“Under the martial law, there are no competitions for positions. In peacetime, the competition itself served as a filter, as candidates put together their documents, studied basic legislation and prepared for tests. Nowadays, new employees are thrown straight into the job without this quasi-initial training and often get bogged down in legislation and basic service rules,” explains Tetiana Korobka, a Policy Advisor for Decentralisation and Local Self-Government at the Regional Office of U-LEAD in Sumy Oblast.
To help newcomers, U-LEAD has been running the programme “Steps for Specialists. Onboarding” for the past three years. Its goal is to help people confidently take their first steps in their careers. Here, they teach you how to understand legislation, communicate effectively with colleagues and managers and find your place in the team. And most importantly, work in a calm, confident and inspired manner.
“This training is not only about the ‘dry laws and regulations’. It is about the communication skills, asking questions, listening to others, and sharing experiences. These soft skills are what ensure that newcomers gain confidence and return to the municipality ready to support others,” says the advisor.
The best way to learn about the programme is to hear from those who have participated in it.
“I found this training fascinating, especially the practical sessions. We communicated and shared our experiences. I learned to ask more questions and stopped being afraid to clarify things. This really helped me to open up when talking to people. I realised that there is nothing scary in new things. Quite the contrary: they mean development. The training strengthened my capacity to work with documents and communicate with residents of the municipality,” said Olena Vlasenko, an expert in the architecture sector of Hrechani Pody municipality, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Yevheniia Minkevych, an expert in the financial department at Velyka Omeliana municipality, Rivne Oblast:
“I had just started the job and really struggled to understand how everything worked. The training provided a comprehensive overview of the things involved. The case studies were the most memorable as they showed how to act in real-life situations. This is a huge support for those who come to local self-government from other fields having no understanding of the processes at all. The programme helped me integrate into the team more quickly and start working with greater confidence.”
The training does produce results, Tetiana Korobka is positive. According to her, municipalities that already had participants in the programme often reapply, but this time they send other people:
“This means that the experience becomes valuable for the entire municipality and is passed on. Ultimately, it is not only the individual who benefits, feeling more empowered in a new role, but also the entire local self-government team.”
