As the war in Ukraine has waged for since February this year, 8 million people have been displaced, with almost 6 million of them outside the borders of Ukraine, most of them entering the EU to seek shelter and a safe place (UNHCR 2022). Offering both employment and education, app­ren­ti­ce­ships can offer safe havens where displaced people feel protected, have a sense of belonging, and are able to pursue their life goals. However, social and economic inte­gra­ti­on are impeded by a number of factors, such as language barriers, dis­cri­mi­na­ti­on, a lack of targeted infor­ma­ti­on on job oppor­tu­ni­ties for migrants, and limited reco­gni­ti­on of skills and formal qualifications.

This High-Level Live Discussion will examine these issues and highlight how app­ren­ti­ce­ships can be used as a tool to support Ukrainians fleeing the war and meet their edu­ca­tio­nal, employment and societal needs. The event will aim to 1.) create awareness and maximise knowledge about how the app­ren­ti­ce­ships community has supported Ukrainians in the EU. 2.) call for action – by encou­ra­ging EAfA members to make a new pledge towards creating app­ren­ti­ce­ships for Ukrainians in the EU, and to encourage non-members to join the Alliance and make their first pledge.

Keynote speaker: Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
Thematic expert (intro­duc­to­ry speaker): Anatolii Garmash — Senior spe­cia­list in qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons, European Training foundation
The panel will be composed of high-level repre­sen­ta­ti­ves in the VET sector from across Europe, including Ukraine, and by Ukrainian app­ren­ti­ces themselves.

Register