On December 9, young people, employers, representatives of ministries and international partners came together at the youth event of December, the Ukrainian Mentorship Forum, in order to discuss the achievements and assess the prospects for the development of mentoring in Ukraine. The Mentorplace programme was also presented at the Forum, and the first results of the programmes were shared.

Over 200 offline and online participants from 20 regions of Ukraine attended the event.

Maryna Saprykina, Chairman of the Board of the Centre for the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility, delivered a welcoming speech and spoke about the success of Mentorplace programmes in 2021:

“This year saw 5 mentorship programmes, including experimental, sectoral and business ones. 215 mentors joined the Mentorplace platform, and 300 mentees took their first step towards greatness. These programmes are an exchange of experience, motivation, contacts. Our mentees developed their professional skills and improved their own projects, and our mentors gained inspiration and improved their communication skills.

According to the poll, 80% of participants received comprehensive answers to their questions about career and professional development, 20% received partial answers, and none of the mentees said their questions remained unresolved! The Mentorplace programmes lasted a month, but I know that some mentors and mentees continue to work together.”

Jaime Nadal, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine (UNFPA Ukraine), greeted the Forum participants:

“Mentorplace opens up great opportunities for young people from different regions. I’d like to appeal to young people: you are now approaching the point when you are completing (or have already completed) formal education. And you will face the difficulties of this world that require soft skills and flexibility. Unfortunately, the curriculum does not cover these exact skills that help to cope with the challenges of real life. That’s why the Mentorplace platform helps and encourages you to meet the demands of the new world, find yourself and realise your potential.”

Maryna Popatenko, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, commented on the idea of mentorship programmes:

“We are pleased that mentoring has become a leading theme of the Pact for Youth, a powerful initiative that brings together many partners to build public-private partnerships for youth career development. In 6 years, the Pact has brought together more than 140 organisations, enabling young people to reach their potential. Thanks to the close partnership, more than 46,000 jobs have been created for young professionals.”

The Forum also presented the annual results of the Pact for Youth 2025. Taras Derkach, Head of CareerHub, spoke about the achievements.

In 2021, 32 companies signed the Pact. More than 6,000 young professionals went on internships or were employed. 69 educational institutions joined the cooperation.

The Pact developed the Youth Friendly Employer certification and has already issued certificates to 9 companies, introduced the Skills for Successful Careers training course in educational institutions, held a National Youth Week in companies and implemented 5 Mentorplace programmes around 20 Skills Lab programmes.

Liudmyla Lukyanova, Coordinator of Youth Programmes at the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility Development, spoke about the quantitative and qualitative successes of Mentorplace. The annual programmes included a total of more than 300 hours of personal consultations and were joined by participants from 22 regions of Ukraine and mentors from 50 companies. Liudmyla Lukyanova also spoke about the results of Skills Lab: A Successful Career and Skills Lab: Your Own Business, which included a total of 19 programmes and 86 meetings.

At the Ukrainian Mentorship Forum, new prospects for mentorship in Ukraine were also discussed. Taras Kozachenko, Ukrainian Leadership Academy (UAL) Partnership Manager, Anna Uvarova, Educational Facilitator, Kateryna Dehtiar, Business Analyst and Official Techstars Community Leader in Ukraine took part in the discussion.

At the end of the Forum, the Successful Careers and Your Own Business workshops were held for those participants who had signed up for it. Ivan Omelian, Coach and Founder of the Gap Year platform, held the Work-Life Balance workshop for mentors.

Organised by:

Centre for the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine (UNFPA Ukraine) as part of the Pact for Youth 2025 project.