The international cooperation between Ukraine and Norway is based on the two projects:
- The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine” Project, and
- The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project model into the state system” Project.
The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine” Project was implemented at Lviv Polytechnic National University from 2014 to 2020. During this period, 428 servicepersons released into the reserve and their family members were retrained. As a result of participating in the professional retraining Project the trainees receive assistance in legal, social, and psychological adaptation, employment, and own business organization.
In 2020, the updated Project started, i.e., “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project model into the state system”. The updated Project strategy aims at:
- Assisting in the area of professional retraining, social adaptation and employment of servicepersons released into the reserve, their family members, and the family members of the perished servicepersons; and
- Improving and formalizing the project implementation model, and its transfer to be used by the Ukrainian authorities as an effective model for working with servicepersons, war veterans, and their family members in order to provide professional retraining, social adaptation, and assistance in employment.
An important condition for the new Project phase is the requirement to attract co-funding from the Ukrainian authorities of all levels, and Ukrainian and foreign organizations. These requirements are applied to contracts at all levels between Norwegian and Ukrainian partners involved in the Project.
On April 8, 2020, the spring semester 2019-2020 started under the Project “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicepersons and Their Family Members in Ukraine. Integration of the «Ukraine-Norway» Project model into the state system” at Lviv Polytechnic National University. Within the Project framework, our servicemen and servicewomen will be able to master the new professional activity area within the “Project management” program at Tech StartUp School of Lviv Polytechnic, which will support the participants’ projects and promote finding their first clients and partners.
The “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Servicemen and Their Family Members in Ukraine” project UKR — 14/0033
The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.
The Project implementers: University of Nordland (hereinafter — NORD University, Norway), International Fund for Social Adaptation (Kyiv, Ukraine), universities of Ukraine, including Lviv Polytechnic National University, non-governmental organizations, and enterprises of various forms of ownership, in cooperation with:
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Ukraine;
- Ministry of Social Policy;
- Ministry of Defense;
- Ministry of Education and Science;
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Regional State Administrations of Ukraine.
The Project Content:
- Professional retraining of military personnel and their families in civilian specialties in accordance with the needs of the labor market, the duration of 500 academic hours;
- Psychological adaptation of the project participants to increase their motivation to take active action to improve their families’ well-being;
- Legal adaptation of servicemen to increase legal literacy and social security;
- Promotion of employment of the project participants to improve their living standards;
- Assistance in the startup of one’s own business and self-actualization of the project participants in business activities under the conditions of high unemployment in Ukraine.
Criteria and indicators of the “Ukraine — Norway” project success
The project main goal is to increase the level of social adaptation to the civilian life of servicemen and their family members.
The criterion for achieving the goal is the improvement of living conditions of the project participants.
The indicators of achievement:
- Raising the income level of a serviceman’s family;
- Solution of social problems (employment, obtaining preassigned benefits, the project participants joining the state and regional social programs, solving the housing problem);
- Expanding opportunities for opening one’s own (family) business, business partner search, receiving support from local funds, public organizations and state programs;
- Obtaining higher education in a civilian specialty, and receiving assistance in finding a job in a new specialty;
- Scientific potential implementation by education/training, dissertation defense, and further employment.
The project objectives:
- Professional retraining of the project participants at the courses lasting 500 academic hours;
- Psychological adaptation of servicemen and their families to conditions of active activities in civil society;
- Assistance in the employment of the project participants.