To better equip workers and local businesses to respond to the dynamic requirements of the modern labour market, Poland’s Lublin Province is putting a new focus on vocational education.
- 22 November 2018
Not only is this one of the better projects to be implemented in Lublin province, but I am convinced that it is one of the better projects of this type in the country.
This EU-funded project is focusing on increasing accessibility to and improving the quality of vocational and continuing education options in Poland’s Lublin Province. At the core of the initiative is the construction of new workshops and purchase of new equipment for the John Paul II school, located in Radzyń Podlaski. Each workshop is designed to simulate real working conditions. The project also covers the construction of roads and the installation of sanitary and electrical systems.
Once complete, the school will be able to provide training in such fields as carpentry, bricklaying and plastering, welding, mechanical processing, CNC mechanical processing, computer networks and operating systems, online and professional applications, foreign language communication, mechanical technology, manual labour, technology in gastronomy, customer service, electrical machinery and appliance installation and maintenance, electrical engineering, and hospitality.
State-of-the art facilities
The ambitious project represents one of the largest investments of its kind in the region. As a result, construction has been divided into three stages: the first includes the construction of the core facility and roads, while specialised classrooms will be built and equipped during the second and third stages.
Each classroom will be provided with state-of-the-art equipment and technology geared to giving students a real-world working environment. In line with the principle of universal design, where possible the classrooms and equipment will be adapted to meet the needs of pupils with disabilities, thereby helping to enhance their employability.
Although construction is ongoing, the project is already organising student internships with local businesses and teachers are working directly with local businesses to identify what skills they need. Based on this information, the school will then plan specialised training to enable students to gain and develop the necessary knowledge and skills to increase their employability. It is estimated that over 1 000 students will be educated at the school, enabling companies across the province to benefit from access to a highly trained pool of potential employees.
A tradition of excellence
Founded in 1944, the school currently employs around 20 qualified teachers and 48 appointed teachers. Of these, nearly 30 have qualified via the District Examination Board of Examiners, which helps them better prepare their students for the school-leaving and vocational examinations.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Improving the labour market relevance of upper secondary education through the construction of a new building for practical vocational training in the existing upper secondary school complex in Radzyń Podlaski - stage I and the purchase of equipment for vocational training workshops and classrooms” is PLN 6 600 000 (EUR 1 540 276), with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing PLN 2 999 700 (EUR 700 055) through the “Regional Operational Programme for Lubelskie Region 2014-2020 programming period.