Why is it focusing on vocational rather than general education?

Whoever graduates from high school is higher educated than a basic vocational school graduate. Nevertheless, it is the latter who has a better chance of getting a job. This includes for this reason, vocational rather than general education is being promoted.

There is no shortage of vacancies on the Polish labor market, because there are thousands of them, but there is a shortage of professionals. If young people had the appropriate education, despite the lack of experience, they would quickly fill the staffing gap in enterprises.

General or vocational education

A dozen or so years ago, general secondary schools were at the top among young Poles. In some large cities, in schools of this type, the most renowned ones, even more than 20 candidates applied for one place. In the 90’s the technique was not recognized. When two people competed for one place, it was already said that this technical school is popular. It was worse in the case of basic vocational schools: in some of them every year the situation repeated that the class had not been created since September, because there was a shortage of people willing to attend this ZSZ.

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The solution was to be multi-professional classes, i.e. combined units in which young people, several people each, learn another profession, and the class consists of over 20 people. For example, one class was attended by future carpenters, bricklayers or cooks and hairdressers. Even these classes were not started due to insufficient interest of the candidates.

Working now not for everyone

When young people left school in the 1990s, their situation was still different. Graduates of technicians and basic vocational schools found a job faster than their friends who graduated from high school. Currently, people who graduated from secondary schools still find employment faster than those who graduated from high school. The labor market requires professionals, above all skilled workers with a profession.

The statistics reflect this state of affairs. According to the Population Economic Activity Survey, right after people who have at most lower secondary education (or elementary or incomplete primary), it is graduates of general secondary schools and post-secondary schools that have the greatest problems with finding a job. This is true of both women and men. On the other hand, unemployment is the lowest among – in turn – graduates of universities, basic vocational schools and secondary vocational schools.

Student with guaranteed employment

Today, students of the last grades of technicians, as well as those attending the last grade of ZSZ, often already know where they will start working right after graduating from school. During their studies, many of them organize internships with employers and entrepreneurs cooperating with schools. If the young people prove themselves, they are almost guaranteed (or guaranteed) that as soon as they receive their school leaving certificate, a full-time job will be waiting for them in the company where they previously completed their apprenticeship.

This arrangement is for the benefit of both parties. Firstly – students who acquire practical skills in a real work environment, and when they get a technical or basic vocational education, they will almost simultaneously find an attractive job, often with the same employer. Secondly – employers, because they, in the era of the lack of qualified staff and problems with filling individual positions, gain competent employees who will be associated with them for many years. There are hundreds of vacancies on the labor market, incl. for locksmiths, welders, construction workers, car mechanics, electromechanics, salespeople, hairdressers, cooks, waiters, dressmakers and seamstresses. High school graduates have much less chance of being employed immediately after graduation. It happens that, for example, in a high school of a class of 30 people, only half of them find work after passing their high school diploma and graduating.

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Young people, choosing a secondary school, more and more often choose technical or basic vocational training, rather than high school. In selected cities, for example, 70 percent of young people go to schools that guarantee an occupation, and the remaining 30 percent. are people who chose LO. However, the role of LO in the education system cannot be diminished. This is the best solution for young people who, after secondary school (or soon – after primary school), do not yet know what profession they want to do in the future, but who plan to go to university.

Expected rule change

Another aspect appears. – It is necessary to change the legal regulations encouraging to invest in vocational education – emphasizes Jakub Gontarek, an expert of the Lewiatan Confederation. – It is about tax breaks, more funds for young people, co-financing of practical apprenticeship for technical apprentices and changing the rules of employing young workers. It is also important to promote good vocational training practices.