SUCCESS STORY: Kseniia, 47 — new professional start after a forced pause
Case Study of the BLOOM Program
Kseniia, 47, is an internally displaced person from Nikopol. After the outbreak of the full-scale war, she moved to Dnipro, where she worked as a cost estimation specialist at a state design institute. However, in recent months the institute’s activity essentially came to a halt: salaries were not paid, and eventually employees were placed on indefinite forced leave.
Her professional experience was connected with industrial design, particularly metallurgical facilities. With the war, demand for such projects dropped significantly, and Kseniia began searching for new opportunities to retrain and secure a stable income.
Learning about the course “Building the Future: Innovative Construction for a New Ukraine” within the BLOOM Program (Building Livelihoods and Opportunities for Optimised Markets), implemented by a consortium of Swisscontact, Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Right to Protection (R2P) together with local partners GERZ Construction Association LLC and the Educational Alliance for Ukraine (EAUA), Kseniia decided to try herself in a new field — construction. Although the industry was unfamiliar to her, she quickly engaged in the learning process and demonstrated strong motivation to acquire practical skills.
“For me, this is not just a course, it’s a new direction of growth. I see that construction is a field with a future. For me, it’s an opportunity to return to the labor market after a forced pause,” — says Kseniia.
Participation in the program helped her regain professional confidence and discover new career prospects. She plans to continue her studies in construction and pursue deeper specialization. Kseniia is already considering enrolling at a university to combine her previous experience in cost estimation with new knowledge in civil construction.
“The more I study, the more I realize that I want to develop in this field. Construction gives a sense of stability and perspective. This training has become a point of support for me. I once again feel that I can grow, make plans, and move forward,” — Kseniia notes.
Ksenia during the presentation of her work.
Ksenia (center) at the graduation ceremony. (Caption for a second photo, if applicable)