Investing in people, rebuilding the future: the ETF at the URC2025

For the second consecutive year, the European Training Foundation (ETF) took an active role in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC2025), which gathered key international and national stakeholders in Rome on 10–11 July to support Ukraine’s long-term recovery. 

Following up on its engagement at URC2024 in Berlin, when the Skills Alliance initiative was launched with the participation of the ETF, the ETF contributed to this year’s conference spotlight on Human Capital, by stressing the importance to invest in youth policies and in skills development for Ukraine’s reconstruction process.

“Skills are not a side issue in Ukraine’s recovery – they are the foundation,” said ETF Director Pilvi Torsti. “We came to Rome to affirm that people come first. And we are here to help make that real – with concrete partnerships, youth-centred actions, and a long-term vision for Ukraine’s resilience.”

A recovery built on people’s resilience

The political context of URC2025 was marked by bold commitments. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s role as Ukraine’s strongest partner, announcing a €2.3 billion package of agreements aimed at unlocking up to €10 billion in investments. She described the initiative as a demonstration of “solidarity in action,” with funding directed towards rebuilding essential infrastructure, restoring healthcare services, and supporting education and long-term development.

“I am particularly pleased to announce today the European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine – the largest equity fund globally to support reconstruction,” von der Leyen added.

The fund, developed in partnership with the private sector, will help kick-start investments in strategic sectors such as energy, transport, critical raw materials, and dual-use industries, ensuring Ukraine’s recovery is anchored in sustainable economic transformation.

Alongside the well-established priorities of security and defence, President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the critical role of human capital in economic recovery, echoing a widely shared recognition: that the resilience of the Ukrainian people is not just symbolic, but the backbone of future reconstruction. 

Building lasting opportunities for youth through tested EU initiatives

In one of the conference’s most dynamic panels, ETF Director Pilvi Torsti joined Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Italy’s Minister of Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, and Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi to discuss the Youth Guarantee, a landmark policy now being introduced in Ukraine with ETF support, as well as the role of sport as a tool for youth recovery and motivation - a discussion made even more compelling by the presence of Olympic multi-medallists Olga Kharlan and Manuela Di Centa on the panel.

Micallef emphasised the central role of young people in Ukraine’s recovery, describing them as a “shining example of resilience” and underlining the EU’s responsibility to ensure they are not left behind.

“I’ve seen their power first-hand, three times only this year. Young people will lead Ukraine’s future - and we must equip them to do so,” Micallef said.

“Youth is not the future - it is the present,” added Torsti, who in her earlier career coordinated the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Finland, one of the European countries where the programme has been most successful.

“The Youth Guarantee is more than a policy - it’s a one-stop, youth-centred ecosystem of services and solidarity. It’s a practical tool to reconnect young people with work, training, and their own sense of purpose”, Torsti underlined.

Echoing a powerful message emerged in earlier panels - “you don’t need legs if you don’t have where to go” - Torsti highlighted the importance of having a clear direction and purpose. “We need to ask ourselves: where are we going? That’s the real question,” she noted. “Investing in skills and youth is about defining that direction, and that’s precisely why it’s so valued by our Ukrainian partners. The Youth Guarantee is not just a policy tool; it’s a pathway forward, a place to move towards, bringing us back to that essential question.”

Minister Bidnyi, speaking remotely from Kyiv, described the Youth Guarantee as a “structural solution, not a slogan,” designed to address trauma, displacement and interrupted education brought by the Russian aggression.

“We are not rebuilding what was - we are building something new, and youth will be co-owners of that process”, concluded Bidnyi.

Sending a virtual embrace to his Ukrainian colleague and friend, Minister Abodi stressed Italy’s commitment to concrete cooperation.

“We go beyond solidarity. We are translating shared values into lasting action,” Abodi said, referencing the bilateral protocol signed with Ukraine’s youth ministry during the panel.

A human-centric approach for new Ukraine’s social contract

Beyond the Youth Guarantee, the ETF showcased its broader work supporting Ukraine’s recovery and EU accession. Since the onset of the war, the ETF has scaled up engagement through a dedicated Ukraine Task Force and ongoing cooperation with national ministries, employers, civil society, and EU institutions.

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister Tetyana Berezhna announced that Ukraine is preparing a new labour code to be adopted by the end of 2025, reinforced by the signing of a Tripartite Memorandum between the government, employers, and trade unions at the URC. 

“We’re ready to be human-centric, flexible, and social-centred to provide decent work for people and allow businesses to grow,” Berezhna said.

The Human Capital Resilience Charter: a flagship initiative from EBRD

One of the conference’s key milestones was the launch, during a side event, of the Human Capital Resilience Charter, a joint initiative of Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the National Bank, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other international partners including the ETF.

“The Human Capital Resilience Charter is a key step toward rebuilding a strong and inclusive labour market in Ukraine,” said Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, recently proposed by President Zelensky as the new Prime Minister. “By focusing on human capital, we aim to create a sustainable economic future that benefits all Ukrainians.”

The Charter sets out practical commitments for businesses - already signed by firms such as Metinvest, DTEK, and Naftogaz - on issues from veteran reintegration to workforce diversity and inclusion. The ETF also contributed its policy insights and data expertise to help shape the Charter’s long-term objectives and alignment with EU standards.

At the heart of the initiative, as well as a cross-cutting theme of the URC2025, is a clear understanding that Ukraine’s recovery will be driven by its people - those who have endured the war, sustained essential services, defended their communities, and now stand ready to rebuild. Investing in their skills, through upskilling and reskilling opportunities, is not only a response to economic need but a recognition of their resilience and a commitment to shaping an inclusive, forward-looking labour market and society.

A long-term commitment between Brussels and Kyiv

At URC2025 the ETF also shared updates with stakeholders on progress made since URC2024 in Berlin, where the Skills Alliance for Ukraine was launched. This €700 million initiative - jointly supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, the European Commission, and international development partners including the ETF - aims to reskill and upskill vulnerable groups, including IDPs, veterans, and returnees.

The signing of the first-ever ESF+ association agreement on 12 July at the European Commission Representation in Rome marked a historic step for Ukraine. Concluded between European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the agreement officially grants Ukraine access to the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand of the ESF+ programme. 

The ETF was actively represented by Iwona Ganko, Head of the Ukraine Task Force, and Susanne Nielsen, Country Liaison for Ukraine, underlining the agency’s continued commitment to supporting Ukraine’s integration into EU social and employment frameworks. With access to €762 million in funding, the agreement will drive reskilling, workforce training, SME development and social inclusion, with a strong focus on youth and women.

Even as Russian attacks continue, the focus in Rome was on building forward - not just rebuilding. As echoed by several participants throughout the conference, investing in the people who have defended and held Ukraine together, and who will now rebuild and lead it, is essential. That investment must begin now.

The next Ukraine Recovery Conference, planned for Poland in 2026, will mark a new milestone, even though the political context in which it will take place remains uncertain. But the ETF’s message is clear: Ukraine’s recovery is not a waiting game - it is already underway despite the dark times, and it starts with people and investment in their skills and aspirations.