Quo vadis, a Ukrainian?

March 05, 2019

On March 5, the National University of Ostroh Academy hosted the international event in roundtable format "Quo vadis, a Ukrainian?". The event is devoted to the results of the research project "Social profile of the migrant worker from Ukraine" implemented by the Center for Social Studies of the National University of Ostroh Academy on the initiative of the Foreign Personnel Service and the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce within the framework of the social campaign "Partnership and Employment" (partnerstwo.info).

The goal of the event is to unite the efforts of scientists, experts, businessmen, representatives of the state and public sectors in order to analyze the orientations, challenges and trends of labor migration from Ukraine. Also, it was held in order to work out optimal solutions for the protection of the rights of Ukrainian migrants, to promote constructive practices of recruiting and employment of Ukrainian citizens abroad, mainly, in Poland, as well as the returning of Ukrainians to the Motherland.

«For the most part, Ukrainian universities are engaged in research due to their own scientific interests and rarely on the external order. Our research project became possible thanks to the development of the organization Foreign Personnel Service, which decided to deeply investigate the problems of Ukrainian labor migration. We received help from Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce. This is a vivid example of how Ukrainian business can collaborate with university centers or laboratories to study and solve certain problems. It was very interesting for us to conduct this study because we have gained new experience and have been able to join the social partnership "Partnership and Employment", which helps our citizens to adapt to new challenges and working conditions abroad,» - comments the coordinator of the research project "Social profile of the migrant worker from Ukraine" Vitalii Lebediuk.

According to the chairman of the Committee on Migration and Employment of the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce Pavel Kulaha, it is not a secret that every fifth Polish company is employing Ukrainians. And this trend will not drop even over the next few years. However, at the end of 2018, Ukrainian migrants together with Polish employers were tensely expecting when Germany's labor market would open. For migrants, this is a chance for higher earnings, but for Polish entrepreneurs this step means the outflow of diligent and hard-working Ukrainians to a neighboring country, and as a result, a significant shortage of manpower.

«In the study, we tried to follow the frame of mind and expectations of Ukrainian labor migrants. Therefore, Ukrainian citizens who already had working experience in Poland was chosen as a target group. Will they choose Poland in the future? What counter actions are expected from employers, employment agencies and host country? What will affect the decision of the migrant worker to extend his stay in Poland? The results of the survey should be taken into account not only by the Polish side. There are obvious motives for the Ukrainians to rush for earnings overseas, the main of which is the economic situation in their own country. At the same time, one cannot be unpleased with the reason for the refusal to go abroad that we have met among the responses. I mean the one called "I have a job in Ukraine". Given the good-neighborly relations between our states, Poland would be much more pleased to compete with Ukraine on equal terms in the struggle for working hands», - claims Pavel Kulaha.

The results of the research project "Social profile of the migrant worker from Ukraine" can be checked here.