Career Festival at VDNG: HUMAN CAPITAL is an interactive career guidance space of the Kateryna Osadchyi Foundation, created for teenagers and young people as an entry point into the world of professions and conscious choice of the future.

The location became part of the project “Platform of the Future Profession” and united education, business and government around a common goal — to help young people better understand themselves, their strengths and opportunities in the labor market. The 190 m² space, located at the main entrance of the festival, symbolized the beginning of the professional path.

Over the course of four days, more than 5,000 visitors — teenagers, parents and guests of the event — participated in the activities of the location. 3,580 participants passed the express soft skills test and received personalized “profession passports”, which helped them better understand their own inclinations. Among the participants were girls (more than 2.3 thousand), there were about 1.2 thousand boys, which reflects the high interest of young people in self-knowledge and career planning.

Participants could:

• pass tests and identify your key competencies;
• immerse yourself in the profession with the help of VR technologies;
• get individual advice from career experts;
• learn more about skills development and family support;
• Engage in open conversations about career and future.

The most common “superpowers” identified by participants were: helping others (21%), solving problems (19.7%), creativity (16.4%), technical skills (11.6%), and analytical thinking (9.5%). This demonstrates the demand of young people for both social and applied professions.

An important part of the location was the podcast area, where they recorded 10 open conversations with representatives of the state, business and education about career opportunities in Ukraine. There was also a public discussion about the role of career guidance in rebuilding the country, which brought together key labor market stakeholders.

Career consultants from partner organizations and more than 50 volunteers joined the location to help participants go through all stages of experience — from testing to a deeper understanding of their own capabilities.

HUMAN CAPITAL is not just about getting to know professions, but about creating an environment where teenagers can safely explore themselves, try new things and build confidence in their own future. The project shows that career guidance is not a one-time solution, but a process in which experience, support and access to real opportunities are important.