piloting of a career guidance system is ongoing in Ukraine to ensure that every pupil can make a conscious choice about their future educational and career path. The pilot is implemented by the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

One of the key stages of the pilot project was the training of specialists who will implement the new career guidance system in communities.

More than 400 career coordinators from communities and more than 300 career guidance coordinators from regional military administrations have already completed specialised short-term advanced training programmes.

More than 2,300 careers counsellors – teaching staff at educational institutions – have completed the relevant training to teach the optional course JOBS to pupils in Grades 8–9 of general secondary schools.

Nowadays, career counsellors are already working with pupils, helping them to better understand their own interests, abilities, and opportunities, as well as to choose their future educational and career paths. In parallel, career coordinators are developing an effective career guidance system in their communities, fostering cooperation between the education sector, local authorities, and the businesses.

An important part of this work is career guidance excursions and visits to businesses, institutions, and organisations that work in communities. This allows pupils to see different professions in practice, learn about the real working environment and the demands of the labour market, and gain a better understanding of the opportunities available to them for their future in the community and in Ukraine.

In this way, the professional self-determination of young people will be the result of systematic support, rather than a random choice.

For reference, 10 career guidance hubs are already running in Ukraine within the framework of the pilot of DECIDE and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The hubs have been opened in six regions: Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk. Regional military administrations, regional councils, and communities became partners in their creation.