On 21 October, the official opening of the renovated Rivne Vocational College of Restaurant and Hotel Business took place within the framework of the project “EU4Skills: Modernisation of the Infrastructure of the Vocational Education and Training System in Ukraine.” The project is financed by the European Union, implemented by the KfW in cooperation with USIF, and with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as the beneficiary.

The European Union invested over EUR 2 million in renovation and construction works, and an additional approximately EUR 334,000 was allocated for the purchase of modern training equipment. The college now features a new building with laboratories for milk processing, food technologies, and brewing, a training hotel with nine rooms of various categories, and modernly equipped classrooms.

“The modernisation of the Rivne Vocational College of Restaurant and Hotel Business demonstrates how international cooperation contributes to building a modern and resilient vocational education system in Ukraine. With the support of the EU through the EU4Skills programme, the college has been able to expand its facilities by 40%, establish new laboratories and a training hotel. This investment is a tangible example of how vocational education can empower young people, strengthen cooperation with business, and contribute to Ukraine’s recovery,” underlined Henrik Huitfeldt, Head of the Public Finance, Business Support and Social Policies Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

As part of the project, new training and material facilities were also created, allowing the college to obtain a licence to enrol 240 students for specialised secondary education and to train specialists in two new professions:

• Food Raw Materials and Products Brewer
• Hotel Service Specialist

“We are modernising vocational education to ensure it meets the needs of the economy and the regions. As a result of the EU4Skills project, the institution has joined the regional network of specialised secondary education, becoming more attractive both for school graduates and for adults seeking to acquire new professional skills. Such projects make education more flexible, modern, and responsive to the real needs of the labour market,” — noted Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

“Rivne College is among the first in Ukraine to launch training for the new profession of Food Raw Materials and Products Brewer, and the first in the region to prepare Hotel Service Specialists. We are grateful to our partners for the opportunity to upgrade our infrastructure and make education modern and competitive. This is a step towards high-quality education of European standards,” — summed up Oleksandr Koval, Head of Rivne Regional State Administration.

Background information:

The EU-funded "EU4Skills: Modernisation of Vocational Education and Training Infrastructure in Ukraine" project is part of the "EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine" programme (Component 3) and aims to update and modernise the equipment and infrastructure of VET schools in Ukraine. The project aims to create a modern VET infrastructure, that contributes to increased attractiveness for students. The project works on laying the foundation for effective, demand-driven education that equips students with skills that the Ukrainian labour market seeks. On behalf of the European Union and the German Development Bank KfW, the project is implemented by the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund.

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