REUTERS
There is a surplus of candidates with economic and legal education as of today.
Acting Head of the State Employment Service of Ukraine Valeriy Yaroshenko says 304,000 job seekers are now registered with the Service, including 47% of them with higher education.
"Some 304,000 people are registered with the State Employment Service today, and 47% of them have higher education," he said at a press conference on July 31.
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According to Yaroshenko, the unemployed with higher education account for 85% to 90% of job seekers registered by employment centers in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Lviv and other major cities of Ukraine. He noted that the reason for such a significant indicator is that higher education institutions do not focus on the real needs of Ukraine's labor market.
"The vocational vs. higher education imbalance is incredibly hampering the market. The settled mode of thinking in Ukraine is that up to 80% of school leavers are seeking higher education, while less than 30% of them go for vocational training. The situation is opposite in European countries: up to 30% of students enter higher education institutions, while 70% of young people receive vocational training," he said.
According to the official, today the State Employment Service records a surplus of people with economic and legal education in Ukraine.
"So, there are 3,000 vacancies of economists per 5,000 job seekers in this field on average," he added.
"Many of those who are leaving for abroad, go there not only for better conditions and higher wages. They leave because they cannot apply their knowledge and skills in Ukraine. Firstly, their work is undervalued. Secondly, they do not find a job by profession, which they receive at higher education institutions," the official added.
Yaroshenko noted a high demand for electric welders, locksmiths, turners, bakers, as well as service workers: sellers, drivers, cooks, waiters, security guards, nurses, and agricultural workers.
He also added that the State Employment Service is engaged in vocational training of the unemployed.
"Only within the six months, we were able to retrain and raise qualification of 88,000 jobless people. We provide training in 115 professions. Our vocational training centers can train in 86 professions," he added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the number of vacancies at the State Employment Service in the first half of 2018 increased by 8%, to 616,000 job openings.
In January-June 2018, the state service employed 428,000 people, while 47% of them were provided with job before receiving the status of the unemployed.