Sun One launches a nomination for companies investing in the development of blue-collar workers

Sun One continues its partnership with the HR Brand Ukraine Award and in 2026 introduces a special nomination: “Best Strategy for Attracting, Training, and Retaining Blue-Collar Workers.”

With more than 16 years of experience working with production and operational teams, we clearly understand that a successful business begins with the people who directly create the product, ensure the continuity of processes, and maintain the stability of a company’s operations. That is why Sun One aims to support and recognize employers who systematically invest in their workforce and make employee development one of the company’s key priorities.

Training and education of blue-collar workers at the center of the Sun One nomination

By launching this nomination, we want to emphasize the importance of training and education for blue-collar workers. Today, working with these specialists goes far beyond recruitment. It involves creating opportunities for development, upskilling and reskilling, as well as building a culture of professional growth.

Over the past few years, the competition for blue-collar workers has transformed into a new model: market-leading employers are no longer focused solely on offering better financial conditions but are increasingly investing in developing both the hard and soft skills of blue-collar employees. This opens a fundamentally new chapter in the way blue-collar workers are perceived and supported in Ukraine.

Now is the time for all market players who employ blue-collar workers to begin investing not only in quantitative growth but also in qualitative improvements to the working conditions of the blue-collar workforce. It is also a moment to share both successes and failures within our nomination: “Best Strategy for Attracting, Training, and Retaining Blue-Collar Workers,” comments Andrew Samchyshyn.

We would also like to note that cases in this category will be reviewed directly by the Sun One team, which will independently determine the winner based on its own practical experience working with blue-collar personnel.

Why participate

The HR Brand Ukraine Award is an annual independent award that recognizes the best projects in human capital management. It brings together companies of various sizes — from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations — to share practices, set standards, and improve the quality of HR management in Ukraine.

Participation in this year’s Sun One nomination is an opportunity for companies to demonstrate how they create conditions for the development of blue-collar professions, which HR practices truly transform the way companies work with frontline employees, and which approaches should be left in the past.

In particular, approaches are evaluated in the following areas:

• Blue-collar recruitment
• Employee training and professional development
• Employee retention strategies

We invite companies to submit their cases for participation in the HR Brand Ukraine Award 2026 and the special Sun One nomination.

To submit a case, please complete the participant application form and prepare an essay describing your experience, implemented approaches, and achieved results.

Share your experience, inspire the market, and confirm your leadership in working with blue-collar employees while contributing to the development of HR practices in Ukraine.