1. VET guidance in Poland
History
The need to organize counseling in Poland was influenced by life itself. It was the initiative of
Central Office of Vocational Training (CUSZ) in May 1956. At the same time, the Commission
of Education, Science and Culture of the Parliament called on the communist education
authorities to organize counseling for youth and their parents. Parliamentary Committee came to
the assumption that a significant screening of students in vocational schools was caused by the
wrong choice of profession. At the beginning of 1957, the guidance has been incorporated into
the education system. The first facilities - psychological and vocational (or psychological-
pedagogical) were created. For the first time in the history of education in Poland guidance has
been included in the law and obtained a permanent material base , which ensured systematic
development. The first act of legislation for the guidance was issued in 1958 in the form of an
order of the Minister of Education. The Association of School and Professional Advisors was
established in 1991, bringing together experts in the subject of vocational guidance in various
institutions and ministries
Legal framework/Legislation
1. Constitution of 2.04.1997r. (Article 65) basic act, which demonstrate the need to organize and
promote vocational guidance.
2. Act of 7 September 1991 about the education system - requires from schools "to prepare
students to enter the profession and field of study.
3. The Maastricht Treaty of 7 February 1992. in art. 126 and 127 of the cooperation:
• This document expanded scope of vocational guidance to issues related to education (Article
126), tying them tightly to the educational process training and preparation for the labor market
(Article 127).
• Member States have chosen their own solution concerning the vocational guidance. The
differences relate to the structure while maintaining the common concept.
Everywhere it is important to link the guidance with education.
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2. 4. The legislation regulating the issue of practical vocational training is the 1 July 2002
regulation by the Minister of National Education and Sport. The regulation concerns practical
vocational training in school workshops, school laboratories, continuing education centers and
practical training centers, with employers and on individual farms; it applies to student of public
upper secondary schools offering vocational education as well as young workers/apprentices
doing traineeships as part of their job preparation course. Traineeships are organized by the
school. Traineeships for apprentices are organized by their employers.
Activities
1. Vocational guidance education is part of the basic national curriculum as a cross-cutting
subject. Schools must integrate it into their detailed curricula in separate subjects such as
„citizenship education „ or „ social science”.
At ISCED level 2, the compulsory subject called civic education (3 teaching hours per week in a
period of 3 years) comprises elements of vocational guidance and consists of three subjects:
„family education”, „civic education” and „education for active participation in the economic
life of the country”.
Objectives are as follows: the comprehensive development of students, aimed at preparing them
for active participation in the socioeconomic life of a country.
At ISCED level 3, introduction to entrepreneurship is the compulsory subject which is most
related to vocational guidance (2 teaching hours in a period of 3 years). Its objectives:
• preparation for active participation in economic life;
• shaping of the attitude for reliable work and entrepreneurship;
• developing communicative skills and teamwork;
• developing skills for active job searching and the suitable choice of career;
• mechanisms of market economy;
• basic rules for running various businesses;
• the role of the state and its law in the market economy;
• European and world economies.
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3. 2. The legislation regulating the issue of practical vocational training is the 1 July 2002
regulation by the Minister of National Education and Sport. The regulation concerns practical
vocational training in school workshops, school laboratories, continuing education centers and
practical training centers, with employers and on individual farms; it applies to student of public
upper secondary schools offering vocational education as well as young workers/apprentices
doing traineeships as part of their job preparation course. Traineeships are organized by the
school. Traineeships for apprentices are organized by their employers.
Practical vocational training has two forms: traineeships and practical training classes.
Practical training classes are organized in order to teach the students and young workers the
vocational skills necessary to start work in a given profession. Practical vocational training
organized outside school is based on a contract signed by the headmaster of the school and the
institution providing the training, in groups or individually.
Practical vocational training is delivered by teachers of practical vocational training. In the case
of training provided by an employer, it is delivered by employees with teaching qualifications
who are referred to as instructors of practical vocational training.
Traineeships are organized for students to enable them to apply and further develop the acquired
skills and knowledge in real working conditions. Traineeships may be organized throughout the
whole school year and during summer holidays. The curriculum for each profession specifies the
range of skills and knowledge taught during traineeships. Students below the age of 16 have a
maximum of 6 hours of practical training per day, and students of 18 and over can have up to 8
hours of training a day.
Traineeships organized in firms or on farms have supervisors who are employers or nominated
employees of the firm or individual farmers. The supervisors of traineeships should have
teaching qualifications.
3. Contacts with the professional world
Seminars and workshops related to vocational guidance education programmes are organized by
schools in cooperation with the professional world.
There is no national regulation concerning the issue. However, cooperation is taking place on an
individual institution, local business and community basis. Many schools and businesses take
part in the European educational programmes such as Leonardo da Vinci or Comenius.
4. Since 2003, School Career Centres (Szkolne Ośrodki Kariery – SZOK) have been created in
schools at lower (gimnazjum) and upper secondary level. Currently, 361 centres are operational.
The educational counselors who work in them are responsible for the implementation of a
specific guidance system for each school. Their role is to provide pupils with information on
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4. possible educational pathways, the local labour market, labour laws, etc., and to help them
acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to make their future career choices. They offer
counseling to pupils and parents, individually or in groups.
The clients of SzOK are in majority pupils of the school, where the SzOK was established, and
pupils from other schools in the area (about 80%) as well as their parents (over 10%). The next
group of clients consist of teachers interested in vocational guidance (about 3%) and unemployed
youth aged up to 25 years of age (1%). The rest 5% of clients are all people interested in contact
with SzOK.
Classes in School Career Centress are implemented in various forms:
- activating group classes,
- lectures, questions and answers, brainstorming and other workshops,
- individual educational and vocational guidance,
- diagnose students' needs for information and assistance in career planning through interviews,
surveys and other methods,
- dissemination and discussion with the students the information gained in above way,
- watching films,
- access to Internet, borrowing books and publications of SZOK and use of other pedagogical
materials,
- publishing and editing newsletters or school additions,
- organizing trips to places connected with the world of education and work - secondary schools,
universities, offices and private companies to present various professions, trips to job fairs,
learning how to use office equipment.
Providers
In Poland professional and vocational guidance is a responsibility of two ministries:
1/ Ministry of National Education and Sport /is responsible for vocational guidance and career
planning of school students. The main institutions maintained by this ministry providing services
related to this are the Psychological and Pedagogical Counselling Centres.
2/ Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy responsible for professional and
vocational guidance of adults and young people who are unemployed/. The main institutions
maintained by the ministry and providing services related to this are 12 Centres for Vocational
Information existing at the Voivodeship Labour Offices (Wojewódzki Urząd Pracy -
WUP/; 52 Information and Career Planning Centres also existing at WUPs; as well as
Units for Information and Group Counselling existing at the District Labour Offices. They
all employ professional advisers.
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5. Consultancy related to career planning and vocational guidance is also conducted by Voluntary
Labour Corps (Ochotniczy Hufiec Pracy - OHP), which have established Educational and
Labour Centres whose personnel includes vocational advisers. With regard to vocational training
of young people and preparing them to enter the labour market the importance of the Voluntary
Labour Corps will be growing.
Organizational units of OHP will become specialized entities of the labour market for that
purpose. In order to fulfil this objective a network of Mobile Vocational Information Centres for
Youth will be established; their goal is to remove the barrier related to the access to information
and prevent social exclusion of young people entering the labour market. The total number of 50
Mobile Vocational Information Centres for Youth are to be established. Mobile Vocational
Information Centres for Youth will constitute the foundation for building nationwide information
system, and providing vocational guidance and labour agencies for young people, under the joint
name of Youth Career Centres.
Relatively new structures which are being established by a growing number of educational
institutions are the School Career Centres, which are designed to become school centres of
educational and vocational information. Ultimately they are designed to constitute a component
of the National System of Information and Educational and Vocational Guidance and support the
process of vocational counselling and career planning for young people. The rationale for
establishing such centres results from the deep conviction that the process of an individual’s
professional development starts at a very young age. This is when we develop various qualities
such as approach to work, capabilities and skills; this is when the first decisions related to
education are taken.
Examples of good practices
1. www.cdzdm.pl
Vocational Guidance center for Youth-provide services for schools, teachers and students.
2. http://www.irp-fundacja.pl/know-how-portal/publikacje.php
International project (EEA Grants) concerning vocational guidance, career planning and
empowerment of human capital in professional context. The partnership built online platform for
vocational guidance specialists, psychologists and people working with young students and
helping them to choose the right career path.
3. http://www.doradztwozawodowe.koweziu.edu.pl/aktualnosci/90-na-dobry-poczatek.html
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6. EU Project „Elaboration of vocational guidance model and online information and education
system” .
In frames of the Project the following activities are being realized:
- Analyses of vocational guidance in PL and some EU countries;
- Vocational guidance model;
- Piloting of the model;
- Online Information and Educational System.
4. http://www.dobrepraktyki.pl/index.php?p1=5&p2=18&art=359&s=2
Vocational and social activization of disabled and young people in danger of social exclusion.
5. http://www.doradca-zawodowy.ecorys.pl/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=45
Vocational guidance online. Information and good practices in Poland.
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7. EU Project „Elaboration of vocational guidance model and online information and education
system” .
In frames of the Project the following activities are being realized:
- Analyses of vocational guidance in PL and some EU countries;
- Vocational guidance model;
- Piloting of the model;
- Online Information and Educational System.
4. http://www.dobrepraktyki.pl/index.php?p1=5&p2=18&art=359&s=2
Vocational and social activization of disabled and young people in danger of social exclusion.
5. http://www.doradca-zawodowy.ecorys.pl/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=45
Vocational guidance online. Information and good practices in Poland.
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