Mrs. Riniker was accompanied by the Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine, Félix Baumann; Deputy Head of Mission, Philippe Strub; Head of Bilateral Affairs and Parliamentary Presidencies, Myriam Bertsch; and Swisscontact in Ukraine team.
The Kharkiv Technical School has benefitted from infrastructure improvements under Swisscontact’s EdUP Project. The renovation of underground shelters has allowed students to safely attend in-person classes.
The delegation stressed that vocational training should be viewed on equal footing with academic education and that keeping skilled graduates in Ukraine will require continued investment and stronger ties with the private sector.
Swisscontact is expanding EdUP to include adult reskilling programs, in an effort to rebuild the workforce and ensure Ukraine’s long-term resilience.
The EdUP project, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Swiss private sector companies, such as Geberit and Sika, as well as the UBS Optimus Foundation, supports vocational schools in Ukraine through public-private partnerships.