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Southern Ukraine is at a crossroads. Years of conflict have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, disrupted labour markets, and forced communities to navigate the tension between immediate survival and long-term recovery. In Odesa, a region that has received large numbers of internally displaced people, rebuilding livelihoods is not an abstract policy goal. It is an urgent, everyday concern.
Against this backdrop, Odesa hosted the forum “Results, Lessons Learned, and the Future of Social Dialogue in Odesa Region” on 9 April. Organised in partnership with the Association of Employers' Organisations of the Odesa Region, the event brought together business leaders, government representatives, civil society actors, and community experts to reflect on progress and confront what remains unresolved.
A key moment in the discussion came during the panel “From Results to Change: How the Project Transforms Social Dialogue.” Liudmila Kornuta, HR Coordinator at NGO Progressive & Strong, introduced a new initiative focused on youth reskilling across the region. The programme is being implemented in partnership with GlocalShift Foundation, with support from Cegos Group.
What stood out was the programme’s practical orientation. It focuses on young people at risk of being excluded from a rapidly shifting economy, offering training in sectors where there is actual demand, including information technology, customer service, and construction. Crucially, it does not stop at training. By working closely with local businesses, the initiative creates clearer pathways into employment, combining skills development with mentorship and job placement.
The forum also surfaced a wider recognition: recovery cannot happen in silos. Effective coordination between government, business, and civil society is not optional in a region undergoing this level of transformation. It is a precondition for any meaningful progress.
Rather than ending with neat conclusions, the forum closed with a shared sense of responsibility. For those in the room, the challenge now is not only to sustain dialogue, but to translate it into tangible change.
