Scientists claim that it is desirable to change the place of work every 5-7 years. Probably half of our fellow citizens have never worked after their educational diploma. The military actions on the territory of the country made the life of Ukrainians more difficult, because many lost not only their homes, but also their jobs. It is not necessary to discount a certain ageism, which, despite direct prohibitions by law, still exists in our society. However, the state can come to the aid of some categories of citizens, and we touch on this topic precisely because the admissions campaign for colleges and higher education institutions is currently underway, and therefore there is a chance to receive study vouchers and acquire a new profession at the expense of the state.
The editors of IA “FACT” turned to the specialized lawyers of the “Repeshko and Partners” bar association to find out how the system of providing training vouchers works in practical terms, who is entitled to such support and what restrictions are stipulated by the law.
A study voucher is a government aid that is given to a person only once in a lifetime. It can be used to acquire a new profession or improve qualifications. However, unlike general affordable education programs, only certain categories of people are eligible for such a voucher. And this is not a benefit in a broad sense, but a clearly defined legal norm that takes into account age, life circumstances, social status and the consequences of war.
The procedure for issuing vouchers is regulated by Resolution No. 207 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated March 20, 2013 “On approval of the Procedure for issuing vouchers to maintain the competitiveness of certain categories of citizens on the labor market.” According to this Procedure, citizens who have reached the age of 45, but who have not yet reached the retirement age established by law, are entitled to a voucher. This is the so-called pre-retirement group. A mandatory condition in this case is the presence of at least 15 years of insurance experience. It is this experience that confirms that a person has worked officially for a long time and paid contributions to the social insurance system. In conditions where the labor market does not always need older workers, and it is not easy to change a profession after forty-five, a voucher opens up an opportunity to master a sought-after specialty — without additional financial burden for the person himself.
A separate category consists of citizens who were dismissed from military service, service in internal affairs bodies, the State Special Communications Service, civil protection, tax police, the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine or the State Criminal Enforcement Service due to a reduction in numbers, staff, or health status before reaching their established Article 26 of the Law of Ukraine “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance” of retirement age, with at least 10 years of service, who have not acquired the right to a pension in accordance with Law of Ukraine “On pension provision of persons released from military service and certain other persons”.
It is not about a general dismissal, but specific circumstances – due to health or due to redundancy. That is, these people did not leave the service voluntarily, but were forced to stop it before reaching retirement age. At the same time, in order to be entitled to a voucher, they must have at least 10 years of service, but not acquire the right to a pension under the law on pensions for persons released from military service.
Formally, this means that a person already has professional experience, has served a certain term, but is left without adequate social security. In this case, the voucher is considered as a compensatory tool – not in the form of monetary assistance, but in the form of an opportunity to acquire a new profession and return to civilian life.
A special place in the legislation is occupied by the rule that concerns those released after participating in hostilities. These are those who took part in anti-terrorist operations, operations to ensure national security and defense, measures to curb Russia’s armed aggression in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, or in broader measures related to the protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. These individuals are also eligible for a voucher if they were released from service before reaching retirement age. But there is one fundamental condition: they must apply for a voucher within three years after dismissal. That is, it is a time-limited right that requires personal initiative and a responsible attitude to deadlines.
Vouchers can also be received by internally displaced persons of working age, provided that they do not have a suitable job at the time of application. Here it is important to clarify what exactly is considered suitable — it is determined by the employment authorities taking into account the person’s education, profession, experience and physical capabilities. If the IDP has no real employment options, but there is a desire to acquire a new specialty or confirm existing skills, the state can provide a voucher. This mechanism is designed to support people who have lost professional orientations after forced resettlement.
The right to a voucher is also available to persons who have been officially deprived of their personal freedom as a result of Russian armed aggression. Law of Ukraine “On social and legal protection of persons who have been deprived of their personal freedom as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine, and members of their families” provides that after release from captivity or illegal detention, such citizens can apply for a voucher for education. This is not a humanitarian action, but a mechanism of social return. After the traumatic experience of imprisonment, a person gets the opportunity to restore his professional position and independence by receiving training in an educational institution at the expense of the state.
The last category is those who, during the war, were injured, contused, maimed, or seriously ill as a result of hostilities, bombings, shelling, or other forms of military attack. These can be both civilians and military, but on the condition that they were in the respective territories for a certain period and have recommendations in the individual employment plan. Such a plan is drawn up by the employment service after assessing a person’s health, capabilities and needs. It is on the basis of this document that the voucher is issued.
It should be noted that this Order does not apply to:
- persons who do not have a professional (vocational-technical), professional pre-higher or higher education;
- persons who underwent retraining during the last three years at the expense of the funds of the State Social Insurance Fund in case of unemployment (except for persons who, after the introduction of the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated February 24, 2022 № 64“On the introduction of martial law in Ukraine” of martial law received, in the established procedure, a certificate of registration of an internally displaced person and, after receiving it, did not undergo retraining at the expense of the said Fund);
- persons who are registered in employment centers as unemployed.
It is worth knowing that the voucher can be used for retraining in a labor profession. This means that a person who already has experience or qualifications, but wants to get into another profession, can complete a formal training course and get a new profession. For example, a driver can become an electrician, a cook – an accountant, and a seamstress – a logistics specialist. It is not about raising the educational level, but about a full-fledged professional reorientation within the labor specialty, which is in the list approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The second form is preparation by specialty for obtaining a master’s degree, but only if the person already has a bachelor’s or master’s degree in another specialty. That is, the voucher does not give the opportunity to continue the same specialty, but allows to change the direction. For example, a lawyer can get a master’s degree in public administration, a teacher – in social work, an economist – in rehabilitation. This is not a second higher education in the classical sense, because the study is carried out only on the basis of the already obtained degree. It is fundamental that the voucher does not cover the entire path to obtaining a higher education, but only a specific change in the educational vector at the master’s level.
The third format is training at the next level of education, except for the third (educational-scientific or educational-creative) and scientific level of higher education. This means that the voucher cannot be used for postgraduate, doctoral or doctoral studies. Instead, it is suitable, for example, for the transition from a vocational to a professional higher level (college) or from a professional higher to a bachelor’s degree. The condition is that the study should be the next step after the already acquired education.
Separately, the law provides for specialization and advanced training. This is especially relevant for doctors, teachers, pharmacists and other professions where qualification requirements change during work. The voucher also covers those educational programs that give the right not to a new profession, but to specialized training within the existing one. For example, a nurse can take a course in palliative care, an accountant – a program in tax law, a teacher – a course in inclusive education. This provides an opportunity to remain in the profession but meet new professional standards.
At the same time, individuals who have already acquired a certain professional qualification informally (that is, without formal training — through experience, practice, certification courses) or informally (for example, through online education, self-education) are assigned to a separate group. If such a qualification has been officially confirmed by the relevant state authorities, the person is also entitled to a voucher – but not for obtaining a full higher education, but for retraining in a working profession or upgrading the skills within the limits of the acquired knowledge.
A similar norm applies to persons who have obtained a professional qualification in another country and received its recognition in Ukraine. If the profession or specialty acquired abroad is already officially recognized, a person can use the voucher to deepen their knowledge, adapt to Ukrainian standards, or supplement their education within the limits of their already acquired qualifications. For example, a doctor who studied in Poland can undergo specialization or training in Ukraine that meets the requirements of Ukrainian practice.
Training under the voucher is carried out only in licensed educational institutions that have the right to the relevant educational activity. These can be institutions of professional (i.e. vocational) education, vocational pre-university (college), higher education (university), as well as enterprises, institutions and organizations that have a state license to conduct educational programs. A mandatory condition is that these institutions must be residents of Ukraine, that is, registered and operating on the territory of the state.
It is very important that training must correspond to the list of professions and specialties approved by the Ministry of Economy. This means that not every educational program can be financed through a voucher, but only those that are included in the official list. The list is formed taking into account the needs of the labor market, strategic directions of state policy, the demand for professions and the possibility of employment after training.
The value of the voucher is set within the cost of education and cannot exceed ten times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons, determined by law at the time of the decision to issue it. Currently, the value of the voucher is no more than UAH 30,280. If the cost of education at an educational institution exceeds the maximum value of the voucher, the person or the employer can pay the difference in the cost of education.
However, a voucher cannot be obtained for every profession or specialty. There is a clear list of professions and specialties for which a voucher can be issued. Here are some points from this list: beekeeper, concrete worker; woodworking machine operator; cobbler repairing shoes; motor vehicle driver; forklift, tram, trolleybus driver; roadmender; emergency medical technician; electric gas boiler; electrician for operation of distribution networks; substation maintenance electrician; electrician for repair and maintenance of electrical equipment; electrician for repair and maintenance of signaling, centralization and blocking devices; electrician for repair and maintenance of solar electrical installations; confectioner; tailor; cook; chemical and bacteriological analysis laboratory assistant; operator of an excavator, electric locomotive, electric train; operator of machines with software control; installer of sanitary-technical systems and equipment; installer of building insulation systems; debugger of equipment in the production of food products; operator of remotely controlled devices; baker; firefighter-rescuer; seller of non-food products; seller of food products; assistant driver of an electric train, diesel locomotive; farm worker; junior nurse (junior medical brother) for patient care; sapper (mining); locksmith repairing wheeled vehicles; social worker; construction carpenter; turner; miller; tractor driver; seamstress; plasterer; aviation and rocket and space technology; automation, computer-integrated technologies and robotics; road transport; agronomy; architecture and urban planning; biomedical engineering; biotechnology and bioengineering; construction and civil engineering; veterinary medicine; renewable energy sources and hydropower; industrial engineering; renewable energy sources and hydropower; geodesy and land management; design; preschool education; electronic communications and radio engineering; power engineering; railway transport; software engineering; information systems and technologies; cyber security and information protection; computer engineering; computer science; marketing; medicine; medical psychology; nursing; management; weapons and military equipment; psychology; fire safety; social security; therapy and rehabilitation; tourism and recreation; technologies of medical diagnosis and treatment; technology of production and processing of animal husbandry products; pharmacy, industrial pharmacy; philology (English language); food technologies; civil security; chemical technologies and engineering.
As you can see, the directions are quite versatile, so it is possible to choose the same direction in education, which will be to your liking, taking into account the current needs of the labor market. This list is constantly updated, so there is an opportunity to wait for the desired profession, or one related to it.
To receive a voucher, a citizen must contact the employment center and submit an application using the specified form, as well as present: a passport of a citizen of Ukraine; a document on professional (vocational-technical) or vocational pre-university or higher education (duplicates of such documents) or an eDocument on education (if available) or a document on the assignment/confirmation of a professional qualification or a document on the recognition of a professional qualification; a document certifying registration in the State Register of natural persons – taxpayers or a citizen’s passport with the appropriate mark. Additional documents are submitted by each of the categories of citizens to confirm their reason for receiving a voucher.
We note that you have the right to receive from the employment center free of charge complete and reliable information about the procedure and conditions for issuing a voucher during a visit to the employment center or with the help of information and communication systems. The decision to issue a voucher is taken by the employment center no later than on the eighth working day from the date of submission of the documents and issued by an order. At the same time, he must inform you that the decision has been made within three working days from the day of its adoption. The grounds for refusing to issue a voucher are the citizen’s non-compliance with the categories that have the right to receive a voucher.
To receive a voucher, you should contact the employment center that decided to issue it within five working days from the date of receipt of the relevant notification. If a person, for good reasons, documented, cannot apply within the specified period, it can be extended for a corresponding period.
Enrollment of a person on the basis of a voucher is carried out by educational institutions in accordance with the legislation. The training contract is concluded between the educational institution and the person within 120 days after the voucher is issued.
And one more important nuance. If a person violates the terms of the study contract, the educational institution shall notify the employment center that issued the voucher of such violation within five working days. In the case of early termination of the training contract, the educational institution submits within five working days to the employment center that issued the voucher, a copy of the order on early termination of training, the calculation of the unused part of the funds provided for the payment of the tuition fee, returns such part within three working days to the account of the employment center that issued the voucher, indicating in the payment order the surname, first name and patronymic of the person and the voucher number.
Pay attention! In the case of early termination of education without valid reasons, the person shall be reimbursed within 30 working days by transferring to the account of the educational institution a part of his expenses for the period of actual education.
Important reasons for early termination of studies by a person are considered to be:
- acquisition of legal force by a court verdict on sentencing a person to deprivation of liberty, restriction of liberty, arrest (except for cases of release from serving a sentence with probation), application of forced treatment of a person by the court;
- the death of a person or his declaration as deceased by a court decision or his recognition as missing, incapacitated or with limited capacity;
- the state of health of a person who has medical contraindications for continuing education in a profession (specialty);
- leave in connection with pregnancy, childbirth and child care;
- moving to a permanent place of residence in another area;
- draft for term military or alternative (non-military) service;
- military servicemen and reservists passing the assembly in accordance with Law of Ukraine“On military duty and military service”;
- conscription for military service during mobilization or involvement in the performance of duties in positions provided for by wartime states, in accordance with Law of Ukraine“On mobilization training and mobilization”;
- other reasons that do not depend on the person are documented.
