The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council recently hosted the event “Inclusive Economies: The Evolving Ukrainian Workforce” in Kyiv on April 30th, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and Abt Global. This timely gathering occurred on the two-year anniversary of Ukraine’s response to an unprovoked invasion, emphasizing the critical need for an inclusive and diverse workforce to confront the nation’s economic challenges. Our discussions focused on the integration of temporarily displaced populations from abroad, internally displaced persons (IDPs), ex-combatants, and other vulnerable groups into the workforce, which is vital for revitalizing the economy and “winning the peace.”
The event featured a lineup of esteemed speakers, including Hanna Kovalova, Panel Facilitator and Project Design and Delivery Lead at Abt Global, GGF Programme; Svitlana Garashchenko, Senior GESI Advisor at Abt Global, GGF Programme; Zhenya Kuleba, Member of Kyiv City Council (Київська міська рада); Ярослав Демченков, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine and Andriy Tymoshenko, Director of Consulting and Head of Strategy & Operations at KPMG Ukraine. They discussed the significant roles of Ukrainian women in the SME and green energy sectors, support for returning veterans in strengthening the economy, and the essential cooperation between government and civil society in addressing workforce development needs.
This event not only spurred insightful discussions but also strengthened our commitment to supporting the government and collaborating with local partners to build a diverse workforce.
