Demand for Knowledge Renewal and Learning Barriers — Staffing Trends in the Bereznehuvate Community of the Mykolaiv Oblast

Publication date: May 22, 2025

Author: Yuliia Bilyk, Communications Manager at the Legal Development Network

In the Bereznehuvate Community of the Mykolaiv Oblast, the program “Strengthening Communities’ Staffing Capacity in the Context of Post-War Recovery” has been adopted. The document was developed within the framework of the Vidnova project by the Legal Development Network in partnership with the humanitarian organization People in Need and with funding from the Czech Development Agency. The current staffing and educational needs embedded in the program were identified and analyzed through a sociological survey conducted in December 2024. This article provides more details.

View the Results of the Sociological Survey in the Bereznehuvate Community
View the Comprehensive Needs and Capacity Assessment of the Bereznehuvate Community

About the Study

The survey in the Bereznehuvate Community was conducted throughout December 2024. A total of 354 respondents participated, the majority of whom — 228 people (78%) — live in the village of Bereznehuvate, with another 63 being residents of surrounding villages. This is due to difficulties the interview team faced in reaching remote villages. Overall, 42% of the community’s population lives in Bereznehuvate.

“The Bereznehuvate Community is divided by a river and has roads in critically poor condition. The bridges over the river are destroyed, and the roads have been damaged due to the war. The survey was conducted in December, so weather conditions also affected our ability to reach the planned number of respondents. We were able to visit the settlements located on the same side of the river as Bereznehuvate. However, we were not able to reach those on the other side. Some community residents had to be interviewed by phone,” said Iryna Shaptala, a specialist in organizing sociological research in the Mykolaiv Oblast.

Among those surveyed were 291 regular community residents and 63 employees of the village council and municipal institutions. Responses from community members were collected through street interviews using a questionnaire programmed for mobile devices. The survey of village council and municipal employees was conducted mostly at their workplaces using the same questionnaire.

“Despite some limitations in data collection, we are able to compare the responses of local self-government and municipal institution representatives with those of the general public. We also compare the answers of different age groups. In my opinion, the data we obtained are practical, as they provide some guidance for the community’s further development,” said Maryna Shpiker, sociologist and coordinator of the comprehensive research teams.

The Primary Need for Survival Makes Other Needs Secondary

The Bereznehuvate Community is located near the front line, and the potential danger to the lives, health, and property of residents is constant. In addition, as the survey shows, the community is characterized by a high level of unemployment.

Almost half of the surveyed residents (those who do not work in local self-government bodies or municipal institutions) were economically inactive at the time of the survey (48%): they had no paid employment and were not planning to look for work in the next six months. Only 35% of respondents had paid employment.

“People cannot find work in their professions. We spoke with many residents who are just a few years away from retirement, but there are no job opportunities for them. That is why employment is a very pressing issue, especially for ordinary residents. Naturally, respondents employed in municipal institutions did not name job search as a relevant issue for themselves,” said Iryna Shaptala.

Of the 35% of community residents who are employed, 30% are employees, 4% are self-employed, and about 2% are entrepreneurs who have hired workers.

One of the subjects of the study was the level of interest among community residents in learning, professional development, and acquiring new skills and competencies. Among the working residents, only 11% expressed an interest in learning or gaining new knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Overall, the survey showed that among both economically active and economically inactive residents of the Bereznehuvate Community, the level of interest in self-development is quite low. Only 10% of employed residents and those who are looking for a job or planning to start a business expressed interest in professional development and skills improvement, and an additional 5% were interested in retraining (respondents could select both options). Among unemployed residents, 15% reported an interest in learning.

“For a community facing security and economic challenges, education is a secondary-level need. Unmet survival needs prevent people from thinking about self-development,” explained Maryna Shpiker.

Areas of Interest Among Community Residents

Respondents most often expressed interest in training areas such as foreign languages, cosmetology, and computer technologies. Other areas mentioned included driving, pastry making, sewing skills, psychology, photography, operating a cash register, earning income online, studying to become a nurse, midwifery, teacher training courses, and general education for personal development.

When asked about their goals for learning, the majority of interested respondents said they would like to get a new job (58%). 30% aim to perform their current job duties more effectively or take on more complex tasks, 21% hope to increase their income, 19% expect career advancement, 14% would like to grow an existing business, and 11% want to start a new business.

Local Government and Municipal Employees Also Seek Knowledge Renewal

Among surveyed employees of local self-government bodies and municipal institutions in the Bereznehuvate Community, slightly less than half (46%) believe that their current level of professional training is fully sufficient. A significant portion (37%) indicated that their training is mostly sufficient, which may suggest a potential need for further development. Nearly half (48%) expressed interest in professional development, while 43% were not interested, and 8% were unsure.

Among those interested in learning, the most in-demand skills include computer technologies and digitalization of work processes (52%). There is also interest in improving knowledge in their professional field, studying English, and working with documentation, particularly in the context of public procurement procedures.

As for expectations from learning, 75% of local government and municipal employees said they would like to perform their job duties more effectively or take on more complex tasks. One-third (33%) are hoping for career advancement, and 20% expect an increase in income. Only 3% — one person — expressed a desire to find a new job as a result of the training.

Interest in Learning Is Limited but Flexible

Only 16% of community residents said they would attend events if an educational space opened in a nearby library, village club, or administrative building. 38% were unsure but did not rule out the possibility, while 37% said they would not attend.

In response to a question listing possible topics of interest, one-third of respondents said none of the proposed topics appealed to them, and another 10% were unsure. Among those who did express preferences, the most popular options were courses on IT technologies, 3D modeling, and language learning.

Most Community Residents Do Not Have a Conscious Demand for Learning

Only 17% of residents of the Bereznehuvate Community gave a positive answer to at least one of the following questions: “Would you be interested in taking training to gain knowledge, acquire new skills and abilities?” and “Would you be interested in training for professional development, skills improvement, or retraining?”

At the same time, if we additionally take into account positive responses to the questions:
“If an educational space opened in a nearby library, village club, or administrative building, would you attend lectures, trainings, or courses?” (answer: “yes”), and “Would you be interested in educational events on any of the following topics?”, the share of potentially interested residents rises to 58%.

Thus, only 17% of residents have a clear desire or need for learning, but if an educational space offering relevant courses, lectures, and trainings were available in the community, it could also attract those who currently have no such demand.

Compared to those who are employed or economically inactive, people planning to look for a job or start their own business show a higher interest in additional education (82% compared to 56% and 52%, respectively).

“The indicator of interest in additional education was calculated based on two questions. For residents of the Bereznehuvate Community who are employed, the figure is 13%, for the economically inactive — 15% — nearly the same. Only those who are planning to look for a job or start their own business have clear plans and ambitions, showing an interest level of 31%. It turns out that employed people do not see how additional knowledge or skills could help them in their jobs — they have no conscious demand. I think this is because they either have no way to apply this knowledge or genuinely do not see how it would benefit their work,” analyzed Maryna Shpiker.

Young People Are Traditionally More Open to Development

The highest number of positive responses to questions about willingness to learn came from people aged 16 to 45 — 32–33%. Among those over 45, the interest level drops significantly — from 7% to 1%.

Overall, the interest in learning is highest among youth aged 16 to 24, reaching 86%; among those aged 25 to 45 — 66%; for those aged 46 to 59 — 62%; and for older people, the figure is the lowest at 34%.

Young people aged 16 to 24 show the greatest interest in learning foreign languages and IT technologies, and also in acquiring skills for emergency situations. People aged 25 to 45 remain interested in these topics but to a lesser extent. This group shows the strongest interest in starting or developing a business.

Residents over the age of 45 are mostly interested in basic skills for using digital devices and online services, as well as plant cultivation, agronomy, fruit and vegetable growing, and greenhouse farming. However, interest in any kind of training decreases significantly in older age groups, especially after 60.

Key Barriers to Learning: Financial and Organizational

As part of the study, respondents were asked about their views on the possibility of receiving a training voucher from the Employment Center. This document allows people to receive retraining, specialization, or professional development in priority economic sectors, or to prepare for the next educational qualification level.

While one-third of the employees of local government bodies and municipal institutions who are interested in learning are not interested in receiving a training voucher, nearly all of the interested residents among the general public would like to obtain one. However, 76% of community residents had not heard of the opportunity to receive a voucher, and 19% had heard of it and were interested.

“While surveying people in the community, we often heard, especially from hospital employees, that they had already used their training vouchers from the Employment Center. Many employees of municipal and library institutions said they had heard about the opportunity but were not interested. However, young women — for example, shop assistants — had never heard of the voucher, and they said they would be open to learning,” noted Iryna Shaptala.

In the context of the high level of interest in obtaining training with a state-funded voucher, Maryna Shpiker draws attention to the financial barrier as a potential key obstacle to accessing education. In addition, there appears to be an organizational gap, as community residents are insufficiently informed about training vouchers as a government tool for supporting professional development.

Conclusions

The Bereznehuvate Community has significant but still hidden potential for professional growth.

“A small percentage of people have a conscious demand or need for professional development that they express directly when asked whether they would like to learn. They do not see the point — they do not understand how exactly learning could help them,” said Maryna Shpiker.

According to the sociologist, the survey revealed a conscious demand and motivation to learn among local government employees, municipal staff, and young people. These categories of residents should therefore become target audiences for local authorities, who need to reinforce their motivation and build on their strengths.

At the same time, it is important to clearly explain the benefits of learning — how the acquired knowledge, skills, and abilities can be applied in practice within the community.

“Perhaps the local government could try to negotiate internship opportunities for residents at local businesses and find other ways, tailored to the community’s specific context, to connect people with the labor market,” said Maryna Shpiker.

The material and the sociological survey were prepared by the Legal Development Network in cooperation with the humanitarian organization People in Need and with funding from the Czech Development Agency. The views expressed and the interpretations of the data presented are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the project’s donors and partners.

Infographics by Maryna Shpiker

Related Publications:

• Unmet Needs and Tensions in Veteran Policy of the Kolomyia Community — Findings of the Sociological Survey
• Quality Healthcare, Development of Adequate Infrastructure, and Respect for Defenders — Priorities of Veteran Policy in the Tlumach Community
• Meeting the Needs and Requests of a Significant Part of the Population — the Main Challenge for the Veteran Policy of the Bashtanka Community
• Attention to Ecology, Road Conditions, Infrastructure, and Youth — Social Priorities in the Kalush Community

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