The Quality of Life-Long Learning as Response to the Demand of Labour Market - Analysis of the Situation in Poland, Directions of Change
Life-long learning, as never before, has been given high priority in Poland. It has become significant in the context of enabling the adaptation of the structure of vocational qualifications of the workforce to the changes of the demand structure and, as a consequence, to limit structural unemployment, the growth of competitiveness of economy on international scale, as well as to accelerate the rate of economic growth. Great importance has been attached to the quality and innovation of life-long learning. However, the budget designed for life-long learning in Poland is very low: it amounts to 0.6% of total expenditure on education. The expenditure of employers on education and requalification of the staff in 2003 constituted only 0.8% of the costs of work.
Poland is characterized by high selectivity relating to access to life-long learning because of the following factors: location, status on the labour market, education and age. The main barrier for participation in life-long education is the lack of funds on financing trainings (including journeys, purchase of literature, etc.) because of the low material status of the majority of society as well as poor economic conditions of enterprises. Thus, in the current economic situation, both employees and employers do not possess enough means to raise their qualifications. Therefore, it seems essential in this context to carry out an analysis of the present situation of life-long learning in Poland and make an attempt to answer several basic questions: What does Poland look like against a background of Europe and the world? What is the role of life-long learning? Who participates in life-long education (depending on sex, age, education, status on the labour market, profession)? What are the sources of funding the life-long learning? What are the reasons of not participating in life-long learning (barriers)? What does the quality of life-long learning depend on? What kinds of directions of life-long learning should there be? What kinds of measures should be taken so that life-long learning could satisfy the needs of the labour market, enable structural changes, development, adjust to constantly occurring changes and reduce unemployment? The paper is an attempt to answer these questions.