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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms 
of the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0

1 Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine (corresponding author)
E-mail: kov2101@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0830-766X
2 Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine
E-mail: kozhura.liudmyla@kneu.edu.ua
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4100-9530
3 Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Ukraine
E-mail: omelchenko_andrii@kneu.edu.ua
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8407-8555

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/2256-0742/2025-11-3-320-329

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS  
TO SUPPORT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS A RESULT OF WAR: 

WAYS OF INTEGRATION INTO THE LABOR MARKET
Oksana Kuzmenko1, Lyudmyla Kozhura2, Andrii Omelchenko3

Abstract. The article examines the issue of volunteer initiatives (activities of rehabilitation centers, entrepreneurial 
skills, social startups) that support persons with disabilities as a result of war and promote employment and 
economic independence of veterans with disabilities, as well as assess the cost and long-term economic effect 
of such programs for the state budget and local communities. The economic efficiency of volunteer programs to 
support people with disabilities as a result of war lies in the optimal ratio of resources (financial, human, material) 
invested in the rehabilitation, professional training and social adaptation of veterans and civilians, and the resulting 
social effect in the form of increasing their productivity, reducing costs for social benefits and medical care, as well 
as reducing the burden on the state budget. By organizing free training, employment at specialized enterprises and 
psychological support, volunteer initiatives contribute to the economic independence of people with disabilities, 
their return to the labor market and the formation of added value through the payment of taxes, which together 
provides a multiplier effect for local communities and the national economy as a whole. The subject of the article 
is economic indicators and mechanisms for the integration of military personnel with disabilities into the labor 
market through the implementation of volunteer programs and the provision of volunteer support. Research 
methods. When studying the economic efficiency of volunteer programs to support people with disabilities as a 
result of war, various methods are used that allow for a comprehensive consideration of the legal, social, economic 
and managerial aspects of this issue: the method of dialectical materialism; the method of abstraction; methods 
of analysis and synthesis; the functional method; the method of system analysis; the synergistic method; the 
comparative legal method; the method of interpretation and hermeneutics; the dogmatic method; the method of 
system analysis; the statistical method. The purpose of the article is to reveal the ways of integrating people with 
disabilities as a result of war into the labor market through effective volunteer programs. Conclusions. Volunteer 
support and volunteer programs play a key role in ensuring the integration of persons with disabilities as a result 
of war into the labor market through the following mechanisms: professional retraining and skills development 
involves volunteers organizing free training courses, master classes, and trainings adapted to the physical and 
psychological capabilities of participants (e.g., computer literacy, use of specialized equipment, craft or IT skills). 
This allows former military personnel with limited mobility to obtain a competitive profession and meets the needs 
of the modern labor market; career counseling and psychological support are more effective thanks to volunteer 
psychologists and social workers – persons with disabilities receive assistance in overcoming psychological barriers 
(fear of failure, low self-esteem) and orientation in choosing a profession based on their rehabilitated capabilities. 
Career counselors help with writing a resume, mastering interview techniques, and preparing for adaptation in 
the workplace; networking and mediation with employers – volunteers establish contacts with enterprises and 
organizations that are ready to create or adapt workplaces to the needs of people with disabilities (for example, 
ensuring office accessibility, special equipment). They conduct information and educational campaigns, organize job 
days and career fairs, where employers directly meet candidates, and volunteers help build partnerships; providing 



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technical means and social adaptation. Through charitable foundations and volunteer initiatives, participants  
receive the necessary rehabilitation tools (wheelchairs, prostheses, orthopedic equipment) and accompanying 
services (adaptive technology courses, voice-activated software, specialized tables or lifts). This significantly 
expands the opportunities to perform professional duties and increases the level of independence; creation of 
social enterprises and microbusinesses – volunteer programs support the initiatives of veterans with disabilities 
who seek to start their own business (small workshops, online stores, farmer cooperatives). Fiscal advice,  
assistance with business registration, mentoring by experienced entrepreneurs, and start-up capital (grants or 
microloans) from volunteers allow program participants to develop a market-resilient business and create jobs 
for themselves and others; legal support and advocacy of rights – volunteer lawyers provide information about 
labor rights, help to draw up the necessary documents to obtain the status of "Participant in hostilities" and  
benefits for persons with disabilities, and advise on employment and social protection issues. They also  
contribute to resolving disputes with employers and monitor compliance with employment quotas for persons 
with disabilities in accordance with the law. Thanks to this comprehensive approach, volunteer programs  
create conditions for former military personnel with disabilities not only for employment, but also for long-term 
social integration, which strengthens their economic independence and reduces the burden on the state social 
budget.

Keywords: state, state functions, administrative and legal regulation, reintegration of war veterans, state  
veteran policy, social protection of veterans, psychosocial support, legal support, mobile rehabilitation platforms, 
innovative employment technologies, monitoring and reporting, creation of social enterprises, financial literacy 
and business training, development of KPIs for volunteer projects, network marketing of job opportunities.

JEL Classification: H11, H30, H61, I38, R50, D72

Introduction
The economic efficiency of volunteer programs to 

support people with disabilities as a result of war and 
their integration into the labor market is an extremely 
relevant topic for several reasons. First, the armed 
conflict has led to a significant increase in the number 
of veterans and civilians with disabilities, for whom 
rehabilitation and employment are becoming critical 
factors in social adaptation. At the same time, the 
state does not always have time to promptly deploy its 
own rehabilitation programs, so volunteer initiatives 
often become the only available support mechanism.  
In this context, it is necessary to investigate the extent 
to which the resources invested (monetary, human, 
material) in volunteer projects are justified by real 
economic and social results – from reducing budget 
spending on social benefits to increasing employment 
and tax revenues.

Secondly, the integration of people with disabilities 
into the labor environment through volunteer courses, 
psychological support, legal support and partnership 
with employers contributes to the formation of 
sustainable economic models for the development 
of local communities. At the same time, assessing 
economic efficiency as a criterion for the feasibility of 
further expansion or modification of programs will 
help develop optimal state policy instruments that will 
combine the resources of volunteers, local authorities 
and business structures. Thus, scientific research 
will contribute to increasing the transparency and 
accountability of volunteer initiatives, will allow us to 

identify the factors of scaling up successful practices  
and predict their long-term impact on the national 
economy. Given the significant increase in the number 
of veterans and civilians with disabilities as a result 
of military operations, research into the economic 
efficiency of volunteer programs aimed at their 
rehabilitation and integration into the labor market 
becomes extremely relevant: it allows us to assess the 
extent to which the resources invested in such initiatives 
are compensated by reducing budget expenditures 
on social protection, increasing tax revenues and 
increasing labor productivity, as well as to formulate 
recommendations for optimizing the interaction of 
the state, volunteer organizations and business in 
order to increase the socio-economic sustainability of 
communities.

1. Research Methodology

1.1. Scientific Analysis of Works  
on the Research Topic

The issue of ways to integrate people with  
disabilities as a result of the war through the use of 
economic efficiency of volunteer support programs 
is the subject of active scientific discussion, especially 
in view of the challenges associated with the  
war in Ukraine. In domestic jurisprudence, the  
direction of research into the transformation of state 
functions in conditions of a state of emergency, 
military operations or large-scale social crises is  
actively developing.



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R.A. Zakharchuk emphasized that the work of 

volunteers usually boils down to various types of 
community work, organization of socially useful events 
(charity concerts, fundraising to support the needy), 
individual non-material assistance to individuals or 
organizations (disabled people, orphaned children, 
war veterans, non-profit organizations) (Zakharchuk, 
2023); it is determined that the provision of  
volunteer assistance to overcome the consequences 
of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation  
against Ukraine and/or another country against  
Ukraine, as well as for the post-war restoration and 
development of Ukraine includes various areas and 
types of volunteer activities aimed at helping affected 
people, restoring the country's infrastructure and 
social development. The author notes that the main 
aspects of this volunteer assistance may include:  
a) humanitarian assistance (collection and distribution 
of humanitarian goods, including food, medicines, 
clothing, hygiene products and other necessary 
materials among those affected by the conflict);  
b) psychological support (providing psychological 
assistance and consultations to victims, war veterans, 
families of the deceased and others who need support 
in overcoming trauma and stress caused by the 
war); infrastructure restoration (participation in the 
restoration of post-war infrastructure, construction of 
housing, schools, hospitals, roads and other facilities 
damaged by the war); social adaptation (assistance 
in the reintegration of military personnel, internally 
displaced persons and refugees into society, provision 
of legal, medical, educational and professional 
support for their adaptation and social integration); 
economic development (support for economic 
development and entrepreneurship projects aimed at 
creating new jobs, supporting small businesses and 
developing rural communities. These measures help 
overcome the consequences of the war, contribute to 
the restoration and development of the country, and 
also support social solidarity and civic association in 
conditions of military conflict (Zakharchuk, 2024). 
A.V. Kholodkov determines that the socialization of 
military personnel with disabilities as a result of the 
war is a comprehensive, systemic, long-term process. 
First of all, the effectiveness of this process depends 
on the participation of the state in its implementation. 
We believe that military personnel with disabilities as 
a result of the war are special subjects of administrative 
and legal relations, and that is why the state, paying  
them tribute and expressing respect for their  
performance of their military duty, must implement 
a set of measures to ensure compliance with their  
rights. The process of socialization of military 
personnel with disabilities as a result of the war  
must be considered comprehensively, and the 
state, represented by authorized subjects of public 
the administration should take a set of measures: 

socio-psychological; medical and rehabilitation; 
educational; personnel. The author emphasizes 
that the issue of socialization needs to be addressed 
more comprehensively, for example, to determine 
the role of the state in this process: social security,  
assistance in retraining, training and employment, 
medical care (treatment and rehabilitation), etc. 
(Kholodkov, 2023).

Bieling A. in the scientific work "Rights of persons 
with disabilities during the war in Ukraine" investigated 
how evacuation initiatives for people with disabilities 
contribute to their economic integration, in particular 
through the involvement of volunteer resources  
in the creation of temporary jobs for those who lost 
their ability to work during hostilities (Bieling, 2023).

Pisani D., Grech S. in the work "What barriers do 
persons with disabilities face regarding accessibility 
standards following conflict?" (International Disability 
Alliance) analyzed general approaches to the 
employment of people with disabilities during armed 
conflict, which is the basis for building volunteer 
programs with economic efficiency (Pisani, Grech, 
2015).

Marian Machlouzarides in her work "Empowering 
Persons with Disabilities in Eastern Ukraine"  
revealed cases of organizing volunteer centers for 
professional rehabilitation and their economic 
efficiency, describing indicators of employment of 
persons with disabilities as a result of the war (Marian 
Machlouzarides, 2022).

In addition, A.A. Solomenchuk investigated 
the peculiarities of the development of the 
volunteer movement in Ukraine under martial 
law; M.M. Lekholetova revealed the issue of social  
support for vulnerable categories of the population in 
wartime; R.V. Hrynko, A.F. Mota and S.A. Petrechenko 
revealed the issue of social protection of military 
personnel under martial law; E.V. Degtyarenko 
more thoroughly revealed the issue of psychological  
support for people with disabilitiesв war conditions.

However, domestic legal science has not yet 
systematically studied the issue of ways to integrate 
people with disabilities as a result of war through the use 
of economic efficiency of volunteer support programs. 
The following questions remain open: assessing the 
potential and needs of the target group; models for 
financing volunteer initiatives; developing adapted 
educational and training courses; mechanisms for 
partnership with employers; legal and social barriers; 
infrastructure accessibility and technical support; 
psychological support and guidance; monitoring 
and evaluation of economic results; integration into 
the national employment system; social enterprises 
and microbusinesses; forming a favorable image and 
support infrastructure; interregional coordination and  
exchange of experience; sustainability of programs after 
the end of the active phase of the conflict; financial 



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management and reporting of volunteer organizations; 
assessing the impact on local development.

Thus, the topic under study requires further scientific 
development, in-depth analysis of current legislation, 
institutional practice, and the study of international 
experience in relevant areas.

1.2. Methodological Features of the Research
When studying the issue of ways to integrate 

people with disabilities as a result of war through the 
application of the economic efficiency of volunteer 
support programs, various methods are used that allow 
comprehensively taking into account the legal, social, 
economic and managerial aspects of this area:
– the method of dialectical materialism when studying 
the integration of people with disabilities as a result 
of war through assessing the economic efficiency of 
volunteer programs is based on the analysis of material 
conditions and contradictions that arise between 
the needs of people with injuries and the existing 
employment system. First, the dialectical approach 
involves studying real socio-economic relations:  
what production resources (regional labor markets, 
financial and personnel capabilities of volunteer 
initiatives) are available to veterans with disabilities, 
and how these resources can be redirected through 
volunteer programs. Second, it is important to identify 
internal contradictions – for example, between the 
social task of ensuring social justice and market 
mechanisms of employment, which are often not 
adapted to the specific needs of people with disabilities. 
The third point is understanding the process of 
changes in social production: how the practice of 
volunteer programs forms a new social demand for 
inclusive jobs and what economic indications indicate 
a transition from situational assistance to sustainable 
employment models. Thanks to this movement from 
the "base" (material circumstances, resource shortages, 
legislative obstacles) to the "superstructure" (volunteer 
strategies, subjective activity of veterans, changes in 
social institutions), the researcher is able to outline 
specific ways to overcome inequality, build an effective 
mechanism for cooperation between volunteers  
and the state, and organize production processes that 
reduce to zero the contradictions between the right to 
decent work and real market conditions;
– the abstraction method in such a study consists in 
isolating the key parameters of volunteer programs 
(training costs, the cost of rehabilitation measures, 
the level of employment of veterans) and the  
main integration mechanisms (acquiring skills, 
psychological adaptation, interaction with employers), 
while distancing themselves from the individual 
characteristics of each participant or individual 
organization. Thanks to abstraction, a generalized  

model is created in which economic efficiency is  
revealed as a ratio of costs and results (reduction in 
social benefits, additional tax revenues, increased 
productivity), which allows the researcher to 
evaluate different integration scenarios without being 
"overloaded" with the specific details of each program. 
Thus, the focus shifts to identifying universal patterns  
of the impact of volunteer initiatives on the labor  
market, rather than to a detailed description of each 
individual case of employment;
– the analysis method is used to decompose the 
problem into components: in particular, economic 
indicators of volunteer programs (funding volumes, 
rehabilitation and retraining costs, social benefits), 
key stages of integration (acquisition of professional 
skills, employment, legal registration of status) and 
barriers (psychological, infrastructural, regulatory) 
are identified. After that, thanks to the synthesis, all 
these components are combined into a single model 
that demonstrates how, through cost optimization, 
volunteer initiatives can ensure the sustainable return 
of disabled veterans to the labor market and reduce 
state spending on social support. This approach allows 
combining a quantitative assessment of resources  
and a qualitative analysis of social processes, which 
provides a comprehensive vision of integration paths;
– the functional analysis method focuses on  
identifying and studying specific functions of volunteer 
programs as components of the integration system: in 
particular, the functions of professional rehabilitation 
(retraining and advanced training), social support 
(psychological support and legal counseling), 
mediation between veterans and employers 
(networking and assistance in employment), as well 
as the function of monitoring effectiveness (collection 
of employment and economic impact indicators). 
Each of these functions is analyzed separately – its 
tasks, resources, implementation stages – and then 
synthesized into a holistic model that demonstrates how 
their combination ensures sustainable integration of  
persons with disabilities into the labor market and 
optimization of costs for the state and society;
– the synergy method in this study involves considering 
volunteer support programs as an open complex 
system, where the interaction of its components of the 
resource base, educational initiatives, social support 
and partnership with employers creates an effect that 
exceeds the sum of the individual components. Using 
a synergistic approach, the researcher analyzes the 
mechanisms of self-organization of the process of 
integration of veterans with disabilities: how, through 
the simultaneous combination of psychological 
rehabilitation, professional retraining and economic 
motivation, a stable network of social ties is formed, 
which ensures not only employment, but also 
strengthens the overall economic potential of the 
community. In such a system, feedback loops are 



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important – for example, the successful employment 
of the first group of veterans increases the trust of  
business and the state in the program, which, in turn, 
stimulates the further inflow of resources and the 
attraction of new participants. It is this coordination 
between individual elements of the system that  
creates a complex multiplier effect, which would be 
difficult to achieve through an isolated analysis of each 
function of the program;
– the comparative legal method involves comparing 
Ukrainian legislation on the employment of persons 
with disabilities (in particular, norms on quotas, 
compensations and benefits) with the relevant 
regulatory acts of countries that have successful 
experience of integrating veterans through volunteer 
programs (for example, Germany or the USA). This 
allows us to identify differences in approaches to 
financing rehabilitation initiatives, mechanisms for 
cooperation with business, and the effectiveness of 
state grant programs. Based on such a comparison, best 
practices are identified, for example, flexible models 
of social contracts or tax benefits for employers who 
employ persons with disabilities and adapt them to 
Ukrainian realities, adjusting domestic norms taking 
into account the economic and social specifics of 
wartime;
– the method of interpretation and hermeneutics 
is used to deeply understand the meaning of legal 
norms, program documents, and personal narratives  
of participants in volunteer initiatives aimed at 
integrating persons with disabilities as a result of the 
war. In particular, the researcher analyzes the texts 
of legislation and social policy concepts, interprets 
them in the context of war realities to identify hidden 
assumptions and goals, and also pays attention to 
the impressions and conscious choices of veterans 
participating in the programs. Using a hermeneutic 
approach, the study takes into account changes in 
meanings and values in the process of dialogue between 
participants in volunteer groups, organizers and state 
institutions, which allows us to reconstruct how the 
idea of "successful" integration is formed from the 
set of political, economic and social texts and how  
it affects the economic efficiency of support programs. 
Thanks to this interpretation, it becomes possible 
to identify key hermeneutic circles, for example, 
the connection between state intentions, volunteer 
practices and personal experience of veterans, which 
makes it possible to develop support models that are 
most adequate to the value and practical expectations 
of all stakeholders;

These methods together allow us to comprehensively 
investigate the issues of ways to integrate people with 
disabilities as a result of war through the use of the 
economic efficiency of volunteer support programs, 
providing a scientific basis for the formation and 
improvement of policy in this area.

2. Theoretical and Legal Principles of 
Integration of Persons with Disabilities  
as a Result of War Through the Application 
of Economic Efficiency of Volunteer Support 
Programs

2.1. Theoretical and Normative Understanding 
of the Integration of Persons with Disabilities 
as a Result of War into the Labor Market 
Through the Application of Economic 
Efficiency of Volunteer Support Programs

The integration of war-related disabilities into the 
labor market through volunteer programs, assessed 
through the prism of economic efficiency, is based on 
a combination of three theoretical approaches: socio-
economic adaptation, the concept of human capital, 
and the theory of social capital. From the perspective 
of human capital theory (Becker, 1994), investments  
in professional retraining and rehabilitation of  
veterans are viewed as an investment in their  
knowledge, skills, and health, the return from which 
in the form of increased labor productivity justifies 
the costs. Volunteer programs, by offering targeted 
training, psychological support, and mentoring, lower 
the barriers to entry into the labor market for people 
with disabilities, increasing the overall economic return 
through reduced social benefits and increased tax 
revenues (Banerjee et al., 2025).

Socioeconomic adaptation (Gold and Holborn, 
2018) emphasizes that the integration of veterans with 
disabilities into the workforce occurs not only through 
formal skills, but also through the establishment of 
social ties and adaptation to new social roles. Volunteer 
networks function as a catalyst for the formation of 
social capital, when mentoring and cooperative work 
create trust, facilitate access to resources and reduce 
the fragmentation of communities (Černínský et al., 
2018). Thus, the role of the volunteer goes beyond 
a simple trainer – it is a social mediator who helps create 
the conditions for sustainable employment. Finally, 
the theory of economic efficiency of social programs  
(Pisani & Grech, 2015) is used to assess the cost-benefit 
ratio of volunteer initiatives. It includes consideration 
of both direct costs (trainers, equipment, psychological 
support) and indirect social outcomes (reduced 
unemployment among veterans, reduced government 
spending on social support, increased productivity). 
Comparative analysis with the experience of other 
countries (Bieling, 2023; Banerjee et al., 2025) allows 
us to identify effective mechanisms for cooperation 
with business and the state, which makes it possible 
to optimize regulatory approaches and financial 
models in domestic volunteer programs. Veterans who 
have successfully undergone their own rehabilitation 
and employment after injuries play a unique role in 
the process of labor adaptation of new participants  
with disabilities as a result of war: they not only act 



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as mentors, demonstrating an example of personal  
success, but are also familiar with the specifics 
of psychological trauma and the needs of former  
fighters. Thanks to their shared experience, they provide 
realistic advice on choosing a profession, creating 
a resume, and passing interviews, while overcoming  
the barriers of fear and uncertainty. As a result, 
newcomers, observing the mentor's adaptation path, 
more easily overcome internal and external obstacles, 
and the job search process becomes less time- 
consuming and resource-intensive.

Volunteers, particularly those specializing in 
working with veterans, can provide comprehensive 
support: from organizing adaptive training (vocational  
retraining, IT courses, craft workshops) and 
psychological support to legal advice on applying 
for benefits and social support. They help establish  
contacts with employers, help adapt workplaces 
(accessibility of office space, special equipment) and 
direct veterans to employment services or online 
employment platforms. Thanks to such coordination  
of efforts, each participant receives not only  
knowledge, but also practical skills in communicating 
with business, which accelerates consolidation in the 
workplace.

The cost-effectiveness of volunteer support  
programs is a vital condition for their sustainability: 
optimized budgets allow them to attract more 
participants without increasing overall costs. When 
every hryvnia is invested taking into account the  
cost-benefit analysis (reduction of social benefits, 
increase in tax revenues from employed veterans, 
reduction in the need for expensive inpatient 
rehabilitation), the state and donors are able to 
allocate resources effectively. Thus, economically 
sound volunteer initiatives create a multiplier effect 
in communities, strengthening trust in programs and 
stimulating further investments in the rapid and high-
quality integration of persons with disabilities into 
the labor market (Magdalena Kun-Buczko, 2019). 
Veterans who themselves have gone through the  
path of rehabilitation and adaptation after injuries  
act as natural mentors for persons with disabilities as 
a result of war: they are familiar with the physical and 
psychological challenges, know how to overcome stress 
and the depreciation of their own abilities, and can 
share real job search strategies. Thanks to their common 
military experience, veteran mentors can explain how 
to adjust professional skills to current labor market 
requirements, support in compiling a realistic resume  
and preparing for an interview, and also demonstrate  
their own example of building a new career. In addition, 
their appearance among people with similar problems 
creates a sense of community and belonging, reduces 
social isolation and lowers the psychological barrier 
to seeking help. Volunteers can provide a number of 
practical services that contribute to the adaptation 

of veterans with disabilities: they organize adaptive  
training courses (from basic computer literacy 
to specialized craft skills), conduct trainings in 
psychological support and career counseling, help with 
the preparation of necessary documents and obtaining 
the status of a combatant or benefits. Volunteers 
also facilitate contacts between veterans and socially 
responsible employers, help adapt the workplace 
(equip ramps, technical devices, provide an inclusive 
workspace), and in some cases take on the functions of 
mediators – if necessary, they accompany veterans to 
state services or employment centers. Thanks to such 
comprehensive support of volunteer groups, veterans 
receive not only knowledge, but also practical skills in 
establishing communication with employers, which 
significantly reduces the duration of unemployment.

The cost-effectiveness of volunteer support  
programs is critically important for their sustainability: 
an optimized cost-effectiveness ratio allows 
for the involvement of more veterans without 
a disproportionate increase in financial investments. 
When every hryvnia spent on training, rehabilitation, 
or psychosocial assistance is reimbursed through 
a reduction in state social benefits, an increase in tax 
revenues from employed veterans, and a reduction 
in the burden on local budgets, the programs become 
scalable and attractive for additional donor projects. 
This multiplier effect promotes trust in volunteer 
initiatives, strengthens business motivation to invest 
in adaptive workplaces, and creates the prerequisites 
for the long-term development of an inclusive labor  
market (Gold, Holborn, 2018).

2.2. Promising Ways to Integrate People  
with Disabilities as a Result of the War  
into the Labor Market Through the Use  
of Cost-Effective Volunteer Support Programs

Specialized adaptive training programs involve the 
development of modular courses taking into account 
the individual physical, psychological and professional 
capabilities of veterans with disabilities. Instead  
of standard lecture formats, these programs use 
multimedia materials, interactive exercises and distance 
platforms, which allows each participant to choose 
the pace and method of learning according to their 
needs. Volunteer instructors and teachers create special 
trainings on the use of adaptive technology (screen 
readers, voice assistants, modified interfaces), which 
allows veterans to acquire skills in demand in the 
labor market (for example, basic IT literacy, system 
administration, digital marketing) without excessive 
strain on health. From an economic point of view,  
it is the adaptability of these programs that provides 
the optimal cost-benefit ratio: first, the need to 
simultaneously maintain a large amount of specialized 
equipment in one center is eliminated – courses can be 



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conducted both online and in mobile training complexes 
thanks to donor investments and support from local 
communities; Secondly, volunteering minimizes 
administrative and personnel costs: experienced 
specialists provide consultations and mentoring  
on a free basis, and technological platforms allow 
you to automate the accounting of successful task 
completion and monitor the progress of participants 
without additional resources. As a result, veterans 
with disabilities are given the opportunity not only to 
master a new profession, but also to integrate into the  
labor process faster thanks to certificates of course 
completion and recommendations from volunteer 
supervisors. Such participants become attractive 
candidates for employers, because volunteer programs 
add a reputational aspect: companies see that the 
employee has already undergone adaptive training and 
has basic experience. By increasing the employment 
rate of veterans, these programs reduce social benefits 
and simultaneously increase tax revenues, which  
creates a multiplier effect in local economies.

Social entrepreneurship and veteran cooperatives 
involve the creation of business models where 
veterans with disabilities act not only as employees, 
but also as co-owners and active managers. Volunteer 
programs provide initial consulting on business plan 
development, accounting, marketing skills, and legal 
advice on registering cooperatives. Thanks to this, 
veterans form enterprises (for example, handicraft 
workshops, agronomic associations, or IT startups) in 
which they independently determine strategic priorities, 
and volunteers control the economic feasibility of 
costs and profits. This approach allows participants to 
receive autonomous income, reducing dependence 
on government subsidies and one-time charitable 
contributions. Veterans' cooperatives stimulate the 
economic multiplier effect: the profits received are 
invested in the development of production, expansion  
of the assortment, or marketing campaigns, which 
creates jobs not only for cooperative members, but 
also for other members of the community. Volunteer  
support provides training for cooperative members 
in collective decision-making, negotiations with 
suppliers, and sales organization. Thanks to joint 
ownership, participants distribute risks evenly, and 
minimized operating costs (through mutual assistance 
and free consultations) increase the profitability of the 
enterprise, creating a sustainable financial foundation.

From an economic point of view, social 
entrepreneurship and veterans' cooperatives are  
highly effective, as they not only provide stable income 
to participants with disabilities, but also generate  
added value for the local economy. Volunteer programs 
form mentoring groups that control financial flows, 
analyze the cost-benefit balance and suggest ways 
to optimize. Thus, every hryvnia invested in starting 
a cooperative is returned through taxes, job creation  

and increased purchasing power of the community, 
which makes this path of integration socially and 
economically feasible and scalable.

Partnering with IT companies for remote 
employment allows people with disabilities as a  
result of war to get a job without having to physically 
be in an office. Volunteer programs can act as 
intermediaries, training veterans through online courses 
in basic IT skills (programming, testing, administration, 
technical support) and helping to adapt their resumes 
to the requirements of remote vacancies. Thanks to 
this, participants acquire competitive competencies,  
and IT companies receive motivated employees with 
minimal onboarding costs. From an economic point of 
view, this format is beneficial for all parties: volunteer 
programs spend less resources on renting training 
rooms, because all training, mentoring and support 
take place online. Veterans can work from home 
without spending time and money on transportation 
or additional medical support on the way. For IT 
companies, this means reducing costs for arranging 
a workplace (ergonomic furniture, special accessibility 
tools), as well as expanding the personnel pool  
without geographical restrictions. Thus, every hryvnia 
invested in training veterans generates a greater 
economic effect than traditional employment programs.

In addition, remote employment helps to increase 
social inclusion and reduce the burden on local labor 
markets: veterans, having mastered professions in the 
IT sector, can become a resource for companies from 
any region, while receiving a stable income. Volunteer 
programs that act as coordinators of such partnerships 
form a network of trust between veterans, the IT  
sector and the state. This allows you to scale the  
initiative and attract additional grants or donor funds, 
which ultimately increases the overall economic 
efficiency of integrating people with disabilities into  
the labor market.

Network platforms "veteran – employer" combine 
a database of potential workers with disabilities as 
a result of war and current vacancies of employers who 
are ready to adapt jobs and provide social guarantees. 
Thanks to the digital interface, volunteer organizations 
can quickly upload information about each veteran 
(field of training, level of disability, desired working 
conditions), and employers can upload information 
about the required competencies, employment 
conditions, and the amount of compensation. Such 
openness reduces the time of mutual search: instead of 
dozens of individual applications, veterans go directly 
to the platform, where they find the best options in a  
few clicks, and companies gain access to a qualified 
audience with minimal logistical costs.

The use of network platforms significantly increases 
the cost-effectiveness of volunteer programs, as it 
reduces resource costs for recruiting, administration, 
and individual consultations. Automated filters 



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allow you to filter out incompatible vacancies and  
participants at the search stage, so less time is spent  
on volunteers, and the likelihood of successful 
employment increases. In addition, the platform can 
integrate modules for tracking the implementation of 
KPIs (number of interviews, percentage of accepted 
offers, average employment term), which simplifies 
monitoring and contributes to the transparent 
distribution of donor or state funds.

Finally, network platforms serve as a social marketing 
channel: through them you can conduct information 
campaigns, popularize cases of successful employment 
and show real returns on investment in volunteer 
programs. Employer ratings are created based on 
the level of readiness to adapt workplaces, which  
stimulates competitiveness and improves working 
conditions for all participants. As a result, the platform 
acts as a catalyst for the formation of an inclusive labor 
market, where every hryvnia invested in infrastructure 
development gives the maximum possible multiplier 
effect. Career mentoring and psychological support 
provides people with disabilities who suffered during 
the war with valuable networking and practical advice 
on building a professional path. Mentors are mainly 
veterans or specialists who have already successfully 
completed the adaptation and employment process. 
They help form realistic expectations about the labor 
market, provide specific recommendations on writing 
a resume, passing interviews and developing the 
necessary skills. This approach reduces the number  
of unsuccessful attempts at employment, reducing 
the costs of volunteer programs for re-training and 
re-referrals, and thus increases the overall cost-
effectiveness.

Psychological support together with career mentoring 
forms a comprehensive support: psychologists and 
social workers work with stress, post-traumatic stress 
disorder and low self-esteem, and also help restore 
motivation to work. This reduces the risk of “burnout” 
and refusal to participate in programs, which reduces 
unnecessary costs for replacing participants, and also 
increases the likelihood of long-term employment. 
In addition, psychological stability contributes to 
better interaction with employers, which accelerates 
adaptation in the workplace and reduces the costs 
of long periods of unemployment or retraining.  
The combination of mentoring and psychological 
support creates a synergistic effect: the mentor helps 
the participant navigate professional requirements, 
and the psychologist provides emotional stability and 
reduces barriers associated with injuries. This model 
allows achieving a higher level of employment among 
disabled veterans with lower resource investments, 
since programs require fewer repeated courses and 
can use the results of successful cases to motivate  
new participants. As a result, each hryvnia invested 
generates a greater amount of economic and social 

effect, which makes career mentoring and psychological 
support an economically justified investment.

Co-financing with local communities and 
microcrediting implies that volunteer programs 
conclude agreements with local governments to co-
finance projects for professional rehabilitation and 
employment of veterans with disabilities. The local 
community allocates funds or material resources  
(for example, premises, equipment, transport) for the 
first stage of launching the initiative, while volunteers 
provide the methodological, organizational and 
educational component. This approach allows you 
to optimize budget expenditures: instead of covering 
the entire cost of the program, the state, together with 
volunteers, attracts local budgets, and the community, 
in turn, receives a tool for stimulating employment 
in the region, reducing the burden on social benefits  
and promoting the economic activity of veterans.

Microcrediting becomes an additional mechanism  
for supporting those veterans who seek to start their 
own microbusiness or social enterprise. Volunteer 
programs, together with local banks or credit unions, 
conclude special agreements under which veterans can 
receive small preferential loans (reduced interest rate, 
deferred payments) for the purchase of equipment, 
materials or the organization of production workshops. 
Thanks to this micro-lending, training graduates are 
able to quickly implement the acquired skills in their 
own business, ensure a stable income and reduce  
the likelihood of loss of motivation due to lack of  
start-up capital.

Together, co-financing with communities and  
micro-lending significantly increase the economic 
efficiency of volunteer programs. First, they distribute 
the financial burden between different entities (state, 
community, private lenders), which expands the 
scale of the initiative without the need for large state 
allocations. Second, veterans learn to rationally use 
their own and borrowed funds, which forms a culture 
of entrepreneurship and financial responsibility.  
Third, the return of loans to local funds and the 
reduction of social benefits due to the employment of 
veterans create a multiplier effect: funds circulate in 
the community, further stimulating local development  
and the integration of other persons with disabilities 
into all spheres of economic life.

Mobile rehabilitation and career guidance centers  
are an on-site form of providing comprehensive  
services for veterans with disabilities: specialists 
(rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, career 
counselors) equipped with the necessary equipment 
(orthopedic simulators, laptops for career guidance, 
adaptive devices) travel directly to communities and 
temporary settlements of victims. Thanks to this, 
veterans who cannot move or live in remote regions 
receive high-quality health diagnostics, individual 
recommendations for recovery and comprehensive 



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career advice – without additional time and money 
spent on travel to stationary centers.

From an economic point of view, this mobile format 
allows you to optimize the resources of volunteer 
programs: instead of constantly maintaining a large 
stationary facility, funds are invested in a mobile car 
or minivan equipped with the necessary rehabilitation 
equipment and equipment, and groups of specialists 
from different areas (medical, psychological, career) 
combine their work in one visit. This reduces  
overhead costs (renting premises, utility bills) and 
allows you to reach more veterans with lower budget 
costs: one visit of the center covers several villages 
or neighborhoods, which is more economically 
feasible in terms of the number of people. In addition, 
mobile centers contribute to the acceleration of social 
adaptation and integration into the labor market, 
because specialists not only conduct rehabilitation 
procedures, but also organize trainings on resume 
writing, interviewing, and familiarize themselves  
with possible vacancies in the region. This allows the 
veteran to receive career guidance support and find 
a potential employer immediately after rehabilitation, 
reducing the time of unemployment and economic 
losses for both the program participant and the state.

Integration of volunteer programs with state 
employment services begins with establishing an 
exchange of information about the needs of persons  
with disabilities and available vacancies. State 
employment centers have an up-to-date database 
of employers and vacancies, as well as experience in 
assessing candidates' readiness for work. Volunteers  
can provide these services with additional information 
about the individual characteristics of veterans –  
the level of physical and psychological readiness, 
skills acquired in training or retraining courses. 
Such interaction allows you to reduce the time from 
"training" to "employment" and avoid costs for repeated 
assessments or unnecessary retraining.

Combining the resources of volunteer initiatives and 
the state employment service creates synergy in issues 
of financing and supporting veterans with disabilities. 
Volunteer organizations can attract grant funds or 
charitable contributions for retraining courses, while 
the employment service provides employment and 
unemployment benefits during job search. Thanks to 
a clear division of functions (volunteers – socialization 
and adaptation, employment service – official 
employment and state benefits), it is possible to direct 
budgetary and extra-budgetary resources as efficiently 
as possible, reduce duplication of costs and ensure  
clear monitoring of results.

Finally, coordinated activities with the employment 
service create a transparent chain of “candidate → 
employment → reduction of social benefits”. Employment 
services record each veteran as unemployed, issue 
referrals to courses from volunteers, and then register 

the fact of employment. This allows us to assess the 
economic effect: to compare the amount of funds 
invested in benefits with the income that he began  
to pay in the form of taxes and unified social  
contributions. This approach contributes to 
a well-founded adjustment of both state vocational 
rehabilitation programs and volunteer initiatives 
towards the most cost-effective integration models.

Development of a network of social mentors from 
among successfully employed veterans. A network 
of social mentors from among veterans who have  
already gone through the path of rehabilitation and 
successfully found employment plays the role of a  
"soft start" for people with disabilities as a result  
of the war: mentors share their own experience 
of adapting to changed physical or psychological 
circumstances, talk about the real requirements  
of the labor market and form in their wards a belief in 
success. This approach reduces the initial resistance 
and fears of newcomers: when a person sees a concrete 
example of a "like-minded person", the likelihood 
of their leaving the program or losing motivation is 
significantly reduced.

From an economic point of view, this method helps 
optimize the costs of volunteer programs: mentors do 
not require professional fees – they transfer knowledge 
and advice within the volunteer workload, and the  
result is better preparation of candidates for  
employment. By reducing the number of unsuccessful 
employment attempts (which would cost additional 
costs for retraining or social benefits), the overall 
effectiveness of the programs increases. In addition, 
successfully adapted veteran mentors can act as 
intermediaries between the employer and the mentee, 
which reduces job search time and reduces the 
administrative costs of the volunteer organization.

First of all, the network of social mentors creates 
a synergistic effect: each newly employed veteran not 
only increases his own economic independence, but 
also becomes a potential mentor for the next wave of 
participants. This model gradually scales up without 
additional significant investments, forming a stable 
personnel pool of former military personnel who 
strengthen local communities and introduce a culture 
of helping new participants. Thanks to this, volunteer 
initiatives receive a “domino effect”: the growth of 
business and state trust in veterans as employees 
stimulates the emergence of new jobs and, accordingly, 
increases the economic efficiency of the entire 
integration system.

Monitoring and evaluation through open data 
consists in the systematic collection, processing and 
public disclosure of key indicators of the activities of  
volunteer programs supporting persons with  
disabilities as a result of war. Maintaining transparent 
registers of participants, recording data on the 
duration and costs of training, the number of vacancies  



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developed, connecting employers and the number of 
successfully employed veterans create the basis for 
objective analysis. Thanks to open data, stakeholders 
(government bodies, donors, public organizations) 
are able to quickly track the effectiveness of costs and 
the compliance of results with the stated goals, which 
increases trust in volunteer initiatives and ensures 
accountability to society. In the context of labor  
market integration, economic indicators are the most 
important metrics of success: the average duration of 
job search, wage level, share of payments from the state 
budget and changes in tax revenues from employed 
veterans. The use of open data allows us to assess the 
“cost-benefit” of each program: to compare the size of 
investments (in material resources, trainers’ salaries, 
rehabilitation equipment) with the reduction of total 
social benefits and the economic contribution of 

employed persons. The results obtained help to adjust 
the strategy: to redirect resources to the most effective 
areas (for example, IT courses, social entrepreneurship) 
and to abandon ineffective initiatives. Finally, open 
monitoring creates a closed feedback loop that  
stimulates the continuous development of volunteer 
programs and public policies. Regular data analysis 
reveals bottlenecks (for example, an insufficient 
number of adapted vacancies in a certain region or low 
involvement of business representatives) and facilitates 
rapid decision-making on changing approaches.  
At the same time, public availability of results promotes 
the exchange of experience and the implementation 
of best practices in other regions, which leads to the 
scaling up of successful programs and the formation 
of a sustainable model of integration of persons with 
disabilities as a result of war at the national level.

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Received on: 19th of June, 2025
Accepted on: 12th of August, 2025

Published on: 20th of August, 2025