The government has approved English proficiency requirements for civil servants
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education and Science, has established new requirements regarding English proficiency for candidates for a number of positions in public administration, education, and science.
According to the decision, candidates for Category “A” civil service positions, as well as heads of local state administrations, their first deputies, and deputies, must have English proficiency at a level no lower than B1 on the CEFR scale.
Higher requirements—no lower than level B2—have been established for heads of state scientific institutions and higher education institutions. At the same time, a differentiated approach will be applied to certain Category “B” and “C” civil service positions, as well as some positions in the fields of education and science: the required level of language proficiency will depend on job duties and functions.
Separately, it is stipulated that proficiency in another official language of the European Union may also be taken into account. If a candidate possesses proficiency in that language at a level no lower than B2, the English language proficiency requirement may be lowered to B1.
The requirements apply only to a specific list of positions and do not apply to all civil servants or employees in the education sector.
The new regulations will not take effect immediately. According to the legislation, the requirement for English proficiency for such positions will take effect several years after the termination or lifting of martial law in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Education and Science emphasizes that implementing this decision will not require additional spending from the state budget but will require those planning to hold these positions to master the language.
The Law “On the Use of the English Language in Ukraine” provides for the phased introduction of English as the language of international communication in the public sector. Previously, language proficiency requirements were not clearly defined for different categories of positions, which served as the basis for the government’s decision.
