From 21 to 24 May, the grounds of VDNG played host to the Career Festival 2026 - a large-scale event that brought together representatives of educational initiatives, employers, youth organisations, career counsellors, students, and everyone with an interest in learning, professional development, and building a career.
The National Centres for Europass and Euroguidance , along with the National Coordinator of Eurodesk in Ukraine, all took part in the festival. For four days, the teams at location A17 engaged with visitors and offered consultations on opportunities for learning, professional growth, and mobility within the Ukrainian and European education and labour spaces.
Joining us at the location were colleagues from the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, who advised visitors on possibilities for international cooperation, study, and participation in Erasmus+ programmes.
Particular attention from visitors was drawn to the Europass platform and its tools for learning and career development. Throughout the festival, the team provided guidance on creating a Europass CV, completing a profile, building a digital skills portfolio, and making the most of the platform for educational and professional opportunities. For many visitors, it was their very first encounter with the service and its practical tools for career planning.
Equally relevant were questions around professional orientation and career counselling, represented at the festival by Euroguidance. Visitors were keen to understand how to identify their own professional direction, where to find up-to-date information on education and skills development, and how to adapt to the demands of today's labour market. The face-to-face conversations made it possible not only to offer practical advice, but to explore the real challenges that young people and early-career professionals face when building their futures.
Eurodesk, meanwhile, kept young visitors informed about international mobility, youth exchanges, volunteering programmes, and other opportunities to take part in international initiatives.
The Career Festival 2026 once again demonstrated the depth of public interest in education, professional development, and career planning. Over the course of four days, the event welcomed 99,156 visitors, with 302 companies and organisations taking part — employers, educational institutions, representatives of the public and civil society sectors, business education providers, career guidance specialists, and professional counsellors.
The festival hosted 274 events, which drew more than 4,000 participants in person and a further 3,300 online. More than 700 schoolchildren and students took part in guided tours organised by the Career Festival, while around 2,000 visitors participated in the Career Flight quest. Express interviews formed a separate strand of the programme: 452 people took part, and a total of 216 interviews were conducted.
Events like this serve as a vital platform for direct dialogue, the exchange of experience, and the sharing of information about educational and career opportunities. For the Europass, Euroguidance, and Eurodesk teams, taking part in the festival was a chance not only to present their initiatives, but to gain a clearer understanding of the real needs of young people and professionals today.
We extend our gratitude to the organisers of the Career Festival 2026 for creating a space for dialogue and collaboration, and to every visitor — for their openness, their thoughtful questions, and their enthusiasm for the opportunities that learning, development, and international mobility have to offer.
