Since 2022, millions of people from Ukraine have found refuge across Europe, the majority of them women. Research shows that many of these women possess professional experience, higher education qualifications, and even entrepreneurial backgrounds. However, they often face significant challenges when integrating into foreign labour markets. Increasingly, sustainable integration is understood not only as access to employment, but also as the opportunity to create and develop one’s own business.
In response to these challenges, the Erasmus+ strategic partnership project “Women on the RISE: Upskilling Ukrainian Women through Sustainable and Digital Entrepreneurship Learning Pathways” (W-RISE), launched in 2024, is now approaching its conclusion and will be completed in May 2026. Throughout the project, partners from Lithuania, Poland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Germany have worked collaboratively to strengthen the entrepreneurial, digital, and green skills of Ukrainian women, thereby supporting their economic independence and integration into the European labour market.
In Lithuania, the project activities began with targeted partnerships with the organisations Ukreate and ALF in order to effectively reach the target group. One of the first strategic steps focused on strengthening the competences of adult educators through the implementation of international “Train of Trainers” sessions. During these trainings, educators gained not only methodological knowledge but also practical skills for working with the target group and applying innovative, inclusive teaching methods. Later, these specialists actively disseminated the project methodology and experience at both national and international levels through adult education organisations, networks, and communities, including the Lithuanian Adult Education Association.
The project developed a comprehensive and practice-oriented entrepreneurship training programme covering the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, business models, finance, e-commerce, marketing, and business planning. The programme also integrated principles of green entrepreneurship, sustainability, and modern marketing solutions aligned with current market demands. To ensure accessibility and inclusiveness, the training materials were prepared in several languages, including Ukrainian.
An important distinguishing feature of the project was its innovative teaching approach. Alongside the training programme, a gamification toolkit for adult educators was created to make learning more interactive, increase participant engagement, and improve learning outcomes. The practical nature of the programme enabled participants not only to acquire theoretical knowledge but also to apply it in real-life situations.
During the project, participants developed their own business plans and entrepreneurial ideas, while some continue their professional journeys through mentoring programmes and follow-up initiatives, such as the EPIC project implemented by Kaunas University of Technology. This demonstrates that the impact of W-RISE extends beyond the training period itself, fostering a long-term process of growth, empowerment, and integration.
