“Learning Together: Public-Private Partnership in Action” training session was organized by the EdUP project for business representatives. Seventeen construction companies, including members of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU), participated in the event.
The goal of the training was to highlight the potential of the vocational education system in meeting the staffing needs of businesses, and most importantly, how to practically engage with it — that is, how to collaborate with vocational education schools.
“The idea behind the training is to create a platform where we can discuss the issue of staffing shortages through cooperation between businesses and vocational education institutions. After all, the goal is the same: for vocational schools, it’s a well-prepared graduate who finds employment, and for businesses, it’s a qualified worker who can perform the job.”
The training included the following modules:
📌 Interactive theory of mutually beneficial partnership
📌 Forms of cooperation with vocational education institutions — viewed through the lens of corporate social responsibility
📌 Specifics of working with the audience of modern vocational institutions
Serhii Sorokun, Director of Glas Trösch Ukraine, noted that the information gained during the training helped structure knowledge about the vocational education sector and plan future cooperation with vocational schools. In his opinion, involving the private sector in vocational education enhances its alignment with modern standards and labor market needs.
🛠 Participants of the training were introduced to practical examples of effective collaboration between businesses and vocational education institutions and discussed common partnership mistakes. It was emphasized that to achieve the goal of obtaining qualified personnel, the cooperation between businesses and vocational institutions must be a mutually beneficial partnership.
“What’s important is that the EdUP project offers practical knowledge and provides feedback based on real experiences of cooperation between businesses and educational institutions. Often, we are like blind kittens, missing critical aspects, but practice shows that we need to act differently. This practical experience from the project is invaluable.”
After completing the training, each participant received tools and methodologies for building effective partnerships with vocational education institutions aimed at preparing qualified specialists who can immediately start working, meeting the current demands of businesses.
“The section on the challenges of interaction between businesses and vocational schools was very interesting. Some issues resonated with me and prompted certain decisions. I identified several aspects that our company should focus on to communicate more professionally with educational institutions.”
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine also emphasized the importance of cooperation with employers to enhance the practical training quality of students.
“It’s good that we are starting the academic year with an emphasis on the relevance of employer cooperation. The educational process requires such interaction, because after theoretical preparation, the time will come for students to go into practice. And here the role of employers, who understand this and provide the practical experience, is critical. The quality of joint student preparation will be significantly higher as a result.”
A reliable information partner of our project is the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, which contributes to involving CBU members in EdUP project activities.
The media partner of the training was ProfBuild magazine, which supports the development of vocational education in Ukraine and communicates information about the most important events in the construction sector.
