Kyiv, 22 April 2026 – Throughout 2025, a total of 18,166 Ukrainians gained basic and applied digital skills via free training in Digital Education Hub libraries across the country. Trainees learned how to use a computer, smartphone, and the internet, and also received individual consultations.

The training was conducted as part of the two-year “Libraries Develop Digital Literacy to Strengthen Community Resilience and Recovery” project, which is designed to make modern digital skills accessible to residents of all regions. The project is implemented by the Ukrainian Library Association with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine as part of the DIA Support Project – implemented with funding from Sweden – and in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

The project was implemented in two stages. First, 1,039 hub coordinators from all regions from August to November 2025 underwent a week-long online training course. They were trained, in particular, in working with artificial intelligence tools, setting up learning spaces, developing communication skills, and planning educational events for the community.

After their training, the coordinators went on to conduct digital literacy classes and consultations for visitors to the Digital Education Hubs in their communities. As a result, more than 13,500 women and 4,500 men learned how to use a smartphone, computer, and the internet. Before undergoing training or receiving consultations, 45 percent of users assessed their digital skills as below average. After that, the number of such users decreased to 3 percent.

Those who underwent training in the Digital Education Hub libraries gave the training positive reviews:

• “Now I can pay for utilities online and order certificates through (the e-governance application) Diia. I thank the library for the opportunity to learn this for free,” said a male trainee from Vinnytsia region. 
• “Such consultations for people of older age are extremely necessary and useful. Thanks to the library and coordinators, older people are not alone, because they have somewhere to turn for help,” said a woman user from Vinnytsia region.
• “I’m very grateful for the support and patience of the library coordinator. I used to be afraid of computers, but now I use them with confidence in everyday life,” added a woman user from Dnipropetrovsk region.

The “Network of Hubs” section has also been updated on the Diia.Education platform so that everyone can find the perfect place for development. In particular, each hub now has a detailed description of amenities: you can find a space with an access ramp, fast Wi-Fi or a children's corner. A hub news feed has been created – so that visitors can receive timely information about events in the hub, as well as a section with user stories – about how people in different parts of Ukraine are mastering digital skills and changing their lives. To find the nearest location – a library, Administrative Services Centre or educational centre, you need to select your community or the necessary amenities in the “Network of Hubs” section on the Diia.Education platform. 

“Over the past six years, the share of Ukrainians who consider learning digital skills relevant has increased from 47 percent to 56 percent,” said Ruslana Korenchuk, CEO Diia.Education, CDTO Campus. “Digital literacy is becoming the same basic competence of a modern person as the ability to read or count. But the demand for training is not enough – we need places where you can come and learn. This is the role of the network of Hub libraries, which we’re developing in cooperation with UNDP with the support of Sweden and the Ukrainian Library Association. Field coordinators work on free educational series, tests and simulators of the Diia.Education platform, so that everyone in Ukraine – regardless of age, place of residence or life situation – can master the most necessary skills near their home.”

The project to develop a network of Digital Education Hub libraries has been implemented annually since 2022. In 2026, the initiative has been continued, with training for hub library coordinators and their visitors started in April.

“A lack of digital skills is one of the three main reasons why people do not use e-services. This is especially true for older people, as they are the least likely to use the Internet and e-services in Ukraine. That is why UNDP, with the support of Sweden, has been helping the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for the fourth year in a row to develop a network of Digital Education Hubs that teach digital literacy to people across the country,” said Olena Ursu, UNDP in Ukraine Democratic Governance Portfolio Team Leader.

“The latest study showed that the number of people who did not use government e-services during the year in 2025 decreased by half – from 44 percent in 2024 to 22 percent. This is evidence that comprehensive work to increase digital literacy in Ukraine, including through training people in libraries hubs, is yielding results.”

“Ukrainians most often turn to the Digital Education Hubs for help in learning how to use a smartphone, search for information on the Internet, pay for utilities, and learn more about the resources of Diia.Education,” says Oksana Brui, President of the Ukrainian Library Association. “Thus, the library hubs boost people’s confidence in using modern technologies and have now become the main centres of digital transformation in communities.”

Earlier, the Diia.Education platform launched an interactive map showing the locations throughout Ukraine of about 2,500 libraries, training centres, Administrative Services Provision Centres, and IT spaces. By entering the name of their community in the search, users can find the address and contacts of their nearest Digital Education Hub. They can also apply for their institution to become part of the hub network. The partners also launched two tools for librarians to develop digital literacy on the platform: the Digigram and the Digital Competence Framework.

Media inquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy: yuliia.samus@undp.org