Blog: Rebooting Higher Education: Who Should Be Trained for Post-War Reconstruction

The full-scale invasion that took place in 2022 led to tectonic shifts in Ukrainian politics, defense, the economy, and society as a whole. It also had a significant impact on an area that might have seemed relatively inert — higher education. The war disrupted the traditional rhythm of educational evolution — today it is changing not as a continuation of past logic, but as a response to challenges shaped by factors such as post-war reconstruction.

Over nearly two decades — from 2005 to 2024 — Ukraine went from a mass obsession with lawyers and economists to attempts at refocusing on IT, engineering, medicine, and education. However, these changes remain incomplete and often belated. For many years, therefore, the Ukrainian labor market developed with a bias toward the humanities — law, economics, and management significantly dominated, leading to an oversaturation of such specialists. Today, however, the country is in urgent need of technical professionals: engineers, doctors, IT specialists, builders, psychologists, and educators — they are the key to post-war reconstruction. The Ministry of Education holds the same view.

However, labor market demand still does not align with the choices of applicants. For example, the war has sharply exposed the shortage of teachers and medical workers, some of whom have emigrated or changed professions. According to expert estimates, by 2030 Ukraine may face a shortfall of more than 100,000 teachers. Despite such demand, teaching majors still do not make it into the Top 5 choices among young people (only about 25,000 applications across all subject specializations in 2024).

The migration factor cannot be overlooked — about 5 million Ukrainians, a significant share of whom hold higher education degrees, have gone abroad. At the same time, tens of thousands of professionals are currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has also created numerous gaps in the labor market.

Examining this problem leads to only one conclusion — we need a strategic rethinking of personnel policy. Applicants should be guided not only by the prestige of a profession but also by the real needs of society: recovery, development, and sustainable growth.

And to avoid mistakes, Ukraine should carefully study how other countries have adapted their education systems to similar challenges. All the more so, as their experience proves that even in the most difficult times, higher education can serve as a powerful driver of national recovery.

USA

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that by 2032 the fastest employment growth in the country is expected in such fields as healthcare, social work, elderly care, rehabilitation, IT, and alternative energy. For example, job openings in mental health counseling are projected to grow by 18%, while occupational therapy is expected to increase by 14%. According to BLS estimates, the healthcare and social assistance sector will grow by 9.7%, significantly outpacing the average employment growth rate across the economy. This sector alone will generate the largest number of new jobs — about 2.1 million.

It is worth noting that while the traditional priorities of American students remain stable, their choices are nevertheless gradually adapting to changes in the labor market. Thus, in the 2021–2022 academic year, more than 58% of bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. were concentrated in just six fields. The top spot went to business (375,000 degrees, 19% of the total), reflecting students’ preference for universal and flexible careers. Second place was healthcare and protective services (13%), followed by social sciences and history (7.5%), biology and biomedicine (6.6%), psychology (6.5%), and engineering (6.2%). In addition, the number of students in computer science has been growing rapidly, already surpassing 100,000 graduates per year.

This distribution demonstrates a moderate but growing sensitivity to the real demands of the economy, especially in the fields of STEM, medicine, and digital technologies. Education policy also actively works with forecasts: platforms like bls.gov or skilllab.io allow every student to compare their skills with promising job opportunities.

European Union

Today, the EU labor market is experiencing a shortage of qualified workers in key sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, information technology, construction, and engineering. According to the European Employment Services Network (EURES), the most in-demand professions across most Union countries are those related to medicine (especially nurses and specialized practitioners), IT specialists, as well as engineers, construction workers, electricians, and surveyors. Several countries also report shortages of teachers and logistics specialists, among others.

Here too, the educational preferences of European students only partially align with labor market needs. According to Eurostat data for 2023, more than 22% of students choose majors in business, law, and management. Engineering, manufacturing, and construction attract 14.7% of students, indicating some alignment with market demands. Medicine and social fields draw another 14.4% of students, though this is still insufficient given the trend of an aging population. Humanities (11.2% of students) remain steadily popular but show less potential in addressing strategic labor market gaps. The situation is particularly strained in IT, which attracts an even smaller share of students despite the rapid growth of digital challenges.

In response to these challenges, the European Commission is promoting STEM education, digital literacy, and the integration of women into technical fields. The tools for this include both career guidance programs and financial support for universities that launch new programs.

Western Balkans

In my view, we should study the example of these countries especially carefully, as they once faced post-war transformation and reconstruction — processes that still lie ahead for us. However, it cannot be said that they have fully resolved the issues of educational reform and adaptation to economic demands. Today, their labor markets remain vulnerable to the mass emigration of young specialists and the shortage of qualified personnel. This is particularly evident in construction, engineering, and the IT sector. The tourism industry is also lacking the necessary workforce — in particular, there is a shortage of managerial staff with business education and language skills.

The situation in healthcare is also difficult: many medical workers are leaving abroad, while local specialized higher education institutions cannot meet market demand. At the same time, the need for specialists in public administration and European integration is growing — especially in the context of EU accession negotiations in many countries of the region.

When it comes to students’ preferences in choosing their future profession, the most popular and commercially attractive fields remain business, economics, and law. Many private higher education institutions that emerged here in the 2000s specialize specifically in these areas. In recent years, there has also been a gradual rise in interest in IT fields; however, the overall number of graduates in technology remains insufficient to meet market demand.

Medical specialties — though prestigious — remain “elite” due to the difficulty of admission and the limited number of places.

STEM fields are underrepresented. In several countries of the region, the problem of low graduation rates persists — according to some estimates, fewer than 40% of students obtain their degrees within 10 years. This creates a significant gap between the number of students who enroll in higher education institutions and those who actually complete their studies and are ready to work in their profession.

At the same time, I would like to draw attention to the experience of North Macedonia and Serbia, where after introducing the “smart forecasting” model of the labor market, state orders are adjusted annually. For instance, in North Macedonia after 2020, the number of places in agricultural, construction, and technical specialties increased by 30%, while law and the humanities lost up to 20% of funding. The country also operates the “SkillsForecast” platform, which updates a five-year forecast annually, and this data is taken into account when shaping state orders and approving new educational programs.

When studying the experience of the Western Balkans, we must avoid the classic trap of post-war transformation: an excessive focus on a narrow range of specialties, insufficient development of engineering and healthcare, and the outflow of talented youth and qualified professionals.

Thus, global experience convincingly shows that successful recovery is possible only if the education system is harmonized with the current demands of the labor market. In one of my previous blogs, I already focused on the role of higher education institutions in post-war reconstruction, emphasizing the “University 3.0” model. Today, however, I would like to highlight other concrete steps that Ukraine can take to achieve success.

Ukraine’s Human Resources Reboot Strategy

1. Educational Response to the Challenges of Reconstruction

To rebuild Ukraine’s infrastructure, the country needs a large-scale mobilization of technical personnel — engineers, construction workers, energy specialists, and managers. According to 2025 data, more than 70% of construction companies face an acute shortage of professionals, with deficits in some occupations reaching 40–70%. The example of the Skills4Recovery (GIZ) program, which trained 500 construction workers in just one year, demonstrates the effectiveness of short-term, practice-oriented courses. At the same time, it is important not only to update university technical programs but also to actively invest in the development of vocational and professional pre-tertiary education with a focus on logistics, electromechanics, engineering, and related fields.

2. The State Procurement Mechanism — A Key Tool for Shaping Educational Priorities

Since 2023, the Ministry of Education and Science has been reducing enrollment in humanities programs while increasing support for technical, digital, pedagogical, and natural sciences. This trend should not only be continued but strategically reinforced: the country must build a reserve of qualified engineers, educators, and energy specialists, because even with partial migration, the vast majority of professionals will remain and work for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

3. Smart Alignment of Education with Regions

It is worth scaling up the system of targeted placement: students from the regions could receive grants or scholarships in exchange for several years of work in local communities after graduation. This is especially important for the recovery of affected territories, which should already be shaping the demand for future specialists — engineers, architects, agronomists. Such a practice already partly exists in the medical field but requires systemic adaptation and expansion to other sectors.

4. Raising the Prestige of Critical Professions

Public recognition and proper working conditions are the key to increasing the popularity of critically important professions. The success of teachers, engineers, and doctors must be visible. In 2023, the minimum salary for medical workers was raised, and mechanisms are being introduced to support young specialists working in rural areas (housing, allowances, grants).

5. Educational Grants as a Tool for Building a Talent Pool

Since 2023, a system of financial support for contract students with high performance has been in place, which most strongly encourages the choice of specialties in IT, pedagogy, and engineering. Going forward, state policy can extend this approach to strategically important fields — defense industry, agro-engineering, and energy. This not only helps retain talented youth in the country but also directs their potential toward the development of sectors crucial for recovery and security.

6. Partnerships with Business and Donors

The reconstruction of Ukraine is a shared responsibility of the state, business, and international partners. Agricultural holdings can already begin training future agronomists, construction companies — engineers, and IT companies — programmers. It is important to create a sustainable model of cooperation between education and the labor market — for example, programs like “Learn to Rebuild,” where private partners finance students’ education and guarantee them employment.

7. Development of IT and Innovative Industries

Ukraine must transform into a regional hub of digital competencies. The IT sector continues to show strong potential, while the global market demands specialists in cybersecurity, cloud solutions, and artificial intelligence. It is important to focus efforts not only on strengthening the technical base but also on ensuring gender equality in the industry — in particular, by engaging women and introducing innovative teaching approaches in line with international standards.

8. Career Guidance and a Shift in Mindset

Young people choose their future profession not only based on statistics but also by looking at the success models they see around them. To make critically important professions attractive, the achievements of their representatives must be made visible — in the media, on social networks, and in public spaces. A national awareness campaign, *“Your Education Is Your Weapon for Reconstruction”*, could change the perception of education as a tool for the country’s sustainable development.

Conclusion

Between 2005 and 2024, Ukraine’s educational preferences shifted: from the dominance of law and economics to a growing interest in technical, IT, and applied specialties. Today, the focus is on training professionals capable of driving the country’s recovery — engineers, IT specialists, doctors, teachers, agronomists, psychologists, and others. Thanks to state support, grants, and cooperation with business, a new educational paradigm is taking shape: the prestige of a profession is based on its social significance. Continuing reforms will make it possible to balance the number of graduates and reduce the gap between education and employment — laying the foundation for Ukraine’s economic growth and post-war development.

Published in Censor.