1. MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION
VOCATIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
25th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference “High Quality Education and Labour – The Future of the Baltic Sea Region” How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
28-30 August 2016
Riga, Latvia
Jadwiga Parada
Ministry of National Education
Poland

2. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
Vocational education
Linking education with the needs of the labour market seems to be a permanent task of the European vocational education and training systems
The world and European economy are constantly changing, which directly affects the situation on the labour market and requires taking appropriate actions
There are the signals about the lack of "the professional hands to work", still emanating from both the domestic labour market and from abroad, which negatively affects the image of vocational education (that is still perceived by many environments as inadequate to the needs of the labour market). Therefore, we need to change this situation so that those changes could become real.
It was necessary to carry out the debate on vocational education in the context of greater inclusion of the entrepreneurs into the process of building a modern vocational and education system corresponding to the needs of the economy and the labour market. 2

3. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
Vocational education
Ministry of National Education carried out a nationwide educational debate
from March 2016 till June The motto of the debate was "A student A parent. A Teacher. - A Good Change”.
VET was an important area of that debate and the voice of employers was
highly appreciated. The engagement of the employers’ groups have been
seen as a guarantee of positive changes within the system of vocational
education.
The results of the completed debate in June 2016 will allow for the
development of the necessary changes within the Polish education system,
which in the case of VET will provide secondary school students with the
professional qualifications to meet the needs of the labour market.
The changes that are going to be introduced within the education system
will enable the secondary school graduates to continue education at a higher
level and further enhance their skills.
Ministry of National Education is also going to udertake the actions aimed at enhancing the cooperation between the vocational schools with the higher
education institutions.

4. COOPERATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
COOPERATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
In order to develop a model of lasting cooperation between the higher education institutions and the vocational schools the Ministry of National Education has planned to launch a competition under POWER - Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development. The effects of the competition will be the development and dissemination of examples of solutions in the field of cooperation between the vocational schools and the higher education institutions, including the development of:
a) a sample syllabus for a given occupation, including the cooperation of vocational schools with the higher education institutions aimed at its
implementation;
b) an example of the organization of classes for the students by the higher
education institutions teachers (faculty), with the use of teaching/didactic base of
a vocational school or a higher education institution
c) proposals for actions aimed at getting students and teachers of vocational
training with new technologies used in a given industry/profession
d) examples of forms of continuous professional development of VET teachers

5. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
COOPERATION WITH EMPLOYERS
Creating a space for the inclusion of the entrepreneurs into the process of building modern vocational education corresponding to the needs of the economy is an interdepartmental task and requires the involvement of many ministers and all the stakeholders.
On the part of the Ministry of National Education there is a need for a systematic, based on trust, cooperation of both the Ministry as well as of other units of education system, with employers; and that is a model of cooperation we want to pursue (and implement).
The system of vocational education should have a lot to offer the Polish labour market and the Polish entrepreneurs; as by providing the qualified personnel can contribute to the development of the whole economy, reduction of unemployment as well as to the achievement of a higher quality of life for individuals and families.

6. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
COOPERATION WITH EMPLOYERS
Our primary task will be promoting knowledge about the involvement of employers into the vocational education and about the benefits of their engagement among(st) the environments of employers’ organizations, chambers of commerce, professional associations.
Employers should be present and active at every stage of the process of vocational education ranging from determining the needs for new trades and skills, through the design of education and training within those occupations and skills, the implementation of practical training closely involving employers, verification of learning outcomes during the examination confirming vocational qualifications, to the graduates’ employment.

7. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
A fundamental question appears - common to all Members of the Baltic Sea Region, i. e.
How to define the needs of the labour market, and which tools to use to forecast trends in the labour market, so that the information (data) obtained could be useful for the education system ?
In Poland we have taken up the challenge of trying to raise the cooperation in this regard, of the main stakeholders of vocational education, along with the support of the European measures under the new financial perspectives
One of the first activities, begun in April this year, was the undertaking of the co-operation with a wide range of social partners within the framework of the project „Partnership for vocational education”. An open call for recruiting the experts was announced in public. Participation was open to experts representing various professional groups such as employers’ organizations, chambers of commerce, professional associations and trade unions, who will help us to identify the qualification and occupational needs in different industries (sectors).

8. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
How to define the needs of the labour market, and which tools to use to forecast trends in the labour market, so that the information (data) obtained could be useful for the education system ?
At the system level, we expect from the organizations representing employers and employees to transfer to the Ministry the information on the demand for jobs (occupations) and skills in a sector, reporting demands and proposals for the establishment of new school professions (along with the specification of the characteristics of the graduate), and also making an active substantive participation in designing and constructing the offer of vocational education and documentation. On this basis, we will adapt the classification of the occupations of vocational education and core curriculum of vocational education to the real needs of the economy. In accordance with the School Education Act of 7 September 1991 (with further amendments) the above mentioned issues are regulated by the legal acts (regulations of the minister of education).
Within the framework of the project "The development of task banks for the the examination confirming vocational qualifications", we pursue the broader and systematic employers’ involvement in the external system of the examinations confirming vocational qualifications, and in particular in the development of the examination tasks, as being the authors and reviewers of those tasks as well as entrusting the role of examiners to those employers, through making them adequately trained.

9. How to develop competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region by linking education and the labour market
How to define the needs of the labour market, and which tools to use to forecast trends in the labour market, so that the information (data) obtained could be useful for the education system ?
Equally important as adaptation of the offer and content of vocational education to the labour market needs is the persistent introduction (into the Polish conditions) of learning based on the experience gained in the workplace. The purpose of the changes within the Polish system of vocational education is the development of dual education corresponding to the needs of economy and implemented in cooperation with the companies (enterprises) forming the specific economic circumstances in which schools operate.
One of the forms of the schools’ cooperation with employers is the organizing of practical training for VET students at the employers (training in real conditions and in the technologically rich environment). That is also as part of the dual education, whose definition was introduced to the Polish educational law in 2015.
The coming years will provide an opportunity for the dissemination/promoting of this model of education within the Polish system of vocational education.

10. Thank you for your attention.
Director of the Vocational and Continuing Education Department,
Ministry of National Education