Poland: new entrants in top occupations most in-demand

The fifth forecast announced by the Ministry of Education and Science in January 2023 contains a nationwide list of occupations with the highest demand for employees on the national labour market. It also provides regional lists of occupations with the highest and moderate demand for employees on individual voivodeship labour markets. The forecast aims to help shape the vocational education and training offer at local and regional levels.  

New occupations 

Four new occupations appear in the latest forecast among the 33 expected to be in particular demand in the national labour market: waste management machinery and equipment operator, waste management technician, industrial insulation installer and industrial insulation technician. The other occupations are related to new technologies, digitalisation and other current economic challenges. 

The demand for waste management professions will increase due to societal changes. These are related to the challenges of the ‘green economy’ and are also strongly conditioned by EU legislation requiring the Polish economy to become circular. The robotisation and automation of recycling and recovery processes will require employees capable of operating such technologies. The scope of work in such occupations will increase and require continuous upskilling and reskilling in the coming years. 

Industrial insulation involves environmentally friendly construction and heat management technologies. Such solutions help reduce energy loss during its transmission and protect against vibrations. These occupations are linked to national smart specialisations for which there is also a high and growing demand.  

Forecast implications for VET 

The forecast has implications for VET funding. Local governments receive an increased education subsidy for schools offering VET programmes in the occupations for which there is a special demand in the domestic labour market. It considers the number of learners starting their education in a given trade every year and continues throughout their entire training cycle, guaranteeing local governments’ financial stability. Increased funding will also be available for employers involved in training young VET learners in these occupations. 

It also provides support for VET provider directors who determine the educational offer as well as for career counsellors, tutors, parents, and learners. In addition, the Voivodship Labour Market Councils, after studying the forecast, give an opinion on the validity of training in a particular profession.  

Forecast methodology 

The annual forecast is prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science based on the research results of the Educational Research Institute. The data used to prepare the forecast are based on quantitative and qualitative research, expert opinions, and existing studies on the demand for employees in vocational occupations. The forecast covers a period of 3-5 years. 

Read more

• Press release on the forecast
• Notice of the Minister of Education and Science of 20 January 2023 on the forecast of the demand for employees in vocational education occupations in the national and voivodeship labour market
• Educational Research Institute