“Ukrainian Pact for Youth: 2020” is a joint innovative initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Center for Corporate Social Responsibility and UNFPA Ukraine that joins efforts of business, government and educational sector to create 300 partnerships between business and education and to provide 10,000 first employment and internship opportunities for young people in Ukraine by 2020. The initiative is being implemented in all regions of Ukraine, in big and small cities by the national NGO “Center of Corporate Social Responsibility” with technical and financial support from UNFPA Ukraine.

Although young people in Ukraine understand the importance of good education for building a successful career, their expectations are not always met by the national educational system. UNFPA has joined and actively promotes the Pact: in order to support young people – future employees, with knowledge and skills necessary for living healthy and happy lives and effectively contributing to the society. Ukrainian Pact for Youth – 2020 built capacities of business that brought the following positive changes to the way how companies view and work with young people: - increased trainee positions and workplaces in companies; - developed new long-term programs on youth employment: introduced practice of paid internships, - soft-skills training and leadership development; - introduced more loyal requirements to minimal work experience for young people. With regard to positive changes in the work with educational sector, the following was achieved: - launch of new cooperation programs (practice, lectures, excursions, training courses); - creation of representative offices of companies based in specialized educational institutions and technical vocational schools; - Launch of scholarships to support young professionals in colleges and universities In order to ensure sustainability and knowledge/technology transfer, in 2018, UNFPA will support joint effort of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and Center for Corporate Social Responsibility to develop National Action Plan on Youth Employment that would incorporate ideas and best practices of the Ukrainian Pact for Youth – 2020, and will become an integral part of the National Youth Policy.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Center for Corporate Social Responsibility; Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine