Building skills for the future: UNOPS and KOICA partner to rebuild a vocational training institution in Ukraine

UNOPS and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed an agreement to initiate a project focused on constructing a new building for the Vasylkiv Vocational Lyceum in the Kyiv region. 

A prominent vocational school in the Kyiv region, the Lyceum offers courses in 18 professions, including training in construction, welding, and service sector jobs. Students can enter the lyceum after completing 9 or 11 classes of schooling. Focused training courses are also available to adults seeking to gain a start in a new profession.

The lyceum’s original building was damaged in a missile strike in February 2022 and has been deemed beyond reconstruction. Given the shortage of vocational education facilities in the region and the importance of workforce development for Ukraine’s reconstruction, KOICA and UNOPS have partnered to rebuild the lyceum. The project aligns with the Ukrainian National Recovery Plan and the National Economic Strategy 2030, emphasizing vocational training as a key component of economic recovery.

“In the aftermath of the Korean war, Korea was in desperate need of human resources for the reconstruction of infrastructure and made a huge investment in education and training, which was key to rapid economic growth,” says Mr. Lee Taekkeun, Country Director of KOICA office in Ukraine. “I hope the Vasylkiv professional school will emerge as a hub for the production of talented work force who will lead the reconstruction effort of Ukraine over the next decade.”

The project is set to start on 1 May 2025. It is a greenfield construction initiative, and UNOPS will go through the stages of developing and certifying a design for the new building, engaging a contractor to perform the physical work, and supervising their activities. In the end, a new and modernized four-storey building will be in place for the Vasylkiv Vocational Lyceum, capable of accommodating 800 full-time students and 300 short-term trainees. UNOPS will also procure and install furniture and equipment to make the new structure fully operational.

“The lyceum has been a prominent institution for our community, and its destruction in 2022 was a major loss,” notes Liudmyla Postolenko, the lyceum director. “Workshops and classes have been moved from the destroyed building to the dormitory to allow learning to continue. But we are all very excited to welcome the reconstruction project. It gives us all hope that the terrible reality of the invasion can finally be left behind.”

With its budget of $13.9 million, the project will become the largest joint initiative between KOICA and UNOPS in Ukraine. It extends the two agencies’ joint portfolio, which already includes a $10 million procurement project to strengthen national capacity in humanitarian response.

“UNOPS has been providing assistance to meet Ukraine’s needs ever since the start of Russia’s invasion,” says Massimo Diana, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office for Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland. “This project is about more than bricks and mortar: it is about opportunity, resilience, and empowerment. By integrating inclusive design, cutting-edge facilities, and a commitment to sustainability, we are creating a model for education recovery in Ukraine."