How to learn new skills in Ukraine

Entrepreneurship

EU4Business

If you have a small business, the EU4Business initiative offers a wide range of advice and consultancy services to help you take the next step in developing your business. Visit the EU4Business page for full details of projects that you can apply to, as well as examples of successful beneficiaries. The programme also offers loans and grants for small businesses.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

Young Ukrainian entrepreneurs can join the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, open to anyone who plans to set up a business or has started one within the last three years. The programme matches up young entrepreneurs with experienced small businesses in another European country for a placement of up to six months, helping the new entrepreneur acquire the skills needed to run a small firm. The EU covers 75% of the costs of the exchange, with 25% of the costs borne by the entrepreneur. Click here for the contact points in Ukraine.

Collaborate for Impact

The EU-funded Collaborate for Impact project aims to develop social entrepreneurship and social investment in the Eastern Partnership countries. In Ukraine, it partners with SILab Ukraine to support social entrepreneurs with hackathons, trainings, incubation and acceleration programmes, while providing investment funding, mentoring and technical support through the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund. Check out the SILab Ukraine website and Facebook page for news and opportunities. Visit the Collaborate for Impact website for success stories and podcasts from Ukraine.

EU4Youth

Responding to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, EU4Youth has launched a project aimed at addressing the war-related needs of Ukraine with support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and youth entrepreneurs. The project offers career counselling and grants for business recovery (so far, 49 small businesses have been able to remain active due to the project’s support), as well as retraining programmes for IDPs. The project is implemented by the SpivDiia Fund. Follow SpivDiia on Facebook for the latest opportunities.

The EU4Youth programme will also soon launch a series of projects aimed at developing digital skills among young people, especially in disadvantaged communities, and for the development of social entrepreneurship and career management skills, linked to the promotion of youth entrepreneurship in the green and digital economies. Follow the EU4Youth page for upcoming opportunities.

Start.Business learning platform

The “Start.Business” learning platform targets both beginners who are interested in entrepreneurship but do not know where to start and those who already have their own business and are looking for practical advice on developing it. The platform offers interactive courses dedicated to different business areas such as the creative industry, for example, or hotel management, or fabric or ceramics production, and has recently added new courses for micro-enterprises displaced by war, where entrepreneurs can learn what is needed to create and scale up their businesses, how to minimise possible risks, develop e-commerce and many other practical aspects. https://startbusiness.com.ua

Business skills training

The EU and UNDP are offering entrepreneurship and business skills training for the war-affected population of Ukraine between April and June 2023. The five-day training programme is aimed at IDPs, people who lost their jobs during the war and plan to start their own business, and small business owners who plan to restore or expand their business. You can register for participation and view the schedule of events at the following link. The deadline for registration is five days before the start of each training.

House of Europe

House of Europe supports professional and creative exchange between Ukrainians and their colleagues in EU countries and the UK, focusing on culture and the creative industries, education, health, social entrepreneurship, media, and youth. House of Europe brings together opportunities for Ukrainians under more than 20 separate programmes, including conferences, professional events, internships, and networking, as well as study tours, residencies, trainings, digital labs and other forms of support. It also hosts a knowledge library of video lectures on on project management, success stories, and the latest trends for culture and creative industries, education, social entrepreneurship, media, youth work, and health. Visit the House of Europe website for the full range of opportunities.

Artists and culture professionals

Ukrainian artists and cultural professionals can apply for grants to go abroad, in the EU and beyond, as well as to take part in artistic residencies, under the Creative Europe programme’s new Culture Moves Europe scheme. The first call targets artists and cultural professionals working in architecture, cultural heritage, design, fashion design, literary translation, music, visual arts and performing arts, and there will be rolling calls open every year from autumn to spring, with monthly evaluations. The grants include standard travel costs and per diem for expenses. Ukrainian artists who may not be able to leave the country can apply directly for virtual mobility support. Visit the programme page to find out more.

The EU-funded EU4Culture project also offers mobility grants to support artists and cultural professionals from Ukraine and other countries of the Eastern Partnership. Follow the EU4Culture website for upcoming opportunities.

IT skills

Women in tech

The EU 4 Gender Equality programme has designed the БУДЬ/BE platform to help Ukrainian women get jobs in the IT and creative industries. Mentors and experts from the best Ukrainian and global companies support women in their job search. The platform offers mentorship and online courses in tech, design, programming, software development, or testing, aimed at women who have moved to another city or abroad and are looking for an online job or who have lost their jobs and want to learn a new profession. Apply now https://inscience.io/en/be/

EaP Civil Society Facility hackathons

The EaP Civil Society Facility organises a series of EaP Regional Hackathons – special events that bring together civil activists and IT professionals from the Eastern Partnership countries to work face-to-face on civic tech solutions that would enable civil society to better contribute to reforms and democratic changes in their home countries. Teams work with mentors to enhance their existing prototypes of digital solutions, with the winner(s) receiving financial and expert support from the European Union to finalise and launch their projects. Visit the Hackathon website for more details!

EU4Digital

The EU4Digital programme is setting up an EdTech Hub for the Eastern Partnership region, which aims to foster collaboration between the EU and the Eastern partner countries, creating new opportunities for growth and development. The EdTech Hub is set to launch its first courses in July 2023. Currently, course curricula are being developed, local partners are being selected and partnerships established. The EdTech Hub is part of the EU commitment to digitally empower 1 million EaP citizens. For more info and how to take part, click here.

EU4Digital also highlights a range of other EU programmes to support digital skills for SMEs, including the EaP Startups ecosystem.

EU4Youth

The EU4Youth programme will soon launch a series of projects aimed at developing digital skills among young people, especially in disadvantaged communities, linked to the promotion of youth entrepreneurship in the green and digital economies. Follow the EU4Youth page for upcoming opportunities.

Communication and leadership

Young European Ambassadors

The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative is a non-political, voluntary, vibrant communication network connecting young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the EU Member States and the United Kingdom. The aim of the network is to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Eastern partner countries, showcase the tangible results of this cooperation, and contribute to policy dialogue on various topics.

Through participation in the network, YEAs learn important new skills, improving their competences in the fields of teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and communication – essential soft skills for future careers! There are currently more than 900 active YEAs representing over 34 different nationalities, including 180 in Ukraine (click here to meet them). The network is open to young people aged between 16 and 26, interested in public diplomacy and outreach activities. Applications take place every year, usually in the autumn.

Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges

In recent years, thousands of young people and youth workers from Ukraine have participated in joint Erasmus+ Youth projects (exchanges, trainings, policy debate, volunteering). Erasmus+ youth exchanges are open to anyone between the ages of 13 and 30, and last between 5 and 21 days. These exchanges take place through youth organisations and you cannot apply directly as an individual. To find out more, contact the Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps Info Centre in Ukraine by visiting their Facebook page, calling +380 50 878 9227, or email [email protected].

European Solidarity Corps

One way to gain experience abroad is by volunteering through the European Solidarity Corps. This is a unique way to experience different cultures and make new friends, while also helping others and learning new skills. You need to be between 17 and 30 and be willing to spend between two weeks and 12 months abroad. Volunteer projects could be anywhere in the EU or its partner countries, and in fields as varied as culture, youth, sports, children, cultural heritage, arts, animal welfare or the environment. Find out how to apply and check out hundreds of opportunities on the European Solidarity Corps portal.

Civil Society Fellowships

The EU supports young civil society leaders and activists in Ukraine and across the Eastern Partnership through its EaP Civil Society Fellowships programme. Every year, the programme helps 20 civil society activists in their efforts to achieve positive social change in their communities, offering tailored training, grants of €5,000 and access to networking opportunities. Details about the Fellows selected since the programme began 2017 and their areas of interest can be found here. Applications usually take place every year. Check here for updates.

EaP Civil Society Facility – e-learning

The EU’s EaP Civil Society Facility offers civil society representatives targeted online courses and materials adapted to their needs and the situations they face in their daily work. On the project’s e-Learning Hub, you will find a number of online courses, webinars and video-lectures that will provide you with the tools and skills in areas as diverse as policy analysis and monitoring, project management, digital competences and web-design for CSOs. The project also offers a number of blended courses that combined online elements with face-to-face trainings to have an enhanced impact. Find out more.

Eastern Partnership European School

The Eastern Partnership European School in Tbilisi offers a two-year International Baccalaureate programme for pupils from all six Eastern Partnership countries, including Moldova, with full scholarships paid by the European Union, including fees, boarding and travel home for holidays. But the number of places is limited – only 35 per year – so you have to meet certain conditions and pass through competitive process in order to apply. Since the launch of the programme in 2018, 145 students have received scholarships for the school, graduating with the IB diploma and going on to study at top universities across the world. The next cohort of students will be recruited to join for the 2024-2026 IB programme.

EU Networks

A number of EU networks offer educational and information opportunities for young people. These include some 350 Euroclubs in Ukraine, which organise a wide range of educational activities and events, the EU Study Days programme, which helps high school pupils, university students and young graduates to learn about the EU and EU-Ukraine relations, including through a comprehensive online learning facility, the EU Information Centres established in universities and libraries and offering information about the EU and its policies, and the European Union Visitors Programme, which invites young leaders from within and outside the EU to apply for study visits to European institutions. Visit the EU Networks page for more information and click here for the latest on competitions, grants, trainings and meetings open to Ukrainians.

Learning a new profession

EU4Youth

Responding to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, EU4Youth has launched a project aimed at addressing the war-related needs of Ukraine with a focus on career guidance and re-training. The project’s career counselling service has already provided thousands of consultations, helping people along all the steps of employment – setting goals, developing a career plan, writing a CV, preparing for an interview with an employer. Almost 500 participants have succeeded in getting a job and building their careers thanks to the project. The project is implemented by the SpivDiia Fund. Click here for career support and follow SpivDiia on Facebook for the latest opportunities.

Start.Business learning platform

The “Start.Business” learning platform targets both beginners who are interested in entrepreneurship but do not know where to start and those who already have their own business and are looking for practical advice on developing it. The platform offers interactive courses dedicated to different business areas such as the creative industry, for example, or hotel management, or fabric or ceramics production, and has recently added new courses for micro-enterprises displaced by war, where entrepreneurs can learn what is needed to create and scale up their businesses, how to minimise possible risks, develop e-commerce and many other practical aspects. https://startbusiness.com.ua

Women in tech

The EU 4 Gender Equality programme has designed the БУДЬ/BE platform to help Ukrainian women get jobs in the IT and creative industries. Mentors and experts from the best Ukrainian and global companies support women in their job search. The platform offers mentorship and online courses in tech, design, programming, software development, or testing, aimed at women who have moved to another city or abroad and are looking for an online job or who have lost their jobs and want to learn a new profession. Apply now https://inscience.io/en/be/

EU4Skills

The European Union supports Vocational Education and Training (VET) reform in Ukraine through the EU4Skills programme, which aims to improve the quality and attractiveness of vocational education and its relevance to labour market needs. Since the Russian full-scale invasion, the programme has focused on supporting the development of online courses and materials to continue education and learning under the conditions of war, and supporting the authorities to address skill needs in Ukraine’s rebuilding process, in areas like construction, social welfare and other relevant economic sectors.

To find out more about Vocational Education and Training in Ukraine visit the Ministry of Education website, which includes links to career guidance resources. You can find a college that teaches your chosen profession in the Unified State Electronic Database on Education, where you can search by profession and region.

EU Career Days

The EU Delegation to Ukraine holds a series of EU Career Days, where you can take part in panel discussions on professional development, listen to trainings on CV writing, public presentation and other soft skills, meet employees and HR specialists from leading Ukrainian and European companies, sign up for an internships or interviews at these companies, learn about opportunities to study abroad. Find out more and sign up for notifications about future events.

Higher education

Erasmus+

The EU offers a wide range of study opportunities through the Erasmus+ programme, including student exchanges in European universities at bachelor, master and doctoral levels – the exchanges will be part of the programme you are following and can last between one term and one year. And your expenses will be covered! You can also apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship to study for a Master’s degree at top European universities.

For exchanges, visit the international relations office at your university – they will tell you which opportunities are available in your subject and will help you to apply.

For a Master’s degree, you need to check out the catalogue of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees, which lists the courses offering Erasmus scholarships in the upcoming academic year (there are 193 courses currently listed), then contact the university to apply for the course and scholarship.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Erasmus+ is providing maximum flexibility in implementing projects involving Ukrainian students, and tailored support for Ukrainian students abroad. It is also providing students the opportunity to submit applications for grants directly to European universities bypassing the normal procedure of applying through Ukrainian universities. Visit the Erasmus Dashboard for the list of available opportunities, and support for Ukrainian students.

The National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine is there to help you with any information. You can check out their websitefor more information, follow their Facebook page, email them at [email protected], or call them on +38 (044) 286-66-68 or +38 (099) 332-26-45.

Erasmus+ traineeships

Erasmus+ supports work placements and internships abroad for Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral students, as well as recent graduates (within one year of your graduation). But your traineeship must be relevant to your degree and, wherever possible, be integrated in your study programme, so check the opportunities with your university. Work placements can last between two and twelve months, and Erasmus+ grants are available to cover your costs.

College of Europe Scholarships

The College of Europe offers a large number of scholarships to university graduates coming from Ukraine and other countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy for post-graduate studies. Scholarships are also available for students from the Eastern Partnership countries, funded by the EU4Youth programme. Applications for the academic year 2024/2025 will open in October 2023.

Media literacy

EUvsDisinfo

What is disinformation? How can we avoid falling for it? How can we respond to it? EUvsDisinfo aims to help citizens develop resistance to digital information and media manipulation by increasing awareness and understanding of Russian disinformation operations. Using data analysis and media monitoring services in 15 languages, EUvsDisinfo identifies, compiles, and exposes disinformation cases originating in pro-Kremlin media that are spread across the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.

The project’s Learn platform also includes a selection of useful tools, games, podcasts and other resources to build or strengthen your resilience to disinformation.

EU4Independent Media

The EU4Independent Media programme is active across the six countries of the Eastern Partnership. It offers online and face-to-face trainings for media professionals, on-the-job and individual mentoring to improve editorial content or enhance management and marketing skills, as well as develop new revenue streams and a better understanding of audiences. It also supports content production and networking.

Check the EU Neighbours east media opportunities page for latest information.

A number of free courses for media and communication professionals are available online:

Fact-checking in the era of fake news

Innovation in storytelling

Digital transition in the newsroom

Online media production – mastering the essentials

Running an efficient media business

Europe-Ukraine Desk

After the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the journalism network n-ost, based in Germany, has focused its efforts on supporting journalists from Ukraine through fundraising campaigns and partnerships. At the beginning of 2023, n-ost, with financial support of the European Union, launched The Europe-Ukraine Desk, which aims to foster exchange and cross-border collaboration between journalists from Ukraine and Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. The project includes fellowship programmes, a grant programme for the development of joint publications, and monthly activities for media professionals in Kyiv. Visit the n-ost website for full details of all the network’s actions to support Ukrainian journalists.

MediaFit

The MediaFit Programme for Information Integrity in southern and eastern Ukraine aims to support the resilience and qualification of regional journalists in Ukraine, helping them to strengthen theire editorial independence, accelerate digitalisation and increase the audience for the delivery of the trustworthy content. Actions include skill-building programmes in content creation and media outlet management, training to ensure economic viability. Stay in touch by signing up for the MediaFit newsletter

Opportunities for journalists

A number of media support organisations offer support to media literacy in Ukraine, many of them funded by the EU. They include DW Akademie in Ukraine, BBC Media Action, Internews Ukraine, the Prague Civil Society Centre, n-ost media NGO, and the European Endowment for Democracy.

See also the EU Neighbours east guide to emergency support programmes for journalists on the front line.