Veterans' support programs for returning to civilian life and self-realization were discussed in Zaporizhzhia.
The roundtable discussion ‘Interaction of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Employment Service, Employers and the Public Sector to Comprehensively Address the Current Issues of Veterans’ was held in one of Zaporizhzhia's invincible hubs. Representatives of the regional authorities, the public and business spoke about rehabilitation, employment and grant opportunities.
Today, Employment Service helps not only to register and receive unemployment compensation If you want to start your own business or are already an entrepreneur and want to expand your business, you can also contact the Employment Service. In particular, there is a "Made in Ukraine" office in Zaporizhzhia, whose specialists will advise on how to get a grant or take training. Since July 2022, 21,000 entrepreneurs in Ukraine have already received grants and microgrants totaling over UAH 5 billion," said Yuliia ZHOVTIAK, director of the State Employment Center.
Employment Service of Zaporizhzhia provides about 15 services to citizens and implements 12 programs for the unemployed and employers.
"These include employment counselling, vocational training and advanced training so that everyone can acquire modern skills in demand in the labor market. There is also an opportunity to receive a voucher for training and a grant "For Veterans and Their Families" of up to UAH 1 million. All veterans can use these and other services," said Zinaida BOYKO, director of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Employment Center.
Mykhailo Semikin, Deputy Head of Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, told the representatives of the veteran community about the projects implemented by the regional authorities.
We are working on creating a "VETERAN PRO" veteran space in the region where you can get a full range of services We hope that it will become the largest hub for veterans in Ukraine. In November 2024, we will launch a project to provide grant support for veterans to start and develop their own business with funding from the regional budget of UAH 3 million. Veterans will be able to receive a grant of up to UAH 500,000, provided they create jobs," summed up Mykhailo SEMIKIN.
Veterans are already receiving significant support through programs funded by big business. In Zaporizhzhia, with the support of Metinvest and Zaporizhstal, the Free Waves project has been running for four months now, rehabilitating soldiers and veterans under the Denis Sylantiev swimming program.
Veterans in Zaporizhzhia can get free help, including legal assistance, thanks to the initiative "Communicate" Veteran" initiative, which was also launched in the city with the support of Metinvest and NGO "Zaporizhzhia. Platform for Joint Action".
"In our work with veterans, we focus on their requests, so we conduct research and surveys on what exactly worries them and what they lack in the process of returning to civilian life We also invite veterans to cooperate with specialized services that may be useful to them. Together, in question-and-answer form, we are looking for solutions to existing challenges and overcoming them together," says Iraisat MAGOMEDALIIEVA, Head of the Regional Development Department of Metinvest Group
It should be noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest has mobilized over 8,000 employees. The company does not abandon them during their service: it provides ammunition and equipment, financial assistance in case of injury, and supports them on their way back from the front to civilian life through the “Hero's Way” project. The project is a comprehensive program with a number of effective solutions that help identify and resolve open issues of demobilized employees. About 1,500 veterans have already benefited from it.
"The company focuses on two main areas: social adaptation of veterans, including psychological and medical care, and professional adaptation, including training and retraining. A specialized insurance policy is also currently being developed with a focus on areas important to veterans. Another tool for our veterans to master their profession is the opportunity to receive free professional education at Metinvest Polytechnic, which has already been used by 26 veterans. We continue to train our employees under a specially developed program called “Heroes are Next to Us”, where qualified psychologists help to establish communication and interaction between colleagues and veterans who return to the teams," says Serhii KOIPYSH, Head of the Recruitment, Staffing and Staff Development Department at Zaporizhstal.
The participants of the discussion agreed that the return of veterans to civilian life is a complex process that requires support of both the state and society. Their successful rehabilitation is possible only if there is close cooperation between government agencies, NGOs, businesses and veterans themselves.
