State-Funded Training Vouchers: Upgrade Skills for 155 Professions in Odesa

Svitlana Tabakova, Head of the Vocational Training Department of the Odesa Regional Employment Center, told how to get a new profession or upgrade your skills with the support of the state.

She spoke about this on the air of Intent.Insight.

According to Tabakova, in the context of the country's reconstruction, there is an acute need for blue-collar jobs, as the shortage of men and qualified specialists remains significant. At the same time, there is also a lack of specialists with higher education, including psychologists and lawyers who can provide legal support and psychological relief for returning veterans. Demand for blue-collar jobs prevails, although the exact percentage is difficult to say. Despite these challenges, work continues unabated.

People who feel uncompetitive in the labor market have the opportunity to learn a new profession, upgrade their skills, or even get a new education. It is not necessary to have unemployment status - assistance is available to those who are employed or have their own business, as well as to internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, combatants, those released from captivity, and other categories. The main condition is the availability of at least primary vocational education.

According to the interviewee, such persons can receive a voucher for training through employment centers. It allows them to master new specialties from a list of 155 professions, which are partially funded by the state. The maximum amount is 30,280 hryvnias, which is enough to study at many institutions. However, if a person has only a secondary education, he or she may be offered free training in the status of unemployed. The voucher, in turn, is designed for those who already have some education and want to expand it, for example, to get a second higher education.

According to Tabakova, doctors are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity to receive a voucher for training to expand their qualifications. This allows them to master a new specialization within their profession, which allows them to provide a wider range of services to patients. This is not a mandatory requirement - doctors do it of their own free will to improve their professional capabilities. This approach helps to compensate for the shortage of specialists in various fields of medicine.

How to get a voucher?

To receive a training voucher, you must submit the following documents to the employment center:

• Passport
• Identification code
• A document on education confirming the existing level of qualification.

No additional documents confirming the need for training are required. The main thing is to meet the established criteria and belong to one of the preferential categories.

Ірина Глухова