Closing the climate services skills gap in Ukraine through competency-based education

The effective development and use of climate services depend on specialists who possess not only 
scientific knowledge but also clearly defined, practice-oriented competencies that enable the 
transformation of climate data into actionable information for decision-making. In Ukraine, 
climate services remain at an early stage of institutional development, and a persistent skills gap 
exists between climate information providers and users, particularly in climate-sensitive economic 
sectors and public administration. 
The Erasmus+ project “Multilevel Local, Nation- and Regionwide Education and Training in 
Climate Services, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation” (ClimEd; 2020–2026; 
http://climed.network) addresses this challenge by implementing a competency-based approach to 
climate education across multiple levels of learning. Rather than focusing on isolated training 
activities, the project establishes an integrated education pathway that links postgraduate 
education, professional development, and public climate literacy. 
At the academic level, ClimEd has developed PhD and Master’s programmes in Climate Services, 
alongside a Master’s programme in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. These 
programmes emphasise competencies related to climate data management, climate model 
interpretation, climate product development, sectoral application of climate information, and 
climate communication. In parallel, targeted professional development programmes support 
decision-makers and practitioners in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, urban management, 
water resources, energy, and construction. Massive open online courses further extend climate 
literacy to broader audiences. 
Course content and competency profiles are informed by a structured needs assessment involving 
297 stakeholders from climate-dependent sectors and 48 climate service providers, ensuring that 
identified skills gaps are translated into concrete learning outcomes and assessment criteria. 
Teaching and learning approaches prioritise applied learning through project-based, case-based, 
inquiry-based, and experiential methods, supported by blended and online delivery formats. 
Common quality principles ensure consistency, accessibility, and alignment between 
competencies, learning activities, and assessment across institutions  
By systematically embedding required competencies into curricula and training programmes at 
different qualification levels, ClimEd provides a concrete mechanism for reducing the climate 
services skills gap in Ukraine. The project demonstrates how competency-based education can 
strengthen human capacity, improve the usability of climate information, and enhance the 
integration of climate services into sectoral decision-making, offering a model applicable beyond 
the Ukrainian context.