The Olena Zelenska Foundation Presented the Research on the Professional Expectations of Adolescents in Ukraine
May 22, 2025
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On May 22 in Kyiv, the Olena Zelenska Foundation presented the findings of the “Future Index: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine” research.
The research covers five key domains that influence the formation of adolescents’ professional focuses: socio-economic context, educational and psycho-emotional environment, human capital, and involvement in extracurricular activities. These factors help us better understand the resources available to adolescents, how they develop skills, assess their capabilities, and imagine their future.
More than 10,100 respondents—5,089 adolescents aged 13–16 and the same number of their parents or guardians from all regions of Ukraine, except for the temporarily occupied territories—participated in the research.
In the context of a full-scale war, the question of Ukrainian adolescents’ future becomes particularly acute. 82 % of the surveyed adolescents remain optimistic about their future, while only 60 % positively assess Ukraine’s future.
“82 % of adolescents hopefully look to their future. The “Future Index” findings show that our teens retain faith in their future, but need more support in determining their professional path. Our task is to create conditions in which every child’s talents and abilities can be applied right here in Ukraine. We strive for every child, adolescent, or young person, regardless of where they live, in what conditions they grow up, or what they experienced because of the war, to have equal access to education and development,” Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine and founder of the Foundation, says.
Despite the circumstances in our country, adolescents continue to dream and make plans. The war, the socio-economic situation, the educational environment, family support, self-esteem, and the availability of opportunities influence their expectations. What are the main factors determining their choice? What challenges do they face? The “Future Index: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine” research answers these questions.
Key facts that show how adolescents see their future and development in society:
The efficient career guidance for children from institutions is further complicated by the lack of ongoing support and advice from elders, parents, or guardians and the lack of life and social skills development.
“Researching the professional expectations of adolescents is a state’s strategic planning tool. We must understand how young people view themselves, what they strive for, and what prevents them from realizing their potential here. As a think tank, KSE Institute works to ensure that decisions in education, economy, and renovation are based on real data,” Nataliia Shapoval, Head of KSE Institute, emphasizes.
Thoughts About the Future.
The research showed that every fourth child considers going abroad, and 14 % have not decided on this issue yet. The likelihood that a teen sees their future beyond Ukraine increases if the following factors are present: residing in a city, a pessimistic vision of the country’s future, certainty about their future profession, a higher level of self-esteem, English proficiency, and a higher level of parents’ education.
Another important fact: a significant connection was found between participation in volunteer activities and willingness to stay in Ukraine.
“One of the valuable findings of the research is the direct link between volunteering and adolescents’ willingness to build their future in Ukraine. When they participate actively in public life and feel involved in changes, they become co-authors of the country’s future. Therefore, developing opportunities for active extracurricular activities and career guidance is an investment not only for Ukrainian children but also for the resilience of the entire state during the war and subsequent recovery,” Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, noted.
Professional Orientation.
Children’s career expectations are primarily formed in a particular “vacuum,” without real connection to labor market demand. For example, today, the labor market needs about 17.9 % of industrial sector specialists, while adolescents’ interest in such professions makes up only 2.1 %. On the other hand, the IT field remains popular despite the decrease in market demand (1.5 % of EPO proposals versus 13.5 % of adolescents’ expectations).
Another trend stands out among the results—gender differences in choosing a future profession: most girls more often see their future in the fields of media, services, law, and design, while boys are more inclined towards the auto business, logistics, transportation, the agricultural sector, and IT.
“The 'Future Index' research demonstrates the need to more actively work on career guidance for adolescents, improve the status of vocational professions, and create the instruments to stimulate the economic activity of youth. For this purpose, the Ministry of Economy has several programs: grants for youth, better terms and conditions of the eOselya mortgage program, and the Create Ukraine program, which aims to return young Ukrainians from abroad. In addition, we change approaches to the labor market by updating labor legislation. For example, student employment contracts will be introduced, allowing students to combine study and work, and other regulations that will help the youth more efficiently protect their rights and be flexible. Also, we improve the state education order system to train more specialists currently needed in the market: engineers, builders, security and defense specialists, and others,” Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Economy of Ukraine, noted.
Human Capital.
According to the research findings, most adolescents believe that they have the best developed empathy (75 %) and motivation (68 %), while adaptability (55 %) and leadership (47 %) are mentioned much less often. A low level of analytical thinking was also found—only 37 % of adolescents demonstrate this skill as being developed, the lowest indicator among all assessed competencies.
Psycho-Emotional Environment and Extracurricular Activities.
Interesting data on the positive impact of extracurricular activities on psychological health exists. Children who attend such activities daily, especially in groups, demonstrate higher psychological health and overall well-being.
Sports clubs are the most popular extracurricular activity among adolescents—every second adolescent in Ukraine attends one.
A separate challenge is career guidance for children with special educational needs, which is complicated by several barriers, from physical inaccessibility to a lack of specialists and adapted materials. Access to inclusive services is much higher in large cities, while it often remains minimal in smaller ones.
“Adolescence is just as important as the first years of a child’s life. This is a time when changes occur not only in adolescents’ lives, but also in the entire society’s life,” Munir Mammadzadeh, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine, notes. “To develop human capital, we must invest in youth. Investing in their development and participation in public life is an investment in the future of Ukraine.”
In the current reality of full-scale war, the youth’s professional orientation is not just about career choices. This is human capital formation, which will determine the country’s recovery and development in the coming years. The research was presented to representatives of the state and diplomatic sectors, business, and public and charitable organizations.
Its findings can be used to create projects and programs to support youth, for government structures, ministries, employment services, local authorities, businesses, and educational institutions. They will also be useful for teachers, school psychologists, parents, teenagers themselves, and everyone who helps young people take the first steps in choosing their career path.
The research was represented in collaboration with the KSE Institute and UNICEF in Ukraine. The event took place as part of the opening of the “Career Festival” at VDNH (Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy).
From May 22 to 25, 2025, you can visit the “Career Festival” and view the exhibition based on study findings in the VDNG pavilion No. 4.
Kateryna Osadcha, Head of the Kateryna Osadcha Foundation and founder of the “Platform of the Future Profession” project for adolescents, moderated the presentation.
See more about the outcomes of the “Future Index: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine” study at https://zelenskafoundation.org/future-index
For reference:
The Olena Zelenska Foundation is a Ukrainian charitable organization founded by Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, in 2022.
The Foundation implements projects for children, adolescents, and youth in three main areas: family-based care development and support, children’s access to education and development, and psychosocial support for adolescents and youth. During the full-scale war years, more than 70 partners from more than 30 countries joined the Foundation’s projects.
“Future Index” is an initiative of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, launched in 2023. At that time, Ukrainian children’s well-being was comprehensively assessed for the first time in nine key domains: from education and mental health to safety, social links, and the institutional care system. A pilot research in 2023 showed that education is one of the most vulnerable domains in the overall well-being of children in Ukraine.
This year, the Foundation initiated the research in a separate area. This research primarily focuses on analyzing the youth’s plans and expectations regarding their professional future and examining how they are influenced by the war, their educational and psychological environment, their family, and their socio-economic conditions.
