The Role of Vocational Education in Labour Market Creating in Gdynia in the Years 2000–2015

Abstract

The educational level in society is one of the many factors conditioning the development of entrepreneurship. The article analyses changes in the educational system of Gdynia in the years 2000-2015, with special attention given to vocational education. The study accounts for both demographic factors and educational reforms implemented in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century. The reformed educational model, focusing on general education, was to popularise higher education and limit the number of vocational school graduates becoming the unemployed, a characteristic feature at the beginning of the transformation period (the 1990s). This group of unemployed comprised mainly graduates of vocational schools with qualifications that did not match the demand of the evolving labour market. Solidification of the new educational model, strengthened additionally by demographic trends, diminished the share of vocationally trained individuals in the group of the unemployed in Gdynia in later years, however, it also resulted in a deficit of qualified labour force, especially of qualified workers. Though structural changes were introduced in the specialities required by current labour market needs and cooperation was undertaken with future employers (e.g. by opening classes supported by entrepreneurs), the unfavourable trend continued. Statistic data of the unemployed in Gdynia confirm a shortage of qualified labour force in the labour market. The share of qualified workers amounted to merely several percent of the unemployed, contrary to the remaining groups of unemployed, with graduates of higher schools of education representing one third of the total unemployment rate.