In accordance with the Work plan of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, a Methodological Seminar entitled “The Transformation of Vocational Education in the Context of Contemporary Civilizational and National Challenges” was held on April 2, 2026.

The aim of the Seminar was to discuss theoretical, methodological and practical issues concerning the development of vocational education for the restoration of human capital in the context of wartime challenges, post-war reconstruction and Ukraine’s European integration.

The Seminar began with a Plenary Session opened by Vasyl Kremen, President of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine. He emphasised the relevance of the issues under discussion.

“We are aware that education, particularly vocational and pre-higher education, plays a significant role in Ukraine’s development, and will play an even more significant role in its post-war reconstruction. There will be a great deal of work specifically for graduates of these educational institutions”, said the President of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine. “We are talking about training specialists who are competitive at both the national and international levels. These concepts are closely interlinked and mutually dependent. We have to train specialists who will rebuild using the latest technological standards”.

Vasyl Kremen noted that there are currently trends within Ukrainian education that will contribute to better training of specialists – namely, specialised upper secondary schools. “This is a natural trend characteristic of the most developed countries. As we can see, the overemphasis on higher education plays a negative role. Specialists receiving vocational education, including pre-higher education, are in extremely high demand on the labour market. The work of the Plenary Session and the six sections of the Methodological Seminar will enable us to address the issues under discussion and prepare well-reasoned recommendations”, concluded the President of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine.

The event was moderated by Nellya Nychkalo, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education, who, throughout the proceedings, highlighted particularly relevant areas of activity and emphasized the importance of cooperation and the role of stakeholders in vocational education.

Then the seminar continued with the following sessions (sections):

SECTION 1. Methodological foundations for the modernization of vocational education in the context of global civilizational changes and labour market transformations in post-war Ukraine.

SECTION 2. The digital transformation of vocational education: risks and prospects.

SECTION 3. Conceptual foundations of vocational guidance and career counselling in human capital development.

SECTION 4. Innovative pedagogical and industrial technologies in pre-vocational and vocational education.

SECTION 5. Contemporary teacher education: innovative experience and development strategies.

SECTION 6. The European direction of vocational education development: international partnerships and innovative practices.