Within Install Fest Ukraine 2026, a professional skills competition for VET teachers training masters in the occupation “Installer of sanitary systems and equipment” took place.
A total of 21 masters of vocational training from EdUP partner institutions participated. The winners of the competition were:
Serhii Riabov (Chernihiv)
Ivan Korohoda (Kamianets-Podilskyi)
Oleksandr Panshchannyi (Odesa)
Beyond the competition, participants engaged in a learning programme combining soft skills development with hands-on practice alongside industry experts.
For the first time in Ukraine, Install Fest Ukraine 2026 also hosted the certification of the professional qualification “Junior Installer of Engineering Systems and Equipment.” This became possible благодаря the work of certified qualification centres: Higher Vocational School No. 34 (Stryi) Chernihiv Professional Railway Transport Lyceum.
Over the three days of the exhibition, 58 professionals successfully confirmed the professional qualification “Junior Installer of Engineering Systems and Equipment.”
“When education, business, and the industry work together, real results emerge. This competition demonstrated how modern skills, partnerships with companies, and professional recognition are transforming the way skilled workers are trained in Ukraine. It is not only a competition, but a powerful platform for the development, growth, and recognition of vocational training masters who shape the future of the VET system.”
At Install Fest Ukraine 2026, the EdUP project also hosted the information session “Vocational Education: New Opportunities for Business,” which served as a platform for dialogue between government, business, and education providers. Participants discussed governance reform, increased autonomy of vocational education institutions, and the strengthened role of business in workforce development. Particular attention was given to supervisory boards as an effective mechanism for cooperation, enabling businesses to contribute to the strategic development of institutions and influence the quality of training for future professionals.
According to Yuliia Yepifanova, Project Manager of the EdUP project, who moderated the session, the development of public-private partnerships is opening up new opportunities for businesses to engage with the vocational education system.
“Today’s meeting is directly focused on business and creates practical opportunities for cooperation with the vocational education system. Public-private partnership is now clearly defined in legislation and provides fundamental tools for collaboration. This includes, in particular, cooperation agreements between educational institutions and businesses, which open up a wide range of opportunities — from joint initiatives to strategic development. At the same time, supervisory boards are becoming a formal and effective mechanism for business engagement in the system, enabling a shift from isolated initiatives to systemic change.”
“Thanks to recent legislative changes, businesses now have many options to establish public-private partnerships. Cooperation with vocational colleges is not only a way to secure a skilled workforce, but also an opportunity to contribute to sectoral development at the local level and to the economy as a whole.”
For the EdUP project, this is another example of how public-private partnership works at a systemic level — strengthening the link between education and the labour market, improving the quality of workforce training, and creating scalable solutions.
