Skip to main content Skip to language switcher
Home
CEDEFOP
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

View more online tools

  • English
  • Български [Automated]
  • Español [Automated]
  • Čeština [Automated]
  • Dansk [Automated]
  • Deutsch [Automated]
  • Eesti [Automated]
  • Ελληνικά [Automated]
  • Français [Automated]
  • Gaeilge [Automated]
  • Hrvatski [Automated]
  • Italiano [Automated]
  • Latviešu [Automated]
  • Lietuvių [Automated]
  • Magyar [Automated]
  • Malti [Automated]
  • Nederlands [Automated]
  • Polski [Automated]
  • Português [Automated]
  • Română [Automated]
  • Slovenčina [Automated]
  • Slovenščina [Automated]
  • Suomi [Automated]
  • Svenska [Automated]

Financing Apprenticeships DB TopBar

Skip to Content
  • Introduction
  • Overview – mapping
  • Financing of apprenticeship schemes
  • Financing instruments
  • Cross-country overview
  • Cross-country comparison
  • Scope and glossary
  • Feedback
  • Advanced search
Login
Register

Database on financing apprenticeships in the EU

Financing Apprenticeships DB

  • Introduction
  • Overview – mapping
  • Financing of apprenticeship schemes
  • Financing instruments
  • Cross-country overview
  • Cross-country comparison
  • Scope and glossary
  • Feedback
  • Advanced search

Vocational preparation of young workers

PDF Version
Financing of apprenticeship scheme
Scheme name
Vocational preparation of young workers
Country
Poland
Duration

2-3 years

Apprentices remuneration - characteristics

Type: wage paid by the employer; fixed amount per month
Remuneration setting: centrally, as a share of the national average wage
Coverage: on- and off-the-job training
Variation(s): by the year of apprenticeship

Apprentices remuneration - amount

Average regulated remuneration: EUR 50 per month, EUR 600 per year

Read more
A monthly minimum salary of apprentice is somewhere between EUR 40 and EUR 60, depending on the year of training. The minimum amounts (not less than 4% of the average monthly salary of worker in the first year, 5% in the 2nd year and 6% in the 3rd year) are defined by law (Dz.U. 2014 nr 0 poz. 232). Employers can offer higher salaries, however, based on the information available such situations happen rarely. Thus, although the data on real/actual salaries of apprentices is not sufficiently available, it may be assumed that on average, the actual wages correspond to the regulated amounts.
Level in PPS (average): 93.28 per month; 1,119.40 per year
Level in PPS per hour (average): 3.45
Share of national minimum wage: 11.99% (calculaed based on min wage of EUR 417.02 in 2016, S2)
Share of the average salary of worker: by law: 1st year of appranticeship: 4%, 2nd year: 5%, 3rd year: 6%.

Remuneration (annual gross income) in 3 selected occupations (EUR):
hairdresser: 1st year: 480; 2nd: 600; 3rd: 720; 4th: nap
motor mechanic: 1st year: 480; 2nd: 600; 3rd: 720; 4th: nap
bricklayer: 1st year: 1st year: 480; 2nd: 600; 3rd: 720; 4th: nap
Estimation: The monthly wages are multiplied by 12 months (normally the apprentice gets the wage for 12 months per year).

Time foreseen for on-the job-training

More than 50% of the overall duration of apprenticeship
Number of hours per year (average): 324.
Basis for calculation: 970 hours are foreseen for the 3 years training period (min. 60% of the total number of training hours planned in the curriculum). Estimated average number of hours spent by the apprentice for on-the-job training per year: 324 (970/3= 324)

Apprentice social insurance

Paid by: the employer and the apprentice
Rights: health, pension, accidents, annual leave.

Additional support for apprentice

Employer may cover the costs of taking the exam by young worker. Employer may also cover travel and subsistence costs (including accommodation) to those young workers who follow also a complementary training at the centers of further education and training located outside their place of residence and work.

Financing on-the-job training

The costs of on-the-job training, including apprentices' remuneration and social security costs, are covered by the employers, however, they may receive subsidies from the State to compensate the costs borne. Through the grant 'Co-funding of costs related to occupational training (vocational preparation of young workers)' employers receive a fixed amount paid at the end of the whole training period (after apprentice passes an exam). In addition, employers can apply for the grant 'Reimbursement of young workers' wages and social insurance costs'.
Employer reimbursement can only go up to the levels stipulated by law as minimum wages for the apprentice (not less than 4% of the average monthly salary in the 1st year of apprenticeship, 5% in the 2nd year and 6% in the 3rd year).
In 2016, the public spending on on-the-job training amounted to EUR 121,463,509.
This includes EUR 63,021,586 spent on 'Co-funding of costs related to occupational training (vocational preparation of young workers)' and EUR 58,441,923 spent on 'Reimbursement of young workers' wages and social insurance costs'. In 2015, the State spent EUR 113,806,669 (EUR 59,464,758 + 54,341,911 respectively).
Values provided by the Ministry of Education, obtained in consultation with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

Financing off-the-job training

na.
EU funds are used to support off-the-job training but no data on the amounts available.

Financing of the scheme overall

In 2016, the public spending on on-the-job training amounted to EUR 121,463,509. In 2015, the State spent EUR 113,806,669.

Illustration: sources of funding and financial flows
Assessment of financing arrangements

Main weaknesses of the combination of co-funding instruments:
- Co-funding is not very high and depends on various conditions, therefore it does not help motivate employers to engage in the dual-system and take it more seriously.
- The final subsidy for the employer (after apprentice passes exams) and the reimbursement of apprentice wages/social security costs are managed by different bodies and are regulated by two different Ministries within the government, which makes the whole system more complicated for the companies/employers.

Main strengths of the combination of co-funding instruments:
- It is positive that a successful result of the final exam is taken into consideration as a condition for co-funding. However, the whole subsidy should not be dependent on it, as in an extreme situation the employer might not get any funding after training an unsuccessful apprentice for 3 years.

Contextual information

Statutory minimum wage: 417.02 per month (2016, S2); 453.48 per month (2017, S1); 473.27 per month (2017, S2)
Average yearly working time (hours) for a full time job: 1,848

More on financing instruments for this scheme

Co-funding of costs related to occupational training (vocational preparation of young workers)
Poland
Grants for companies
Reimbursement of young workers' wages and social insurance costs
Poland
Grants for companies

More on this apprenticeship scheme

Vocational preparation of juvenile workers
Poland
On this page:
  • Duration
  • Apprentices remuneration - characteristics
  • Apprentices remuneration - amount
  • Time foreseen for on-the job-training
  • Apprentice social insurance
  • Additional support for apprentice
  • Financing on-the-job training
  • Financing off-the-job training
  • Financing of the scheme overall
  • Illustration: sources of funding and financial flows
  • Assessment of financing arrangements
  • Contextual information
© 2025 CEDEFOP
EU An Agency of the European Union
  • FAQs
  • Accessibility statement
  • Multilingual practice
  • Access to documents
  • Cookies policy
  • Privacy statement
  • Data protection
  • Legal notice
  • Sitemap
Designed & developed by EWORX S.A.

Your Opinion Matters