A meeting was held in Mykolaiv with Danish partners regarding employment opportunities for veterans

On Tuesday, 5 May, a meeting took place at the Mykolaiv City Veterans Support Centre between representatives of the veterans’ community, employers and Danish partners, during which they discussed the implementation of the project «Ukraine – Denmark: Veterans’ Employment Partnership».

This was reported by a correspondent for NikVesti.

The event addressed issues of veteran employment and practical mechanisms for their reintegration into civilian life. Ukrainian stakeholders in the field of veteran policy and employment, as well as Danish veterans and representatives of partner organisations, took part in the meeting.

The city’s veterans’ support centre notes that one of the key areas of its work is facilitating employment and supporting the start-up of businesses, alongside providing psychological, legal and physical rehabilitation.

«A year ago, we were visited by Danish partners — representatives of DI (Danish Industry, — note) and trade unions. This led to an interesting model of cooperation. We travelled to Copenhagen last November and saw practices that we are already implementing. Work is currently underway to open a new office — a Ukrainian-Danish space within the centre, where events related to cooperation between our countries will be held,» said Viktor Moiseiev.

In addition, during the meeting, attention was drawn to the acute shortage of staff in the business sector due to the war and the significant number of people currently serving on the front line. In this context, the employment of veterans, their retraining and the adaptation of workplaces are seen as key components of economic recovery, ensuring tax revenue and the country’s subsequent reconstruction.

Peter Helk, a representative of the Danish employers’ organisation DI, emphasised that the project brings together various stakeholders in the labour market and aims to adapt effective practices to the Ukrainian context.

«We are not the only participants in this project. It involves not only employers but also trade unions, in particular the Danish Trade Union Development Agency and the 3F trade union. We act as consultants on labour market issues. From the outset, we were interested in how to adapt Danish practices to other countries. At the same time, we do not claim to be experts in the local context. We were struck by how quickly these approaches are being taken on board here and adapted to the actual conditions. Today we have gathered to share the experience we have gained over the past year,» said Peter Helk.

Rakhim Babaiev, Deputy Chair of the Union of Defenders of Ukraine, emphasised the scale of the veteran community and the need for systematic support upon returning from war.

«Today, we are united by a common goal — supporting defenders, veterans, female veterans and their families. Our organisation has over 105,000 members, of whom more than 70% are military personnel, veterans and their families. Every day we see that veterans need quality support after the war, particularly with employment,» said Rakhim Babaiev.

Olha Dovzhenko, an employer representative from Agrofusion, explained that the company currently employs 16 veterans. She noted that an individualised approach is taken when working with veterans.

«We really do take an individual approach to every veteran here. It’s not the case that there’s just one job offer and everyone has to take it. A support specialist talks to the person, understands their needs and expectations from the job. Then, within the community, we can suggest suitable vacancies and find a job that suits that particular veteran,» she noted.

She added that around 4,000 people visit the centre every day to receive rehabilitation and other support.

Jakob Hansen, Head of the Danish Embassy Office in Ukraine, noted that the Danish side is also interested in learning from Ukraine’s experience and emphasised the importance of veterans for the country’s recovery.

«You have experience that is unique in the world, and it is important for us to learn from you. It is a great honour for us to cooperate with Ukraine. Veterans are a resource, people who are needed for reconstruction. The infrastructure of the Mykolaiv region is already being actively restored, but there is a shortage of personnel. That is why it is important to take into account the skills that veterans acquired during the war,» said Jacob Hansen.

Vitalii Lukov, First Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv, emphasised the importance of creating the conditions for the full return of servicemen to civilian life.

«I think that most conscientious people understand: reintegration is not just about social guarantees. It is about ensuring a full life for our soldiers who will be returning to civilian life, and we need to prepare for this now. We can draw on international experience, but we must develop our own solutions, given the scale of the challenges,» said Vitalii Lukov.

As a reminder, in Southern Ukraine, it has been decided how budget funds will be used to reimburse the cost of sanatorium treatment for veterans and military personnel. Those eligible for benefits will receive vouchers at the expense of the budget.

Read also the article by NikVesti: «Grants for starting a business and «all-inclusive» at the veterans’ support centre: how Mykolaiv is helping the military».