Due to mobilisation and the departure of citizens abroad, there was an acute shortage of staff in Ukraine, especially in professions that were popular among men. In order to somehow alleviate the shortage of employees, companies began to attract women to such jobs. Find out which "male" professions are gradually passing into the hands of the female gender and where the shortage is observed most of all

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In Ukraine, against the backdrop of mobilisation and a shortage of personnel, women have begun to actively master "male" professions. In particular, this applies to such areas as fitters, turners, crane operators and drivers. With reference to Focus, we will tell you how the labour market is changing amid the ongoing war.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Serhiy Derkach said in an interview with Forbes that Ukraine is developing a nationwide programme to train women to drive large vehicles.

According to him, as of February 2024, the shortage of public transport drivers reached 30%, and now the deficit may be even greater.

As analysed by the media, hundreds of vacancies for drivers of various categories are posted on job search websites. In this regard, companies are asking the government for help in training women.

Shortage of workers: where and how many?

Local authorities have repeatedly stated that the Kyiv metro is facing a shortage of staff. In general, almost all of the city's utilities are short of staff.

In particular, the road sector lacks 28-30 per cent of specialists. The subway also has a shortage of workers, as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted.

Who is needed at Kyiv enterprises?

According to the Kyiv City State Administration, the greatest need for road industry personnel is in the following professions:

- vehicle driver;

- tractor driver

- asphalt concrete worker;

- machine operator

- road worker;

- electric and gas welder

- electrician

- painter and plasterer;

- mechanic

- economist

- legal adviser;

- environmental engineer.

Due to the shortage of staff, the Kyiv City Administration publishes vacancies on its website. But this situation is not only in the Ukrainian capital, but throughout Ukraine. For example, journalists have counted more than 80 vacancies for electric train drivers, almost fifty vacancies for electricians, and more than 160 vacancies for turners and fitters on job search sites.

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Do women want to work there?

According to Natalia Zemlyanska, head of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union, the demand from women for traditionally "male" professions is very high. According to her, within a week after the Kyiv Metro published an announcement about recruiting women, they received 450 applications for about 30 possible places.

Among the cases of filling "male" positions:

🔻Underground plant operator - 29 women;

🔻Miner - 31 women;

🔻Underground miner - 6 women;

🔻Plumber - 3 women;

🔻Forklift operator - 8 women;

🔻Gunners - 12 women;

🔻Electrician for the repair and maintenance of electrical equipment - 4 women.

In the first five months of 2024, the number of employed women increased from 45,100 to 47,800, an increase of 5.9%. In addition, the number of women undergoing vocational training increased from 9,700 to 16,900, an increase of 75.3%.

To help women learn new professions, the State Employment Service provides training vouchers. They allow women to receive free training in educational institutions or with an employer in their chosen profession or speciality.

The Ministry of Economy has also previously approved a list of 124 specialities, including IT, construction, transport, industry, medicine and railway specialities. This gives women a wide choice of professions for training and employment.

We remind you! The shortage of personnel in the construction industry in Ukraine is becoming increasingly acute, and attracting workers from Asia and Africa is becoming a necessary step for many companies. The war has caused a significant reduction in the number of officially registered workers in the construction sector over the past two years.