A destroyed bridge over a river.

    Skilled workers for rebuilding Ukraine
         His dream is to rebuild the destroyed Antonivsky Bridge near Kherson one day

    Serhii is 16 years old and attends a vocational school, where he is training to become a welder. A conscious decision – because, for Serhii, welding is more than just a trade. Welding will have a key role in rebuilding his country.

    His dream is to one day help reconstruct the destroyed Antonivsky Bridge near Kherson, which for him is a symbol of connection and returning to normal life. With great determination, he is therefore learning the basics of his trade: safety, precision and endurance. It is clear to him that he does not just want to talk about change, but to shape it with his own hands.

    His story epitomises a generation that is preparing to play an active role in shaping Ukraine’s future. The aim of the Skills4Recovery initiative, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and its member states Poland, Estonia and Denmark, is to provide targeted training for young people in reconstruction-related professions. Serhii’s vocational school receives funding through this programme.

    A young man in work clothes in a welding workshop.
    I’d like to be able to say one day that I, too, helped build this bridge.
    Serhii, training to be a welder

    As at: 04/05/2026