IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS AND THE NEEDS OF THE LABOR MARKET OF UKRAINE: ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND MECHANISMS TO OVERCOME THEM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/ecovis/2026-2-3Keywords:
labour market, vocational training, skills mismatch, labour demand, labour market forecasting, dual education, human capitalAbstract
This article examines the problem of the imbalance between the vocational training system and the needs of the Ukrainian labour market against the backdrop of structural economic transformation, digitalisation, demographic changes and the consequences of a full-scale war. The relevance of this research is justified in light of the growing mismatch between the structure of specialist training and employers’ actual demand for skilled workers. Based on an analysis of domestic and international academic works, contemporary approaches to interpreting the vocational and qualification imbalance are summarised, and the main factors contributing to its formation are identified. It has been established that the causes of the imbalance are complex in nature and encompass demographic, institutional and structural factors, including a decline in the economically active population, labour migration, insufficient interaction between educational institutions and employers, imperfect forecasting of staffing needs, outdated educational programmes and a lack of practical focus in vocational training. The quantitative, qualitative and regional manifestations of this imbalance have been analysed; these are characterised by a decline in the number of applicants to educational institutions, a growing shortage of skilled workers, a mismatch between the structure of training and the current needs of the economy, and an uneven distribution of the labour force across regions. Strategies for addressing the identified imbalances have been proposed, including improving the system for forecasting labour needs and setting state quotas, developing dual education programmes, expanding partnerships between educational institutions and employers, developing a system for the vocational retraining of the adult population, increasing the geographical mobility of the workforce and strengthening inter-agency coordination. The practical significance of the research findings lies in their potential application in shaping state education and labour policies.
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