How does Career Start help future accountants creatively solve business challenges and think beyond the traditional “debit-credit” framework?

Within the Career Start grant program, CEDEPE LLC from Lviv received funding of UAH 292,800 to implement a project (the third-largest grant), aimed at providing practical skills to seven future accountants. This initiative has become an important step in young people’s professional development by offering them the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the field of accounting.

“Immersing young professionals in real business processes works like a quantum leap. It allows them to acquire practical, hands-on skills necessary for further professional growth. Today, we all clearly understand that theoretical knowledge alone is not enough for a successful career. That is why we are grateful for the grant support, which made it possible to create such an opportunity for young people”, – says Svitlana Lozova, Youth Project Manager at CEDEPE LLC.

The accounting profession in Ukraine is currently in high demand and offers competitive salaries, particularly for young specialists seeking to start a career in this field. The average salary of an accountant in Ukraine is UAH 23,000, which is 25% higher compared to February last year.

As of February 2025, 3,211 accounting vacancies were posted on Work.ua across Ukraine, indicating a strong demand in the labor market. At the same time, 13,405 resumes for accounting positions were published over the past three months, pointing to a high level of competition among candidates. Rabota.ua also features a wide range of accounting vacancies in various Ukrainian cities. For example, in Kyiv, employers are actively seeking payroll accountants, accounts payable accountants, VAT accountants, and specialists in other accounting areas.

“Creating an environment where young professionals can ask questions and receive answers while working on real tasks is, in my opinion, the best possible start to a career. Transferring knowledge and experience to the younger generation is extremely important, and this learning format is truly optimal”, – notes Dmytro, the project mentor and an experienced accountant with many years of professional practice.

The CEDEPE project is a vivid example of how grant support can foster the development of young specialists and prepare them for real professional challenges. At the core of all seven youth projects supported within the Career Start grant competition are young people aged 16-21, graduates of vocational education institutions who are interested in gaining professional experience and securing official employment in their field.

The supported projects go beyond direct employment after graduation from vocational schools and also include: developing practical skills for future accountants, grant and project writing, youth development in the beauty industry, legal business promotion, blockchain technologies and AI as approaches to business processes, modernization of School Bus seating, as well as business support and consulting.

Project participants share their impressions:

– Marko, 18, graduate of an economics department: “This program became a great opportunity for me to apply the knowledge I gained at university in practice. I learned how to work with accounting software and understand a company’s financial processes. This is very different from theory, because here I see real business tasks that need to be solved every day. Now I am confident that accounting is not just about numbers, but about logic and strategy”.

– Anastasiia, 18, final-year college student: “Previously, I only had a general idea of what an accountant does. Thanks to this project, I gained practical skills and confidence in myself. Working with real documents, preparing reports, and managing finances became much clearer through hands-on practice. Now I know that after graduation I will be ready to work without fear or doubt!”

– Anastasiia, 16, who joined the project after completing her studies: “This experience helped me understand how theory is applied in practice. Now I feel prepared to work in a real business environment. Teamwork, mentor consultations, and real-life cases made this learning experience not only useful, but extremely valuable for my future career”.

– Yuliia, 18: “I really liked that we worked on real cases and had the opportunity to consult experienced professionals. This is invaluable experience for professional growth. In addition to technical skills, I also learned how to communicate, ask the right questions, and think beyond just 'debit-credit'”.

– Solomiia, 18, also a project participant: “This program opened new horizons for me and helped me determine my future career path in accounting. I realized that this field is not only about numbers, but also about analytics, strategic planning, and even creativity in solving business challenges. This was exactly the understanding I had been missing before”.

The first stage of the Career Start grant competition began in December and covered six regions of Ukraine: Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Kyiv regions. The total grant budget is approximately UAH 1.5 million, with the maximum allowable amount per project set at UAH 380,000. Employer selection for funding was carried out by seven experts.