From 21 to 24 May 2026, the EdUP project presented a Career Development Center (CDC) for vocational education institutions at the Career Festival in Kyiv.
Throughout the four-day event, career advisors from EdUP partner institutions provided consultations to visitors, helping them explore career options, prepare CVs, and plan their first steps into the labour market.
“Career Development Centers in vocational colleges can become a very effective tool, as recognized by the new legislation. They help promote vocational education, support graduate employment, provide career guidance and counselling. At the same time, their role goes beyond these functions, and each institution can adapt and expand the Center’s activities. We have brought together practical and methodological guidance on how to do this in the handbook.”
During the event, EdUP also presented the handbook “Career Development Center in a Vocational Education Institution: Establishment and Management”, which provides step-by-step recommendations for creating and operating such centers. The publication serves as a practical resource for vocational education institutions seeking to establish or strengthen their Career Development Centers.
“We train vocational colleges to develop Career Development Centers based on real data reflecting the needs of students, employers, regional labour market conditions, and the specific profile of the institution itself. Based on this analysis, each college can develop its own unique areas of work and services within the Center.”
The electronic version of the handbook can be downloaded via the link.
The festival also featured hands-on workshops delivered by EdUP partner institutions: Zaporizhzhia Technological Vocational College “Motorobudivnyk”, Kharkiv Vocational College of Construction and Industry, Kyiv Vocational College of Civil Construction, and Pryluky Vocational Lyceum. School students had the opportunity to try different professions, ranging from welding and plumbing to tile installation.
The Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, also met with vocational college students and teachers during his visit to the festival.
"Today, vocational education is increasingly becoming a space of opportunities for young people. Such events allow not only to get acquainted with professions but also to understand one’s own interests, abilities, and development prospects. It is especially important that educational institutions demonstrate a modern approach to career guidance — through practice, interaction, and real experience. This is how a conscious choice of a professional path is formed, one that meets the needs of both the individual and the country."
Career Development Centers are designed to help young people make informed career choices and discover opportunities for personal and professional growth. They support students in preparing for the labour market, enhence cooperation between educational institutions and employers, and contribute to graduate employment. In the long term, these Centers can become an important mechanism for strengthening the link between vocational education and labour market needs.
