Ukrainian youth most often opt for specialties with high media visibility and a lower entry threshold — IT, psychology, marketing, law, and management. At the same time, the real shortage of personnel is currently formed in engineering, energy, medicine, agriculture, defense industry, and skilled workers.
This is stated in the Mismatch research: gaps between the professional aspirations of young people and the needs of the market for the development of Ukraine, which was conducted by Urban movement “The city has me” together with the Ukrainian Catholic University.
The study lasted several months. The team conducted 19 in-depth interviews with representatives of business, state institutions, the public sector, and educational experts, as well as 6 focus group discussions with entrants and students from all macro-regions of Ukraine — west, center, north, south, and east. Among the employers who participated in the study are EPAM, MHP, OKKO, VARUS, LEONI, the !FEST holding, and other companies from various sectors.
Youth Choose “Visible” Professions, Market Looks for Other Specialists
According to the study, the professional choice of teenagers is often formed under the influence of social networks, ideas about the prestige of professions, and parental expectations. Young people tend towards areas that seem modern, flexible, and financially promising.
Meanwhile, employers talk about a shortage of specialists in areas critical to the economy and the country’s recovery. This includes design engineers, embedded specialists, agricultural engineers, renewable energy specialists, veterinarians, doctors, and skilled workers.
Now there are many candidates on the market, but it’s still hard to find a good candidate. There was such a prism that it’s easy to get into IT… the bar of people has lowered
a representative of a technology company said during the study.
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Fears Strongly Influence Teenagers’ Choices
The study showed that the professional choice of young people is influenced not only by expectations of salary or prestige but also by fears.
One of the most common is the fear of making a mistake in choosing a specialty. Young people often perceive entering a university as an almost irreversible decision, the change of which will cost time, money, and effort.
My biggest fear is that I will make the wrong choice, and I will not like the learning process. I will spend 4 years on this specialty
said an eleventh-grader from the central region.
Another important factor is the war. It complicates long-term planning and increases anxiety about the future.
I can’t think ahead. Because it depends on how the circumstances will develop
said a tenth-grader from the western region.
In this context, non-formal education becomes a kind of “insurance” for young people: the opportunity to take courses or retrain reduces the feeling of irreversibility of professional choice.
Employers Are Less Interested in Diplomas
In the study, employers note that formal education remains important, but the diploma itself is no longer the main criterion. Instead, practical skills, responsibility, adaptability, the ability to work with feedback, and an understanding of how a specific job affects the business result are valued.
Among the technical skills, employers most often called English, analytical literacy, and fundamental knowledge in their field.
Among the soft skills — communication, responsibility, adaptability, the ability to work with mistakes, and so-called “owner thinking” — an understanding of one’s role in the common result.
For creative and media professions, “visibility” becomes a separate criterion — a broad cultural background, aesthetic taste, and the ability to distinguish high-quality content from mediocre.
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Artificial Intelligence Changes the First Step in a Career
A separate challenge is the rapid development of artificial intelligence. According to estimates voiced during the study, AI can significantly reduce the number of junior positions in various fields. This does not mean that there will be no jobs for young people, but the first step in a profession will become more difficult.
At the same time, AI transformation creates new niches: AI creators, user engagement specialists, specialists who know how to work with the quality of generated content. But these skills are not formed only by short courses — they require broader training, practice, and critical thinking.
Universities Are Not Keeping Up with the Market
Young people criticize universities for being detached from practice and having outdated programs. Experts interviewed in the study explain this by the fact that many institutions of higher education form programs under existing teachers, not under the portrait of a future graduate.
If the program is built under existing teachers, not under the portrait of a graduate — this is immediately an indicator of weakness
said an educational analyst.
A separate problem is the stigmatization of vocational and technical education. According to the data presented in the study, employers record a significant gap between the expectations of young specialists and their actual readiness for the conditions of the labor market. On the part of young people, there are inflated starting expectations, low tolerance for routine work, and a tendency to early professional burnout.
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Why Is This Important for Reconstruction
The authors of the study draw attention to the fact that the state does not communicate enough with young people about which professions will be needed for the country’s reconstruction. As a result, teenagers often choose a specialty based on personal ideas, social networks, or parents’ advice, but not based on the real demand on the labor market.
In the context of war, mass emigration, mobilization, and loss of people of working age, the educational decisions of current teenagers become not only a matter of personal career but also a matter of who will build the country after the war.
Urbanruh “The city has me” works with teenagers who are facing a choice of future profession. Therefore, the Mismatch study should become a practical tool for educators, business, the state, communities, and everyone involved in career guidance for young people.
What Do the Authors of the Study Propose
Among the recommendations — to change the approach to the formation of educational programs, reduce the stigma around vocational and technical education, systematically talk to young people about in-demand professions, and launch career guidance programs that allow testing professions before making a final choice.
Business is recommended to more actively launch internships, honestly communicate salary ranges and requirements for candidates, and invest in the adaptation of young employees.
Universities — to update programs, involve practitioners, build partnerships with businesses, and pay more attention to soft skills.
For young people themselves — to look not only at “fashionable” areas but also at areas with a real personnel shortage, combine university studies with courses and internships, and develop communication, critical thinking, and adaptability.
The study was implemented within the framework of the project “DNA of the city. Partnerships”, which explores the new role of Ukrainian cities in international cooperation: not only as recipients of aid but as full-fledged partners who can share solutions, experience of resilience, digitalization, crisis management, and reconstruction with Europe.
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