14.09.2026
On 14 September, Energy Club held an online meeting entitled “Business and Universities: How to Prepare Professionals for Ukraine’s Energy Sector Together” as part of the Energy Freedom talk show.
Representatives of energy companies and higher education institutions discussed the shortage of qualified professionals, the gap between academic education and the practical needs of companies, and the development of dual education, short certificate programmes, internships and training laboratories. The discussion was moderated by journalist, television and radio presenter Andrii Kulykov.
The meeting brought together:
Iryna Dmytrotsa presented an initiative to establish the Energy Club Academy, a joint educational platform that will bring together the practical knowledge and experience of Energy Club member companies. The first area of focus could be the training of energy trading professionals. The need for such specialists is particularly acute in forecasting, balancing, portfolio management, operations across different market segments and risk management.
Ukraine’s electricity market is constantly evolving, while university curricula do not always keep pace with the processes that employees encounter in their daily work. As a result, companies have to train new employees themselves and transfer knowledge internally.
Energy Club proposes involving traders, analysts, engineers, lawyers, financial professionals and other experts from its member companies in the future course. Each company will be able to suggest relevant topics and nominate an expert, while its employees will gain access to the entire programme. “Today, we should not merely discuss the shortage of qualified professionals — we must create a mechanism to address it,” Iryna Dmytrotsa emphasised.
The training is expected to be delivered online in a private format for employees of Energy Club member companies. The Club is currently collecting proposals from companies to ensure that the programme reflects their actual needs.
Bohdan Sukhetskyi noted that knowledge of how the market operates is essential not only for employees of commercial departments. Engineers, dispatchers, financial professionals and managers must also understand the links between electricity generation, sales, balancing, financial settlements and regulatory requirements. According to him, practical training delivered directly at energy companies is becoming particularly important. During the war, energy professionals encounter situations every day that are not covered in textbooks and must make unconventional decisions quickly. “We need practice, practice and more practice,” the head of Ukrhydroenergo stressed.
Another challenge is the insufficient number of young people choosing energy-related fields, particularly hydropower. The issue therefore extends beyond training existing employees and also requires systematic career guidance and the development of a professional talent pool for the years ahead.
University representatives described practical projects that are already being implemented in cooperation with energy companies.
Oleksandr Aziukovskyi presented Dnipro University of Technology’s experience in developing short professional development programmes, working with local communities and preparing practical solutions for decentralised energy systems. The university cooperates with companies on backup power projects, energy storage systems and other modern technologies. Some of its programmes focus on supporting veterans in their professional transition.
Ihor Chudyk emphasised the importance of short certificate programmes, which make it possible to respond to the sector’s needs more quickly than developing an entirely new degree programme. Such modules can complement an engineer’s core education with knowledge of economics, management, law or energy markets.
The Rector also highlighted the need to develop dual education. For this model to work, the learning environment must extend beyond the university: companies must also be prepared to host students, involve them in real working processes and create opportunities for workplace-based learning.
Bohdan Korobko spoke about Poltava Polytechnic’s cooperation with Ukrainian and international companies. This includes scholarship programmes, paid internships, dual education, support for laboratory facilities and direct business involvement in student training.
The university also operates a Veteran Development Centre, which offers programmes lasting from three to six months. Over the past two years, several dozen participants have received certificates after completing these programmes, with some going on to work in the energy sector.
Andrii Malyar reported that in 2026, Lviv Polytechnic launched an interdisciplinary master’s programme entitled “Electricity Markets”. The programme involves lecturers specialising in both energy and economics, since technical knowledge alone is no longer sufficient for a modern energy professional — they must also understand economics and how the market operates.
Among the most effective formats for cooperation with employers, he highlighted tripartite agreements with students, corporate scholarships, guaranteed employment, hackathons, summer schools, career fairs, professional competitions, visits to energy companies and the establishment of joint educational and research laboratories.
The participants agreed that the workforce challenge cannot be addressed by universities or companies acting alone. Businesses need to define their demand for professionals more clearly, contribute to educational programmes and career guidance, provide internship opportunities and offer students tangible employment prospects. Universities, in turn, are prepared to introduce new modules, certificate programmes and interdisciplinary courses more quickly.
Energy Club will continue collecting proposals from its member companies regarding the content of the first practical training programme. Experts from energy companies and representatives of universities are expected to participate in its development.
The initiative aims to transform the knowledge accumulated across the industry into a structured educational product that will help companies train the professionals they need more quickly, while giving employees and students access to knowledge directly connected to the practical realities of Ukraine’s energy sector.
