18.09.2026
Interest among young Ukrainians in oil and gas disciplines is increasing, while cooperation between universities and companies is helping turn this interest into a genuine talent pool for the energy sector.
Bohdan Korobko, Professor and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, made these remarks during the online meeting “Business and Universities: How to Prepare Professionals for Ukraine’s Energy Sector Together”, held by Energy Club on 14 September as part of the Energy Freedom talk show.
During his presentation, Korobko discussed the results of this year’s admissions campaign for oil and gas programmes. According to him, both the number of applications and the number of students enrolling in their first year are increasing, enabling the university to maintain a stable student population in these disciplines.
“The popularity of oil and gas programmes is not declining – it is growing in Ukraine. We are seeing increases both in the number of applications and in the number of students admitted to the first year,” Korobko said.
In his view, this trend demonstrates young people’s confidence in Ukrainian university education in the energy field. It also allows the university to build a talent pool for companies that already need young engineers, technical professionals and other specialists.
The university’s partners play an important role in this process. Poltava Polytechnic cooperates with major Ukrainian, international and regional oil and gas companies that contribute to student training and help make education more practical.
“We have a stable number of students in our oil and gas programmes and, as a result, a talent pool for companies operating in the sector. Our stakeholders – national, international and regional companies – provide significant support in this area,” the Vice-Rector explained.
Korobko identified corporate scholarships as one of the most effective ways of attracting and motivating students. They allow young people to receive financial support from prospective employers while they are still studying and to see the practical value of their chosen profession.
Scholarship programmes for students in oil and gas disciplines are supported, among others, by Ukrnafta and DTEK Oil & Gas. This cooperation enables companies to establish relationships with promising students at an early stage, while helping students understand employers’ requirements and their future career opportunities.
“It is important for students to have an opportunity to benefit financially from their knowledge while they are still studying by receiving support from oil and gas companies. Scholarship programmes provide a strong incentive for professional development,” Korobko emphasised.
Dual education is another important area of cooperation. It enables students to combine university studies with work at a company, completing their academic programme while simultaneously gaining practical experience.
According to the Vice-Rector, Ukrainian companies are increasingly supporting this format. It makes it possible to train professionals not only through academic theory but also through direct exposure to the technologies, production processes and standards of a future employer.
Cooperation between Poltava Polytechnic and businesses also includes providing facilities for student placements, organising paid internships and involving company representatives in professional training.
Support for the university’s laboratory facilities is particularly important. With assistance from business partners, students can work with modern and, in some cases, unique equipment without leaving the university.
“Support for the development of laboratory facilities enables us to provide practical classes using modern equipment and give students up-to-date knowledge directly at the university,” Korobko explained.
Company support is not limited to specialised oil and gas laboratories. Partners also help develop educational infrastructure for foreign languages, robotics, information technology and other subjects required by modern engineers.
This creates an educational environment that should not only provide high-quality training but also encourage young people to build their future in Ukraine.
“Our objective is to create a modern educational environment that helps attract prospective students and encourages them to remain in Ukraine, study here and subsequently work here,” the Vice-Rector said.
Poltava Polytechnic is ready to expand its cooperation with industrial companies and involve new partners in educational projects. According to Korobko, successful models involving scholarships, dual education, internships and laboratory development can be scaled up.
During the meeting, he also described opportunities for the professional training and retraining of veterans, internally displaced people and professionals from other sectors.
Several years ago, the university established a Veteran Development Centre. It offers short programmes lasting from three to six months, some of which are financed with support from Ukraine’s Ministry for Veterans Affairs and other social protection institutions.
Participants can study in various professional fields, including disciplines related to the energy sector. This format allows them to obtain new qualifications within a relatively short period and move towards practical employment.
“Over the past two years, several dozen participants have received the relevant certificates from us and then continued their professional development by finding employment in the sector,” Korobko reported.
In his view, combining core university education, the practical participation of companies and flexible short-term programmes can provide an effective model for training professionals for Ukraine’s energy sector.
“We are ready to scale up our experience of cooperation with industrial companies and bring new partners into these projects,” Bohdan Korobko concluded.
