“The New VET. A Guide to Renovation Works in Vocational Education Institutions” is a practical handbook created to rethink educational spaces and elevate the status of vocational education in Ukraine.
Spanning 350 pages, the guidebook is packed with illustrations and practical advice for vocational institutions. It includes instructions on design approaches for building renovations, ongoing maintenance, and interior upgrades. The guide features simple, high-quality, and cost-effective solutions for modernizing outdated infrastructure and facilities.
📘 Access the guidebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16aR-qQfkBY–lEbjScQnitnco-vTdQTi/view
“This guidebook is the result of dedicated work by a passionate team that truly believes in vocational education. We are deeply grateful to our partners and donors for supporting this initiative. I sincerely hope this guide finds its readers. It was developed with the spirit of VET in mind—practical, forward-thinking, and accessible—so that anyone walking into a newly renovated school feels at home and inspired to learn.”
Supported by the EdUP Project, this guidebook is about more than just renovation—it’s about modernization and opportunity, emphasized Dmytro Zavhorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine:
“We created a design guideline for educational spaces so that every institution, regardless of budget, has access to quality, modern design.” He encouraged school leaders to use the guide not only to upgrade their spaces but also to align their vision for what a future-oriented vocational education institution should look like.
The guide provides recommendations for creating functional, aesthetic, and inclusive spaces in vocational education institutions. It shows that even with limited budgets, schools can be renovated with thoughtful design, structure, and respect for both students and educators.
“In developing this guide, we studied practices from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and collaborated with those who know Ukraine’s VET system best—school directors and educators. That’s why the guide is truly practical and tailored to our local context. It’s based on core principles of VET transformation: functionality, aesthetics, ergonomics, practicality, and accessibility.”
Some ideas from the guide are already being implemented. One example is the Chernihiv Vocational Railway Transport Lyceum.
“We needed a complete transformation, and this guide was exactly the tool we were missing. Every institution should have it. It’s not just a book—it’s a real roadmap that shows the direction for renovating and reimagining vocational spaces, and helps turn new ideas into practical changes.”
This guidebook was developed under the Public-Private Partnership for Improving Vocational Education in Ukraine (EdUP), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Geberit Trading LLC, and Sika Ukraine LLC, and implemented by Swisscontact in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
The guide was created by Big City Lab in collaboration with ARC Wayfinding Systems.
