Practical and scientific seminar “Employment, education, qualifications and social support for Ukrainian internally displaced persons and refugees” held (14 November 2025, Kyiv)

On 14 November 2025, a practical and scientific seminar titled “Employment, education, qualifications and social support for Ukrainian internally displaced persons and refugees” took place in Kyiv. The seminar was held within the framework of the EU Horizon Europe international project “Skill Partnerships for Sustainable and Just Migration Patterns” (SKILLS4JUSTICE, Grant No. 101132435).

The event was organised by the State Scientific Institution “Institute of Educational Analytics” (SSI “IEA”) in a hybrid format (both in person and online), enabling broad participation from representatives of various regions of Ukraine as well as international partners. Among the participants were representatives of the European Training Foundation, Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas), the Italian Association Nova Orienta, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the Educational and Methodological Centre for Vocational Education in Dnipropetrovsk Region, the Federation of Employers’ Organisations of Dnipropetrovsk Region, the Bakhmut Support Centre in Kyiv, Dmytrivska Village Council of Bucha District (Kyiv Region), the International Fund for Educational Policy Research, the International Agency for Professional Qualifications, the Institute of Higher Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Professional Qualifications, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the State University of Telecommunications, Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, the Kyiv Regional Employment Centre, and the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment, among others.

The seminar aimed to present the preliminary key results of the SKILLS4JUSTICE Project in Ukraine (more detailed materials are available on the SSI “IEA” platform: https://horizon.iea.gov.ua/ and on the official project website: https://skills4justice.eu/). Particular attention was paid to transformations in labour and educational service markets in the context of russia’s armed aggression, large-scale internal and external displacement, and the growing mismatch between the demand for and supply of skilled labour.

The event opened with welcoming remarks from the organisers. Participants were greeted by Andrii Lytvynchuk, Director of SSI “IEA”; Vidmantas Tutlys, SKILLS4JUSTICE Project Coordinator and Professor at Vytautas Magnus University; and Michael Graham, Senior Expert in Human Capital Development in Qualification Systems at the European Training Foundation.

During the plenary session, the following presentations were delivered:

• Andrii Lytvynchuk, Director of SSI “IEA”
  “Implementation of the SKILLS4JUSTICE Project in Ukraine: Skill Partnerships for Sustainable and Just Migration”
• Sergii Melnyk, SSI “IEA” Coordinator within SKILLS4JUSTICE Project
  “National Labour and Qualification Markets during Wartime: Migration Aspect”
• Vidmantas Tutlys, Professor, Vytautas Magnus University
  “Ukrainian Refugees in Lithuania: Integration or Return”
• Taras Finikov, President, International Fund for Educational Policy Research
  “Displaced Ukrainian Universities: Faith, Hope, and Pain”
• Sergii Melnyk, SSI “IEA” Coordinator within SKILLS4JUSTICE Project
  “Results of Sociological Surveys of Refugees and IDPs: Reasons, Social Support, Employment, Education, and Motivation to Return”

The seminar also focused on enhancing professional mobility and motivation among Ukrainian migrants, as well as incentives for employers to create conditions conducive to the return of IDPs and refugees in the context of post-war reconstruction. Particular attention was devoted to the Lithuanian experience, with project partners sharing approaches to encouraging the return of Ukrainians and practices for collecting and using labour migration data.

The event additionally aimed to promote the ideas and approaches of the SKILLS4JUSTICE Project, which seeks to support European and national efforts to address the shortage of skilled workers and to strengthen sustainable, just, and partnership-based models of skills development and labour migration management in the EU and neighbouring partner countries.

At the conclusion of the seminar, specialised recommendations were formulated to support the practical implementation of the proposals discussed, particularly with regard to developing domestic and European policies aimed at harnessing the qualification potential of Ukrainians both within the country and abroad.

The conference programme can be downloaded here.

Additional materials:

• Analytical report on survey results of working-age Ukrainian citizens employed abroad, planning to return under certain circumstances
• Analytical report on survey results of internally displaced and forcibly displaced working-age Ukrainian citizens (IDPs)