Solutions from Ukraine: Kyiv region launches pilot project to develop career guidance for vulnerable adolescents

A career guidance program called "Platform of the Future Profession" recently kicked off in the Kyiv region, with the participation of 35 teenagers from family-type orphanages, foster families, and internally displaced persons.

Rubryka reports this.

What is the problem?

The large-scale war has sparked a significant personnel shortage in Ukraine. Individuals' departure from the country, participation in defending the state, and shifts in job demand impact the current situation and future predictions. At the same time, young individuals are unsure which occupations will be in demand in 2-3-5 years and if they can secure their future.

Research shows that almost a quarter of teenagers during the war were most concerned about their studies. Uncertainty, fear for the future, and the inability to plan are some of the key experiences of teenagers in this area.

What is the solution?

The Kateryna Osadcha Foundation is developing a youth career guidance program to help teenagers in Ukraine discover their identity and role in the country's reconstruction. This initiative is especially focused on supporting young people from vulnerable backgrounds.

The main goal is to inspire children to develop in various directions, promote their conscious choice of future profession, and help them enter educational institutions in their chosen specialty.

"For children who grow up without family support or who have moved to a new environment due to war, things are even more difficult. The world outside their bubble seems unstable and complex, and finding their place in it is even more difficult. Most teenagers who are now entering educational institutions spend half of their schooling online due to the pandemic and then the war. Understanding your profession and calling in this world is completely incomprehensible. We want to go online and offline to show them that the world is full of opportunities and that there are many interesting professions you can try in practice and literally experience with your hands," comments Kateryna Osadcha, founder of the Foundation.

How does it work?

A pilot project of the career guidance program "Platform of the Future Profession" was launched in the Kyiv region in cooperation with the Kyiv Regional Center for Social Services. It was joined by 35 teenagers aged 13–18 who grow up in family-type orphanages, foster families, or are internally displaced persons. In the future, the project is planned to be expanded to all regions of Ukraine.

Teenagers will work with mentors and well-known Ukrainian professionals to decide on their future careers and opportunities. The result will be an individual career roadmap for each.

The project was joined by the restaurant SEREDA, the famous Ukrainian designer Anna Oktiabr, the Ukrainian women's clothing brand JUL, and Kyrylo Nevdokha, head of the Children and Youth Office "DiyMO" under the Ministry of Social Policy.

"As a child, I wanted to become a teacher because, for us children from the boarding school system, teachers are both dad and mom and the main person in life. After graduating from school, I wanted to choose a specialty that would allow me to become a manager in show business. Still, in the end, I realized that my life experience could be useful for the social sphere because I actually know it from the inside," Kyrylo Nevdokha says.

Among the participants was Anton, a 14-year-old boy from Avdiivka, living in a foster family with three other children in the Kyiv region for three years. Anton studies online at a specialized Avdiivka school and has two disabilities. The foster mother says he was the first boy in their family and was very worried. But after three more children appeared in the family, it became easier and more fun for him.

At the event, Anton was a little shy at first, but after getting to know each other and working in teams, he quickly adapted. Before the event, he said that he wanted to be a firefighter. Still, after the event and the story about the restaurant business, he was impressed and said he was considering becoming a chef.

Kateryna Osadcha also mentions that the children themselves asked for this direction. While working with vulnerable children, the Foundation has heard numerous stories of them struggling with deciding on a career and figuring out how to pursue it.

"We often hear: what if I study in a particular profession? Will I have a job after graduation? We introduce children to real professionals and future employers. We strive to scale this direction and involve as many businesses as possible because together, we need to rebuild the country and understand that these children will create the future," Kateryna Osadcha adds.

The first teenagers will go to ateliers and backstage of restaurants in early 2025 to experience different professions firsthand.

For reference:

Earlier, Rubryka told the story of a Ukrainian project that made education more flexible and accessible and focused on children from small communities and villages.