On September 24, 2021, the final conference of the COVID-19 project of the Dnipro Business Clinics was held on the topic: «Economic trends during a pandemic. Opportunities, infrastructure, business experience».

The event was attended by the Dnipropetrovsk investment agency (DIA) business representatives, consultants, as well as participants in the infrastructure for supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

The major subject of discussion at the conference were: the economic situation in Ukraine and the world, the development of SMEs, legislative initiatives and government support for business.  

DIA director, Valentyna Zatyshniak, introduced the participants to the current trends in the economy and labor market of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Dnipropetrovsk region is the leader in terms of employment of the working-age population – 73.2%, while the unemployment rate is only 8.8%. The average salary for the last year was $470, and the highest was received by workers in the service sector – more than $600, industry – $514.

In the region’s economy, the share of SMEs provides more than half of jobs and almost 42% of all products sold. The number of enterprises is 30.8 thousand units, employing 406.4 thousand people, which in turn makes the region the main labor market in the South-East of Ukraine.

«At the moment, employers are acutely aware of a significant shortage of personnel due to the discrepancy between the knowledge and skills of graduates of educational institutions and the actual requirements of the market. The dual form of training can effectively solve this problem. It provides for a future specialist to gain practical experience directly at the enterprise, as well as theoretical training on the basis of an educational institution that cooperates with this enterprise», said Valentyna Zatyshniak.

As part of the implementation of the Ukrainian-German project «External management of vocational training», DIA together with the federation of employers’ organizations of the Dnipropetrovsk region  conducted a study in the Dnipro, Kamianske and Nikopol districts. As a result, it was determined that 68-75% of graduates annually get a job at exactly those enterprises with which contracts were previously signed for the training of workers. More than half of them are small businesses and about 30% are medium-sized.    

An interesting fact – at the enterprises of the region, the most demanded are workers with tools, specialists in the service sector and agro-industrial complex, as well as specialists in the educational sphere and medicine.

The federation of employers’ organizations of Dnipropetrovsk together with the German organization of employers NORDMETALL is actively introducing the dual form of education due to its effectiveness.

It should also be remembered about the programs of state support for business during the quarantine period. During 2020, two government projects were implemented through employment centers. Thanks to the assistance received, employers managed to save more than 30 thousand jobs on the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region and receive financing in the amount of UAH 182.8 million.

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