CAREER CONSULTING AND ACTIVITY OF CAREER COUNSELORS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the current state, content, and main directions of the development of career counseling and the professional activity of career advisors in Ukraine. The relevance of the study is determined by the socio-economic challenges of martial law, the transformation of the labor market, and the high unemployment rate among young people, internally displaced persons, and veterans, which highlights the need for effective mechanisms of professional self-determination and employment. The article analyzes the establishment of the institute of career advisors within the system of the State Employment Service and outlines its functional responsibilities in accordance with the current legal and regulatory framework. The main areas of career advisors’ activity are considered, including the provision of social services, implementation of career guidance, preparation of clients for employment, and support for individuals with low competitiveness in the labor market. It is determined that career counseling serves as an important tool for developing career competence, self-realization, and youth mobility in modern conditions. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the forms and actors involved in providing career services – state employment centers, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and international partners. The priority directions of their activity in wartime conditions are identified: support for internally displaced persons, facilitation of veterans’ professional reintegration, development of youth potential, and enhancement of the competitiveness of the national workforce. The importance of international cooperation (in particular, participation in programs of the ILO, USAID, and UNDP) for improving the system of career services in Ukraine is also emphasized.