IT Workforce

General (1)

The quarterly labor force survey (LFS) shows unemployment rising from 18.5% in the last quarter of 2001 to 20.3% in the first quarter of 2002, but then slipping back a little to 19.9% in the second quarter and 19.8% in the third, 1.9 percentage points higher than in the same period of 2001. The alternative monthly measure provided by the number of registered unemployed showed an average unemployment rate of 17.5% in both the second and third quarters of 2002 (1.6 and 1.3 percentage points higher, respectively, than in the corresponding periods of 2001). GUS has reported that the registered unemployment rate was also 17.5% at the end of October. This was just 1.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier. With the number of registered vacancies continuing to increase (in year-on-year terms), the overall labor market situation does seem finally to be beginning to stabilize. Indeed, it seems likely that various measures announced by the government to counter unemployment growth, particularly among young people, will limit the usual seasonal rise in unemployment over the winter. However, the underlying problem cannot be solved without a return to stronger economic growth and an improvement in the functioning of the labor market. (2)

(3)

Telecommunications

Poland has one of the fastest growing economies among European countries. The telecommunications sector for services and equipment is the most profitable sector, "growing at a rate of 15% per year." (4) Unemployment, however, has jumped to over 19% at the end of October 2002, and is affecting young individuals with college degrees, "as only 1/3 of those are expected to find work this year. Thousands of high achievers in their 20s are graduating from college with computer skills, business savvy, perfect English, but no job prospects." (5)

The Polish government has not only vowed to spur the growth of the country's IT economy, but to do so by investing in Internet access and training. Access to the Internet in Poland is one of the most expensive in Central and Eastern Europe, and thus acts as a barrier to the growth of Information Technology. This is being assessed as part of the government's commitment to IT. "As part of the Ministry of National Education's National Strategy of Education in the Information Society, a number of pilot programs have been initiated to bring Internet access to schools and technology training to teachers in partnership with the European Union and private sector." (6)

Information Technology

There is a considerable shortage of Information Technology professionals in Poland, particularly with the number of technicians and engineers. This is to be about 20% below demand and expected to grow by 2003. Organizations and governmental entities have responded to this trend by developing Information Technology training programs throughout higher education institutions within Poland. There is also the threat of the "brain drain of IT trained employees in Poland, whereby employees are leaving the country to take jobs. This is due to low salaries. Polish IT professionals find higher paying jobs in other countries, such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, or Germany. Although salary level is something that is changing in Poland, "while the salary of IT professionals in the US is around $5000 per month, a professional with the same qualifications in Poland earns only $450-600 [today]." (7)

Education and Training

The education system in Poland has recently been reformed. Appendix A illustrates a person's educational profile matched to his or her age. Aside from what are considered now to be regular interactions with technology being used in the classroom, a student begins taking technology-related courses during gymnasium when the student is approximately 13 years of age. "At the gymnasium level students are exposed to 2 hours a week of obligatory subject "computer science", which is called "informatyka". The curricula of this subject include the following issues:

1. Computer in the human life.
2. Work with the computer.
3. Utility software (graphics editors, text editors, spreadsheets, databases).
4. Multimedia sources of information.
5. Algorithms.
6. Simulation and modelling." (8)

Students continue technology-related classes while in vocational, technical secondary, specialized lyceum, and general lyceum schools. At this point the individual is approximately 16 years old and in 9th grade. When the student reaches 11th grade, he or she may enroll in complementary lyceum or complementary technical secondary school. At approximately 19 years of age the student can enroll in post-secondary school (preparative courses a magister), in a magister program (equivalent to a master's degree program in the US), or in higher professional education courses. Although the magister and higher professional education course enable the student to obtain a thorough understanding of technology through intense curriculums, students are not obligated to undertake technology-related courses while enrolled in B.A. and M.A. equivalent schools. Students do not necessarily endorse this, as consensus at universities indicates - "It seems that some solution would be to have ICT classes in the curriculum of studies leading either to B.A. (licencjat) or M.A. (magister) degree, so that student's computer knowledge from school would be consolidated and directed towards research for B.A. or M.A. theses." (9) It is important to note that "over 28% of the population has graduated from a university or university equivalent program." (reference)

As mentioned, technology is being incorporated into the curriculum as Head Teachers are encouraging Teachers to include such tools in class learnings. IATEFL Poland, a computer special interest group mentioned, "nowadays, the expectations towards knowing the potential of Information and Communication Technology and effective using it in teaching are quite high in Poland - Teachers are often obliged by Head Teachers to make use of the Internet lab, students exercise pressure on their teachers to use the Internet in learning English, while parents are extremely glad to see new methods and teaching aids such as computers and the Web facilitating and enhancing language learning. More and more schools have Internet labs available for English lessons, making it possible to execute Web-based lessons." (10)

Expenditures on Education (11)

Expenditures Per Student on Public and Private Institutions:
Primary Education: $1,496
Secondary Education: $1,438
Postsecondary Edu.: $4,262 (12)

Expenditures Per Student on Public and Private Institutions as a percentage of GDP: (13)
Primary Education: 2.3%
Secondary Education: 1.1%
Postsecondary Edu.: 1.3%
GDP Per Capita: $8,183

Technical Universities

Poland also invests in education of ICT through its many technical universities, and has done so for many years. "The origins of Warsaw University of Technology, for example, date back to 1826. It's the largest academic school of technology in Poland, employing 2.000 professors. There are 17 faculties covering various fields of science and technology." (14) This only begins to exhibit the emphasis placed on technical education in Poland. Poland has more than 30 technical universities throughout the country. Some of the largest and most prestigious follow:

Academy of Economics, Wroclaw
Adam Mickiewicz University
Bialystok Technical University
College of Science, Warsaw
Cracow University of Technology
Czestochowa Technical University
Franco-Polish School of New ICT
Gdansk Technical University
Gdynia Maritime Academy
Jagiellonian University
Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski (KUL)
Kielce Technical University
Koszalin Technical University
Lodz Technical University
Lublin Technical University
Maria Curie-Sklodowska University
Nicolaus Copernicus University
Opole Technical University
Politechnika Opolska Technical University
Pedagogical University of Krakow
Politechnika Poznanska
Politechnika Szczeciñska
Poznan Technical University
Radom Technical University
Rzeszow Technical University
Silesian Technical University
Stanislaw Staszic University of Mining And Metallurgy
Warsaw University of Technology
Wroclaw Technical University
Zielona Gora Technical University

APPENDIX A

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SOURCES

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