Institutional support for employment of graduates of higher education institutions in the context of challenges and threats

Wartime conditions radically changed the situation on the Ukrainian labor market, especially for young people who have completed their studies at higher education institutions. Graduate employment is becoming more difficult due to infrastructure destruction, reduced economic activity, changing regional job availability, and security threats. At the same time, young professionals remain an important resource for rebuilding the state. In this context, it is extremely relevant to analyze the main problems that arise when they enter the labor market and find ways to overcome them. The article examines the institutional provision of employment for graduates of higher education institutions in Ukraine in the context of pre-war and wartime challenges and threats. An analysis of the regulatory framework and key events that influenced the employment of graduates of higher education institutions and led to the transformation of the labor market in the context of the development of digitalization, non-standard forms of employment, and changes in employers' priorities was carried out. Effective implementation of institutional support requires a combination of efforts by government agencies, higher education institutions, businesses, the State Employment Service, international organizations, and public institutions. It is this interaction that ensures the formation of a comprehensive organizational mechanism that includes monitoring labor market needs, updating educational programs, developing partnerships, and creating targeted youth support programs. Therefore, institutional support for graduate employment in the context of challenges and threats should be considered a strategic priority of state policy, which will contribute to the restoration and modernization of the Ukrainian economy, increasing the competitiveness of human capital, and creating the prerequisites for sustainable development of society.