Systemic approach to vocational/career guidance

Policy development
Regulation/Legislation
Poland
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Timeline
  • 2018Approved/Agreed
ID number
28755

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

Vocational/career guidance had been previously based on the Regulation of the Minister for National Education of 30 April 2013 providing and organising psychological and pedagogical assistance in public preschools, schools and other education institutions. However, no specific programme content for each education stage has existed in vocational/career guidance. School practice has differed substantially in terms of programme, organisation and persons responsible for guidance/counselling. Often vocational guidance has been treated as an occasional activity rather than as a process in the education system.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

Changes introduced in career guidance aimed to improve provision to meet the changing needs of the labour market and to implement career/vocational guidance in a more coherent and systematic way.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

A Regulation establishing a systemic approach to vocational/career guidance in schools was adopted in September 2018. The regulation defines the goals as well as the terms and manner of implementing and organising vocational guidance, including detailed programme content. According to the regulation, the basic goal of vocational/career guidance is to support students in making independent and responsible decisions concerning their educational and professional life, based on learning about their own resources, the education system and the labour market. Career/vocational guidance has to be perceived as continuous, starting in preschool and continuing at subsequent stages of education. Vocational guidance and counselling are to be conducted at all school levels, including:

  1. preschools [ISCED 0] - vocational pre-orientation;
  2. primary school classes 1-6 [ISCED 1-2] - vocational orientation;
  3. seventh and eighth grades of primary school [ISCED 2] and secondary schools [ISCED 3] - vocational guidance activities.

Schools are required to develop their own annual activity programme to implement the intra-school vocational guidance system. This programme should specify:

  1. the activities to implement vocational guidance (including the content of the activities, methods and forms of implementation, time frame of implementation, persons responsible for implementation);
  2. the entities with which the school cooperates in this field.

The regulation...

A Regulation establishing a systemic approach to vocational/career guidance in schools was adopted in September 2018. The regulation defines the goals as well as the terms and manner of implementing and organising vocational guidance, including detailed programme content. According to the regulation, the basic goal of vocational/career guidance is to support students in making independent and responsible decisions concerning their educational and professional life, based on learning about their own resources, the education system and the labour market. Career/vocational guidance has to be perceived as continuous, starting in preschool and continuing at subsequent stages of education. Vocational guidance and counselling are to be conducted at all school levels, including:

  1. preschools [ISCED 0] - vocational pre-orientation;
  2. primary school classes 1-6 [ISCED 1-2] - vocational orientation;
  3. seventh and eighth grades of primary school [ISCED 2] and secondary schools [ISCED 3] - vocational guidance activities.

Schools are required to develop their own annual activity programme to implement the intra-school vocational guidance system. This programme should specify:

  1. the activities to implement vocational guidance (including the content of the activities, methods and forms of implementation, time frame of implementation, persons responsible for implementation);
  2. the entities with which the school cooperates in this field.

The regulation indicates the requirements for those conducting vocational guidance in schools and preschools. Among the most important is the requirement, for teachers conducting vocational guidance activities in the seventh and eighth grades of primary school and in secondary schools, to have a qualification as a vocational counsellor. However, a transition period was set for that requirement until the 2021/22 school year.

Some of the provisions of the Regulation on vocational guidance were included in the Education Law Act (November 2018).

2018
Approved/Agreed

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of National Education
  • Ministry of National Education (until 2021)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

  • Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
  • Young people (15-29 years old)

Education professionals

  • Teachers
  • Guidance practitioners

Entities providing VET

  • Companies
  • VET providers (all kinds)

Other stakeholders

  • Social partners (employer organisations and trade unions)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation

Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.

This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.

This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.

Lifelong guidance

This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET

Country

Poland

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Regulation/Legislation
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Systemic approach to vocational/career guidance: Poland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/hr/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28755