KSE Institute presented the preliminary results of the study “Future Index: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine”, initiated by the Olena Zelenska Foundation and implemented in cooperation with the humanitarian organization People in Need and financial support from the Czech people. The presentation took place on May 22 in Kyiv, as part of the opening of the Career Festival at VDNG, held in partnership with UNICEF Ukraine.

The study of career plans among adolescents aged 13 to 16 is a continuation of the broader Future Index initiative, first presented in 2023. This year’s analysis focuses on their career expectations and vision of the future, as well as how this is influenced by family socio-economic status, educational and psychological environment. More than 5,000 adolescents and the same number of their parents or guardians from all regions of Ukraine (except temporarily occupied territories) took part in the survey.

“We want every child, teenager, or young person – regardless of where they live, the conditions they grow up in, or the experiences they’ve endured due to the war – to have equal access to education and development,” said Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine and founder of the Foundation. 

“The study of adolescents’ professional expectations is a tool of strategic planning for the state. We need to understand how youth see themselves, what they strive for, and what prevents them from realizing their potential here. KSE Institute, as an analytical center, works to ensure that decisions in education, the economy, and reconstruction are based on real data. At the same time, KSE invests in education, environment, and infrastructure — so that youth stay and build careers here, connecting their future precisely with Ukraine,” emphasized Nataliia Shapoval, Head of KSE Institute.

A notable fact is that 82% of adolescents see their personal future as hopeful, but only 60% evaluate Ukraine’s future positively. 25% are considering the possibility of moving abroad, another 14% are undecided. Most often, emigration is considered by children with a higher self-assessment of their English proficiency, as well as those who view the country’s future less optimistically, urban residents, and children from families with higher levels of parental education.

Another important result is the finding that adolescents’ participation in volunteering has a positive impact on the desire to stay in Ukraine. It is likely that a sense of involvement in public life strengthens the willingness to connect their future with Ukraine and take part in its recovery.

Key facts about adolescents’ vision of their professional future:

• Only 30% of adolescents can name who they want to be at the age of 30, which is almost twice as low as the OECD average.

• Popular professions often do not match the needs of the labor market, particularly in industry, logistics, and the agricultural sector. Sectors with staff shortages remain outside adolescents’ attention.

• Gender significantly influences the choice of profession: girls more often choose media, law, design, while boys choose IT, transport, the agricultural sector, and technical specialties.

• 74% of adolescents talk with their parents about their future in order to determine their future profession. Less often they engage in other career guidance activities, such as company visits (11%), meetings with career counselors (7%), internships (3%).

Other important findings include:

• The average grade of Ukrainian students is 8.4 out of 12, with girls showing higher results, particularly in languages and STEM disciplines. However, they choose these areas less often in professional planning.

• 90% of children take part in extracurricular activities, although access significantly decreases in frontline regions. Sports clubs are the most popular — every second child attends such clubs.

• Regular extracurricular activities have a positive impact on children’s psycho-emotional health.

• Main barriers to participation in extracurricular activities: low motivation among adolescents (37%), financial difficulties (36%), lack of clubs (33%) near the place of residence.

• Adolescents positively evaluate their social-emotional skills (empathy and motivation), but the level of analytical thinking remains low (37%).

Representatives of key state institutions, international organizations, diplomatic missions, relevant non-governmental organizations, and businesses working in the field of youth career guidance took part in the presentation of the study results. A thematic exhibition dedicated to the key findings can be viewed from May 22 to 25, 2025, in Pavilion 4 at VDNG.

The results of the study “Future Index: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine” (2025) and the “Future Index” (2023) are available here.

Reference:

The Olena Zelenska Foundation implements projects for children, teenagers, and youth in three areas: support for family-based care, access to education and development, and psychosocial assistance. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, over 70 partners from more than 30 countries have joined the Foundation’s projects. 

The “Future Index” is an initiative launched by the Foundation in 2023. This year, it focuses on analyzing the expectations of Ukrainian teenagers regarding their professional future.