Iryna Kuzomko completed her master's degree at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in 2019. She arrived in Estonia in March 2022 and signed an employment contract about a month later.

"I work in the construction field, dealing with glass facades, windows, doors, and I had similar experience in Ukraine. That's how I found a position here, and for me, it was very, very fortunate," Kuzomko told ERR in Estonian.

Initially, Iryna worked in English but quickly started studying Estonian. She is currently enrolled in a B2-level language course.

"I have classes twice a week, and that means on two days I also do homework, which takes one to three hours a day. So basically, I study four days a week," said Kuzomko.

Kuzomko noted that coming alone made it easier to start her life in Estonia. "For those with children or elderly parents, it's much, much harder, especially if there isn't enough time to learn the language, or if the person worked as an accountant or doctor, it's much more difficult for them," she explained.

Katrin Liivamets, head of the employer services department at the Unemployment Insurance Fund, and Ulla Saar, deputy secretary general for labor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, said that Ukrainians are becoming more active in the job market as they settle their daily lives and future plans.

"Where will I live? Where can my children attend kindergarten or school? Plans have become clearer, whether to stay here long-term as the war in Ukraine continues. Once the decision to stay is made, people start looking for jobs and want to contribute to their family's well-being and participate in society here," Saar said.

About 40 percent of Ukrainians perform unskilled labor, with nearly a quarter working in the manufacturing industry. This is partly because the education received in Ukraine does not meet Estonian standards. However, additional training is also being organized.

Katrin Liivamets mentioned that the best example has been healthcare workers whose qualifications were not initially sufficient to start working in Estonia. "For them, Tartu Health Care College offered a one-year harmonization or bridging program. People actively started to enhance their knowledge and skills and learned Estonian in parallel," she said.

The unemployment rate among Ukrainians has also decreased. Currently, around 3,100 Ukrainians are registered as unemployed, which constitutes 6.5 percent of all unemployed people in Estonia.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!