History of the Uzhgorod Trade and Economic Vocational College of the State Trade and Economic University
The history of the establishment, formation, and development of the educational institution is connected with the turbulent milestones of the 20th and early 21st centuries in the past of Transcarpathia, Ukraine, and Europe.
The college is the legal successor of the trade school founded in 1915, and since 1922, the State Ruthenian Trade Academy. After the liberation of Transcarpathia from the fascist invaders, the work of the educational institution was resumed in the status of the Trade Academy (1944), and after the reunification of the region with Soviet Ukraine, it was renamed the Uzhgorod Technical School of Soviet Trade (Resolution of the People’s Council of Transcarpathian Ukraine dated September 8, 1945 “On the Organization of Trade Technical Schools”). The institution trained commodity analysts of food products and accountants.
Since 1953, the training of commodity analysts of non-food products began, since 1963 – technicians-technologists of public catering, in 1960 a correspondence department was opened.
In 1991, the Uzhgorod Technical School of Soviet Trade was renamed the Uzhgorod Commercial Technical School (Order of the Ministry of Trade of the Ukrainian SSR No. 91 dated September 19, 1991), which in 1993 was subordinated to the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and granted the status of a higher educational institution of the I level of accreditation.
Work was launched to open new specialties. In 1999, the technical school was the first in Transcarpathia to launch the training of “junior specialists” in the specialty “Organization of service in hotels and tourist complexes.” Since 2008, training has been conducted separately in the specialties “Organization of Hotel Service” and “Organization of Tourist Service”. Since 2010, respectively, “Hotel Service”, “Tourist Service”.
In 2010, the specialty “Finance and Credit” was opened. In 2011, training of specialists in the specialty “Evaluation Activities” began.
In December 2012 – February 2013, the Uzhhorod Commercial Technical School was reorganized into the Uzhhorod College of Trade and Economics by joining it to the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics as a separate structural unit, without the rights of a legal entity, with separate rights of financial and economic independence, operating on the basis of the approved Regulations (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports of Ukraine No. 1366 dated 03.12.2012 “On measures related to the formation of separate structural units of the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics”. Order of the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics No. 3820 dated 12.12.2012 “On the creation of the Uzhhorod College of Trade and Economics of the Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics”).
Since 1945, the directors of the educational institution were well-known teachers Stepan Ivanovych Petrus (1945-1961), Ivan Mikhailovich Andryshyn (1961-1988). From 1988 to 2013, the director of the technical school was Petro Petrovych Gavrylko, Candidate of Economic Sciences (1999), Associate Professor (2004), Professor (2012), “Honored Worker of Public Education of Ukraine”, Honored Worker of Tourism of Ukraine. Corresponding Member of the Academy of Economic Sciences of Ukraine in the specialty of Urban and Regional Economics, member of the World Organization of Educational Institutions of the Hotel and Restaurant Business “EUNOFA”, “teacher-methodologist”, specialist of the highest category. In 2005-2014. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Higher Education Institutions of the I-II accreditation levels of the Transcarpathian region.
From July 2013 to October 2018, the director of the college was Pavlyuk Larysa Ivanivna, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Higher Category Teacher, “Teacher-Methodist”.
Since April 2019, the college has been headed by Voloshchuk Sergiy Mykhailovych, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Higher Category Teacher, “Teacher-Methodist”, “Excellent Educationist of Ukraine”.
In connection with the reform of the educational sector of Ukraine (the introduction of professional pre-higher education in 2019), the institution changed its name to the Separate Structural Unit “Uzhgorod Trade and Economic Professional College of KNTEU” (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 684 dated 05/25/2020). After the reorganization of KNTEU into DTEU, the educational institution was renamed the Separate Structural Unit “Uzhgorod Trade and Economic Professional College of DTEU” (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 43 dated January 21, 2022).
The college structure includes four departments:
Entrepreneurship and Trade;
Food Technologies;
Tourism and Hotel and Restaurant Business;
Accounting and Finance.
The educational and material base of the college includes two educational buildings, a dormitory, a library with a reading room, a student cafe. For student classes, the college has 38 classrooms and laboratories, an assembly hall with multimedia equipment, a gym with exercise equipment, and a sports ground.
The contingent of students of the VSP “UTEFK DTEU” is as of October 1, 2024. 1075 people, of whom 983 are studying full-time, and 92 are studying part-time.
The geographical features of the Transcarpathian region, its recreational resources, climate, centuries-old historical traditions, the unique culture of a multinational region, the peculiarities of the economic structure aimed at expanding foreign economic relations at various levels (development of private business, creation of joint ventures, constant growth in the number of hotel and tourist and hotel and restaurant complexes, rapid development of small and medium-sized businesses, significant growth in the number of enterprises, creation of new jobs) determine the need for highly qualified specialists in economics, finance, entrepreneurship and trade, the service sector (hotel and restaurant business, tourism, gastronomy), who are trained by the professional college.
The college receives positive feedback from enterprises, institutions, and organizations about the level of training of graduates. The high rating of the college in the educational services market and among the population of the region ensures that about 70% of current students are children and grandchildren of former graduates. High professionalism and experience of teachers, constant improvement of the material and technical base, proper organization of the educational process, active participation of students in the public life of the city and region, international ties of the professional college are the competitive advantages of today’s educational institution.
The educational process in the college is provided by 72 pedagogical workers (including 10 part-time), among whom 11 are candidates of sciences (including 4 part-time), 6 are associate professors (including 1 part-time), 2 are professors (including 1 part-time), 15 are “teachers-methodologists” (including 1 part-time), 4 are pedagogical workers awarded the distinction “Excellent Education Worker of Ukraine”. The staff of the educational institution includes a practical psychologist and a leading legal advisor.
The teaching staff of the college is working on the introduction of modern educational technologies into the educational process, which includes:
the use of interactive technologies for professional and general education training of students;
the use of modern Internet technologies;
the creation and use of electronic manuals (textbooks);
the wide use of the capabilities of distance learning technologies;
the introduction of computer testing to control students’ knowledge and skills;
the development of educational and methodological materials for the virtual educational environment;
providing access to global information resources.
Throughout its existence, the Higher Educational Service “UTEFK DTEU” has demonstrated significant potential for development, adaptation to ongoing socio-economic and socio-political changes, which together gives the opportunity to look into the future with confidence.