Estonian Center for International Development Cooperation (ESTDEV) and U.S. Embassy in Kiev as part of the “Emerging Donors Challenge Program Round Eight” program.
Commissioned by Ukrainian Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EEPO)
Creating an Export Academy in Ukraine is a training program for graduates of the Train the Trainers Pilot 2019 and Train the Trainers 2020/2021. During these programs, the participants (Regional Export Consultants – RECs), together with international experts, learned how to develop training courses, select appropriate tools, conduct workshops, and provide feedback on assignments. They developed the structure and content of a new training program aimed at fostering the export development and enhancement of small and medium-sized enterprises (hereinafter SMEs) in Ukraine.
Local export consultants (RECs) launched the developed training methodology in a pilot program aimed at enhancing the export skills of representatives from Ukrainian SMEs over a period of 6 months, from August to December 2022, as per the new project action plan. Six online workshops were conducted for Ukrainian SMEs, along with feedback sessions on homework assignments for participants in a trainer-led format under the guidance of international mentors. Additionally, 20 companies in a self-paced format received written feedback on their submitted homework. The preparation and execution of the training activities by the RECs were supervised by international experts.
The first stage of the Export Academy involved the online Master Training for RECs, their independent work, and a collaborative learning methodology to develop the structure and content of the export training program under the guidance of international mentors. A total of 144 participants successfully met the requirements and completed the pilot program, with 118 SMEs undergoing beginner-level training through self-directed learning, and 26 SME representatives completing advanced-level training.
Nineteen enthusiastic export consultants piloted their acquired knowledge and skills with the aim of boosting the exports of local companies in the coming years. Discussions were also held with export consultants and representatives of the Ukrainian Enterprise Export Agency (EEPO) to plan further activities, ensuring their continued utilization of the created training materials and the expertise of local consultants independently.
As a result of co-creation, the following tasks were completed:
Production of videos and materials for 6 training modules in Ukrainian.
Conducting 6 virtual workshops in Ukrainian.
Providing feedback on advanced homework in Ukrainian and English.
Organizing online meetings with international mentors.
74% of participants reported having significantly improved their knowledge, 8% reported life-changing improvements, and 11% said they had average changes in knowledge.
As a result of the feedback survey, consultants studying to become export trainers evaluated the program as follows:
84% of the participants reported an increase in their self-esteem regarding their previous knowledge and skills during the project.
94% of participants considered the training project useful.
Personal and professional development was rated at 8.4 out of 10 points.
The organization of the training received a rating of 9.4 out of 10 points.
Cooperation with international mentors was rated 9.9 out of 10 points on a 10-point scale.
As a result of the feedback survey, local export entrepreneurs rated the pilot program as follows:
93% of local exporters highly valued the knowledge gained in the pilot program.
The usefulness of the training was highly appreciated, receiving a rating of 9.2 out of 10 points.
The organization of the training was assessed at 9.7 out of 10 points.
Ukrainian consultants’ skills were evaluated between 4.8 and 5 points.
93% of local exporters highly valued the knowledge gained in the pilot program.
Participants in the educational program highly appreciated the qualification level of the trainers. Given that the maximum possible score is 5, the average score for all performers was 4.8 points.
After the end of the program, we also monitored the impact of the skills and knowledge gained by the participants. We asked the participants to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the learning materials, workshops, and feedback sessions. Please see the results below.
A total of 391 applications were received for the open competition in the first phase, from which 20 companies were selected to participate in a trainer-led format, and 240 companies were approved to participate at their own pace. Participants hailed from all regions of Ukraine.
In the second phase, 721 applications were received, from which 23 companies were selected to participate in a trainer-led format, and nearly 420 companies were approved to participate at their own pace.
The companies led by trainers represent a wide variety of sectors, including light industry, mechanical engineering, cosmetics production, the food industry, manufacturing, and engineering industries such as power supply, furniture, equipment, and primary packaging production, among others.
The self-paced format covers a diverse range of sectors, including light industry, furniture, agriculture, food products, confectionery, machinery, equipment production, cosmetics, nutritional systems, security systems development and production, production automation, engineering, equipment production, container production, alcohol, lighting, processing, beverages, and more.
