Finland to support vocational education and training, air quality monitoring and infrastructure recovery in Ukraine

Finland had decided to allocate development cooperation funds to support three new projects in Ukraine. Two Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI) projects will develop respectively vocational education and training and air quality monitoring, and a fund of the European Investment Bank (EIB) will support the rebuilding of infrastructure in Ukraine.

“Improving vocational education and training is important for Ukraine as it suffers from a shortage of skilled labour. Institutional cooperation between Finnish and Ukrainian agencies will strengthen Ukraine in ways that carry far into the future,” says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

Cooperation to develop vocational education and training

A vocational education and training (VET) project of the Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine will develop the quality of education and qualifications in Ukraine. The project will remove barriers to education to enable access to VET to all interested students and to ensure that vulnerable groups can fully participate in education. Ukraine wants to build a flexible and strong VET system that helps the country’s recovery. Finland awarded the project EUR 2.2 million in funding for the period from 2024 to 2026.

Finland has previously supported Ukraine’s education sector through projects, funds and education sector coordination by a total of around EUR 30 million in 2018–2023.

Cooperation to develop air quality monitoring

Finland will award EUR 2 million for a project of the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine in 2024–2028. The project will improve the capacity of air quality meters, increase the compatibility of Ukrainian air quality legislation with EU law and measure the effects of the war on air quality. Air pollution is the greatest environmental health risk, and it also damages the economy and the productivity of agriculture. The project will improve the capacity of the Ukrainian authorities to monitor and predict air quality changes and to disseminate information on the health impacts of air quality. The project also involves regional cooperation with neighbouring countries.

European Investment Bank’s EU4U Fund

In 2024–2025, Finland will support to the reconstruction of Ukraine with a contribution of EUR 5 million to the EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Fund of the European Investment Bank. The fund aims to promote Ukraine’s financial and social capacity and to support the building of sustainable infrastructure, thereby boosting the economy. It awards funding for projects in the private and public sectors. The fund finances the construction of municipal infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals, transport networks and wastewater treatment plants, and the building of digital and cyber-security capacity. The beneficiaries of these project are Ukraine’s private sector and the Ukrainians within the range of the projects.

Finland has supported the reconstruction of Ukraine also through the E5P Fund, administered by the EIB, and the Green Recovery programme of the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO).

Finland allocates development cooperation funds to support three new projects in Ukraine. The projects will improve vocational education and training, develop air quality monitoring and support the rebuilding of infrastructure. Learn more about the projects.