Labour Market Situation of the Youth in Poland and the Educational System Reform: A Success or Failure Przemyslaw Wlodarczyk M.A., Ph.D. Candidate University of Lodz

Agenda  Disadvanteged groups of unemployed  The youth as disadvantaged group  Polish system of education  Unemployment among the youth  Changes in the structure of unemployment  Conclusion

Disadvanteged groups of unemployed  People characterized by such an order of social and demographic features that seriously diminish their chances of finding a job or place of long-term employment (Maksim M., 2001, p.5).

The youth as disadvantaged group Reasons: discrepancies between possessed qualifications and the requirements of employers; lack of will of employers to widen qualifications of their employees; high aspirations of graduates; complacency about their professional perspectives; choice of traditional professions; low level of work discipline and high mobility; marginal difference between unemployment benefits and wages for young workers

The youth as disadvantaged group Consequences: economic and social:  financial situation, standard of life;  dissatisfaction, frustration, aggression; health:  depression and psychological disturbances; motivational.

Polish system of education – prior to the reform of 1999 TERTIARY EDUCATION: - 5-year master studies BASIC VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: - 3-year basic vocational schools TECHNICAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 5-year technical secondary schools GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 4-year general secondary schools - 4-year technical and vocational lyceums COMPLEMENTARY SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 3-year complementary general secondary school - 2,5-3 -year complementary technical secondary school PRIMARY EDUCATION: - 8-year primary schools POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

The aims of the reform  adjustment of the structure of school-leavers to the needs of the market  generalization of vocational training  increase in the chances of finding employment by the youth

Polish system of education – after the reform TERTIARY EDUCATION: - 2-year supplementary master studies - 3-year bachelor/engineer studies BASIC VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: year basic vocational schools TECHNICAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 4-year technical secondary schools GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 3-year general secondary schools PRIMARY EDUCATION: - 6-year primary schools POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION LOWER SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 3-year gymnasium SPECIALISED SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 3-year specialised secondary schools COMPLEMENTARY SECONDARY EDUCATION: - 2-year complementary general secondary school - 3-year complementary technical secondary school

Unemployment among the youth

Changes in the structure of unemployment

Conclusion  The youth are still overrepresented among the unemployed;  Unemployment rates and levels are explained by the business cycle and the process of migration;  Changes of structure of the educational system were weakly reflected in the structure of unemployment;  The attempts to shorten the duration of unemployment through the introduction of new subjects did not have any effect.