Reforms in vocational education and training (VET) focus on decentralising governance and funding, improving education quality, and developing public–private partnerships linked to the labour market. Key priorities include establishing modern training centres, introducing dual education, strengthening cooperation with businesses, and advancing digitalisation in education. In the context of the full-scale war, the system adapted workforce training to new challenges, supported reskilling, and reduced unemployment.
2026
In 2026, the reform focuses on integrating VET into the 12-year school system and linking it more closely to labour market needs.
Authorities start to transform VET institutions into multi-profile professional colleges and centres of vocational excellence. These institutions combine general secondary education with vocational training. They offer a flexible learning track for learners.
Authorities introduce new approaches to the organisation of the learning process. Programmes combine general subjects with specialised vocational training based on labour market needs. Learners can change their learning track at an early stage.
Short-term programmes and micro-qualifications continue to develop. They expand access to VET for adults, including reskilling and upskilling.
VET becomes part of the specialised upper secondary education as one of the learning tracks after lower secondary education.
2025
In 2025, the reform focused on updating legislation, modernising infrastructure and improving the quality of VET.
Ukraine adopted a new Law on Vocational Education and Training (Закон України ‘Про професійну освіту’). The law defines a modern model of the system and sets the status of professional colleges as key institutions.
The reform also focused on aligning training with labour market needs. Authorities continued to develop dual education. This allows learners to combine learning in institutions with training at workplaces. Cooperation with employers increased. Authorities updated programmes, created joint training centres and expanded modern specialisations.
Authorities paid special attention to digital skills. They integrated digital tools into the learning process. VET also became an important tool for fast reskilling of the population, which is important for economic recovery. Thus, in 2025, VET strengthened its role in supporting the country’s workforce development.
Institutions received more autonomy. They gained more powers in financial and management decisions. They can also attract additional resources, including from employers.
Cooperation with the labour market strengthened. Institutions created supervisory bodies with employers. This helps align training with economic needs.
The state continued to modernise educational infrastructure. It upgraded training centres and created modern learning environments with new equipment.
2024
On 11 March 2024, the Minisrty of Education and Sciece of Ukraine (MESU) presented the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine until 2027 (Стратегічний план діяльності Міністерства освіти і науки України до 2027 року), where one of the key directions is the reform of VET. The main aim of the transformation is to improve the quality of VET, its prestige and integration into the European Education Area. The main reform priorities include:
- Modernisation of educational programmes – introduction of modern training content that meets the requirements of the labour market and modern technologies;
- Development of material and technical base – creation of educational and practical centres with modern equipment for mastering practical skills;
- Expanding cooperation with business – involving employers in the learning process and assessment of results to ensure that graduates meet employers’ needs;
- Digitalisation of education – implementation of digital technologies and tools in the educational process;
- Harmonisation with European standards – adaptation of programmes to International Qualifications Frameworks (IQF), which promotes the mobility of learners and graduates.
On 2 April 2024, the MESU presented a draft of the new Law on Vocational Education and Training (проєкт нового закону ‘Про професійну освіту’), which will lay the foundation for future changes in the sector.
The purpose of the draft law is to create a unified and capable system of VET in Ukraine for self-realisation in the labour market, and to provide the labour market with qualified personnel, taking into account the needs and characteristics of the regions. The draft law also provides for the harmonisation of legal conditions for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of VET, as well as the harmonisation and unification of legal relations in the field of its obtaining.
In 2024, there was a launch of the new direction to support the reform of VET in Ukraine within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian project ‘Decentralisation for Improved Democratic Education’ (DECIDE), which will unite the efforts of regional state administrations and territorial communities, VET institutions, schools and business to build a career guidance system and increase the prestige of VET.
In the schools of partner communities, there will be an introduction of a system to accompany learners in choosing a profession (career guidance) in cooperation with leading Ukrainian experts and specialists of the Zurich Pedagogical University (Switzerland). Switzerland allocates 2 million francs (over UAH 80 million) for the reform of VET in Ukraine.
In 2024, the MESU approved 20 VET standards by the relevant orders (Наказами МОН у 2024 році затверджено 20 стандартів професійної освіти).