The project is the latest in a series of voluntary partnerships aimed at boosting job opportunities in Ukraine.
KYIV, Ukraine (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched its latest Local Employment Partnership (LEP) in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as part of its country-wide effort to help create jobs through customized skills training, entrepreneurship support, and enhanced employment services.
LEPs are voluntary alliances of regional stakeholders, including municipalities, public employment services, workers' and employers' organizations, education providers, civil society, and financial institutions.
Together, the partners co-design and implement inclusive employment strategies tailored to local needs.
“This project is a significant step toward ensuring inclusive and decent work for communities grappling with the consequences of the ongoing war. With our local partners, we want to foster economic resilience, promoting social cohesion, and support a sustainable recovery,” explained Aida Lindmeier, Director of the ILO Country Office in Ukraine.
The intervention in the Kyiv region is being rolled out in close cooperation with national and local authorities, the State Employment Service, and social partners such as employers’ and workers’ organizations. It aims to support war affected communities with a particular focus on vulnerable groups including women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), war veterans, and persons with disabilities by helping to facilitate their access decent jobs through adequate and employable skilling, reskilling and upskilling.
The project is part of the ILO’s broader crisis response and has been initiated under the Director-General’s Initiative on Responding to Crises, which supports countries, caught in fragile, conflict and disaster situations, by fostering inclusive recovery and resilience through decent work.
At least 1,000 beneficiaries are expected to secure employment through targeted training and skills matching through the Kyiv initiative. At least 70% – which translates into 700 – will be women.
Furthermore, regional stakeholders will receive support to improve the implementation of inclusive labour market policies, while training institutions will be strengthened to offer demand-driven, relevant skills development.
Since the first pilot was launch in Ukraine in 2018, LEPs have proven both effective and agile in times of profound economic disruption, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and since the war began in Ukraine. Five initiatives have been implemented so far, including in the Kherson, Rivne, Lviv, and Zakarpattia regions. The Kyiv Initiative is underway, and two additional ones in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, have recently been launched.