On 10 July, a discussion “Transfer of Property of Vocational Education Institutions: Challenges, Opportunities, and Responsibilities of Local Governments” was held during the regular meeting of the Executive Board of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR).

The event brought together more than 40 heads of regional and district councils from all regions of Ukraine – members of the UAROR Executive Board, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and experts from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project.

The event was organised by the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils in partnership with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project.

The discussion focused on the administrative and legal challenges that arise during the transfer of property of vocational education institutions from state to joint ownership by regional councils:

• the transfer of property complexes of vocational education institutions from state to municipal ownership of regional councils;
• the legal status of the property of vocational education institutions under the new legislation;
• practical experience from Poltava region.

The key speakers at the event included:

• Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR), Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council;
• Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager;
• Oleksandr Lemeshko, First Deputy Head of the Poltava Regional Council;
• Iryna Shumik, Director-General of the Directorate for Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science;
• Mykhailo Kokhanii, DECIDE Project Expert.

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, highlighted the key challenges of transferring vocational education institutions to the joint ownership of communities in the regions, which the Project’s experts have noticed while supporting the Government.

‘The transfer of vocational education institutions to municipal ownership is one of the key stages in the reform of vocational education, and we support the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in implementing this reform. Currently, out of 585 vocational education institutions, 386 are already in the process of transfer, 86 have been transferred to municipal ownership, 37 of which have been transferred with expert support from DECIDE over the past year and a half. To support this process, we have not only provided expert support to the regions but have also created a CRM monitoring system where regional councils and regional military administrations can track the status of the transfer. It is important that powerful associations such as the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils facilitate this process,’ noted Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

The successful implementation of vocational education reform requires clear coordination between the state and local governments, particularly in the context of military challenges. The importance of such cooperation was emphasised by Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, President of the Ukrainian Association of UAROR and Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council, ‘The transfer of institutions is a complex task, especially for frontline regions, where infrastructure is often damaged.’

During the discussion, special attention was paid to the administrative and legal challenges inherent in the transfer of property from vocational education institutions. Iryna Shumik, Director-General of the Directorate for Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science, presented an update on the current status of the transfer of property from vocational education institutions from state to municipal ownership of regional councils.

‘The new model of vocational education needs to be flexible, modern, and in line with the real needs of the economy in each region. Regional councils are full partners in the process of transforming vocational education, as key decisions on the development of the network, the management of property, and the assurance of educational quality are taken at the regional level. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is ready to provide comprehensive assistance and methodological and organisational support to regional councils in the process of transferring the property of vocational education institutions, paying special attention to regions close to the front lines,’ said Iryna Shumik, Director-General of the Directorate for Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science.

Based on the outcome of the discussion, an agreement was reached to strengthen coordination between the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, regional councils, and other stakeholders, to develop regional solutions to resolve issues of property transfer, and to continue joint work on improving the regulatory framework for the implementation of vocational education reform.