Path to a profession: How UPSHIFT helps young people build their careers

Choosing a career path is an important — and often difficult — step for young people. Today, amid a full-scale war, that step has become even more complicated. More than three years of disrupted learning, constant air raid alarms and shelling have affected young people’s emotional well-being and increased their sense of uncertainty. Many families have been forced to relocate, with parents looking for jobs and children adjusting to unfamiliar schools. Limited finances and a lack of knowledge about the resources in their new communities often restrict their access to education and career opportunities.

According to a U-Report Ukraine survey, 38 per cent of young people feel an urgent need for career guidance, while another 36 per cent say it’s rather necessary. In response to this need, UNICEF launched a national wave of the UPSHIFT programme focused on developing career skills and helping youth make informed choices about their professional futures.

Thirty-six students from vocational schools and colleges in eight regions of Ukraine were selected for the initiative. They received training based on UPSHIFT’s methodology, mentoring support, and resources to implement their own projects.

This round of UPSHIFT was experimental: for the first time, school educators joined the youth teams. They not only supported the participants but also adopted new approaches to working with students — fostering a culture of co-creation within educational institutions.

Career hub at a vocational school: Students launch a guidance department and partner with a local company in Khmelnytskyi

Kateryna, Valeriia, Oleksandr and Myroslava study at Khmelnytskyi Vocational Lyceum. The school trains future chefs, painters, welders, locksmiths, seamstresses and hospitality managers. The students say that many of their peers choose a profession under parental pressure and later face challenges with self-realization.

Seventeen-year-old Kateryna says this is also influenced by society’s perception of vocational professions:

“The jobs we’re studying for are often seen as less prestigious. It’s trendy to work in social media marketing or IT. But if you’re a cook or a welder, people treat you differently. That’s why many students graduate without knowing what to do next — they just get jobs as waiters or baristas.”

Kateryna and her peers decided to tackle this issue and boost vocational students’ confidence in their future. They joined UPSHIFT and launched the Profi Hub project. As members of the student council, they created a dedicated career department, formally included it in the council’s charter, and defined its structure, roles and responsibilities. This helped ensure the sustainability of their initiative.

They also set up a special room where students can explore different careers using books, games and other tools.

“Profi Hub is a space where you can not only learn and collaborate, but also better understand yourself and your professional interests,” said 17-year-old Valeriia. 

“We hold workshops, presentations and expert meetups — everything that helps plan for the future.”

The team invited a career consultant to help students write résumés and prepare for job interviews. They also arranged meetings with successful alumni who shared how they started their own businesses and pursued careers in their fields.

“At first, I thought it would be boring — just more success stories,” said student Daria. 

“But one speaker shared honestly that he didn’t know what he wanted to do at first and found his way over time. It was inspiring to hear that success comes from small, consistent steps. I walked away feeling that anything is possible if you don’t give up after the first mistake.”

Internships are another challenge for students, who often struggle to find companies offering decent conditions, structured schedules and fair pay. The UPSHIFT team helped solve this problem. They organized student visits to a local garment factory, which led to an official partnership. Now, students can complete their internships there.

“Many of us imagined a sewing factory as a dark basement with old machines,” said Kateryna. 

“But we saw a bright, clean space with modern equipment and a well-organized process. It really impressed us — now several students are doing their internships there.”

Thanks to support from educator Yehor Mazurenko, the project was fully integrated into the school’s ecosystem. He helped the team with everything from procurement to visuals. His mentorship and trust enabled the team to not only implement their ideas but also build a long-term initiative. So far, the project has supported 120 students.

“All my expectations came true — and more. From networking to learning how to lead and keep a team together,” Yehor shares. 

“I saw these students grow up in a month. They’ve gained experience that few others their age in the region have — managing large projects and handling real resources.”

The national wave of the UPSHIFT programme, dedicated to developing youth career skills and supporting their professional self-determination, is implemented by UNICEF Ukraine in partnership with the ‘Slavic Cultural Center ‘Zadzerkallia’ NGO, with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Development Bank KfW.