Interviews

Close cooperation between the education sector and business is the priority

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Close cooperation between the education sector and business is the priority

Interview with Janusz Nowak, Vice-President of Elbląg

FOCUS ON Business: Availability of qualified and talented employees is one of the factors attracting investments to the region. Which branches of innovative business services sector can find highly educated specialists in Elbląg?

Janusz Nowak, Vice-President of Elbląg: The innovative business services sector is growing dynamically, especially in Poland. Recently I have found out that Poland is the second destination country in the world for prospect investors in this sector. Our country's advantage in attracting this type of projects is well-educated and qualified personnel that speaks many foreign languages. Other important factors include Poland's strategic location in Europe, a favourable investment environment, economic stability, the development of advanced business-oriented infrastructure, raising quality of life in Polish cities, as well as the business ecosystem that supports the activities of investors in the sector.

Undoubtedly, the primary and so far the most attractive locations are large cities and their agglomerations. Elbląg and cities of similar size are not the first choice for investors in this sector. This is mainly due to insufficient office space. Recently, however, the attention of investors, especially those who already operate in our country and want to expand further, has been directed to smaller cities. Instead of increasing their potential in one place, they are looking for new locations on the map of our country.

I must admit that more and more often Elbląg is taken into consideration as a location for new offices or branches. This was the case of Transcom, which decided to open a new office in Elbląg, despite having its branches in the immediate vicinity of Elbląg, i.e. in Olsztyn and in Gdańsk. Another company that should be mentionedhere is Best, which has been doing very well in Elbląg for years.

A serious incentive for the companies from BSS sector in our city are professionals that graduate our universities. These are well- prepared young people, well acquainted with the directions of development and new work tools. We have had and still have this potential, and we are constantly trying to develop it and adapt to the needs of the dynamically changing labour market.

What was missing to fully open our city to the BSS sector was a proper officespace. High standard, A-class office space, located in attractive places, so that companies that will decide to settle there could offer their employees not only interesting working conditions, but also the possibility of spending free time in the most attractive parts of the city.

We believe that this issue will no longer exist due to the Factory programme, to which Elbląg has qualified as one of the 5 cities out of over 120 candidates. The potential that the Polish Industrial Development Agency saw in our city resulted in establishing a special purpose vehicle and implementing a project of construction of an A-class office building with a usable area of 10 000 m2 in the most attractive part of the city, i.e. the Old Town. We hope that the first construction works will start already in the second half of this year.

Let us start with higher education. Elbląg has a good academic infrastructure. What potential is generated by universities and their graduates?

We would like to develop the academic potential. It would significantly help us as a city to attract young people who currently move to other cities to study and gain experience there. This is certainly not easy with the location of our city between two large academic centres: the Tricity centre and the University of Warmia and Mazury. Our two universities, i.e. the Academy of Applied Sciences (formerly the State Higher Vocational School) and the Academy of Medical and Social Sciences (formerly the Elbląg University of Humanities and Economics) are developing dynamically, every year providing our market with highly qualified specialists.

The wide range of courses offered at the faculties of economics and applied information technology, through pedagogy and language studies, administration and social sciences to health sciences allows for the education of almost three thousand students. Unfortunately, some of them after graduating decide to take up professional challenges in other, larger cities. We are short of attractive, interesting and challenging job opportunities for these people, not only corporate jobs, but also in smaller, knowledge -enhancing projects. I hope that through our activities we as a city will have more convincing arguments for people looking for interesting professional challenges. I believe that this will be possible thanks to the aforementioned implementation of the Factory project and construction of an A-class office building, increasing the area of land made available to investors in our industrial hub in Modrzewina South, and plans to develop and offer land directly adjacent to the Elbląg River and the Sea Port that provides an unrestricted access to the Baltic Sea through the Vistula Spit channel.

It is said a lot that there is a shortage of skilled labour in Poland. Elbląg, on the other hand, has for many years focused on education in particular professions, both at the academic and postsecondary level, thus creating a huge field for cooperation between education and business. What are the results of this approach?

Since 2014, the city's priority has been the development of vocational education geared to the labour market. New education programmes are being established in Elbląg's vocational schools as well as in the Academy of Applied Sciences in Elbląg. We are willing and we are listening to the needs of our local business, so that education of young people corresponds to their needs. At present, after graduation, almost 67% of students of secondary schools will have not only general knowledge but also practical skills allowing them to enter the labour market. I refer here to specialised technical secondary schools and secondary vocational schools. We want as many of them as possible to feed our local labour market.

 Being aware of the realms of today's job market, we put great emphasis on learning foreign languages. All first to eighth grade pupils in primary schools inElbląg have compulsory English classes.  Additionally, in seventh and eighth grade, they have compulsory second foreign language classes: German (82%), Spanish (9%), Russian (8%) and Italian (1%). In general secondary schools and technical secondary schools students have obligatory classes of two foreign languages. In general secondary schools, students choose English as their first compulsory foreign language, while as their compulsory second foreign language 46.5% of students chose Spanish, 29%.

German, 12.2% Italian, 6.15% French and 6.15% chose Russian. In technical secondary schools, pupils also choose English as their first compulsory foreign language, with 88% choosing German and 12% choosing Russian as their second foreign language. In secondary vocational schools students learn one foreign language on a compulsory basis, where 88.27% of students chose English and 11.73% chose German.

Which profiles of vocational education receive the greatest interest both among candidates and students, and among entrepreneurs willing to employ the graduates? Are there any schools, courses or programs in Elbląg, which have been developed in response to business needs?

In 2015, in cooperation with employers, we identified the directions of vocational education that would be consistent with the local labour market. It was a year of intensive meetings and analyses, identifying needs and opportunities. The needs of employers, schools and students were diagnosed and opportunities for their implementation were identified. Based on these diagnoses, the projects of modernisation of vocational education in Elbląg were developed, which included all vocational schools. Moreover, based on the Centrum Kształcenia Praktycznego [the Centre of Practical Education] and the Centrum Kształcenia Zawodowego i Ustawicznego [the Centre for Vocational and Continuing Education]. a co-

ordinating unit – Elbląskie Centrum Edukacji Zawodowej [the Elbląg Centre for Vocational Education] – was established. Today, close cooperation between the Elbląg Centre for Vocational Education (ECEZ) and Elbląg schools with local entrepreneurs is a priority. Students undergo internships and apprenticeships in natural working conditions. ECEZ provides services to employers as regards additional training and re-qualification of employees as part of vocational and professional skills training courses. ECEZ organizes periodical trainings and workshops by suppliers of modern machines, devices and technologies. ECEZ is also a regional examination centre for pupils and students.

It also provides consultancy on the planning of the directions of the new vocational courses. As regards the most popular majors of vocational education, the students of technical secondary schools are most interested in IT, mechatronics, programming, logistics, operation of ports and terminals.

And at the level of secondary vocational schools, most popular are mechanical and electro-mechanical technician of motor vehicles, hairdresser, chef and confectioner. All interested graduates find employment in the Elbląg and regional labour market.

Such a commitment to the development of vocational education entails huge expenditures, required for a sound educational facilities or training of teachers. How does the city raise such funds?

In recent years, 7 projects co-financed by EU funds under the Regional Operational Programme of the Warmińsko -Mazurskie Voivodeship for 2014–2020 have been implemented in vocational schools in Elbląg. The City of Elbląg has obtained more than PLN 25 million for the development and strengthening of vocational education. The projects were implemented in all vocational schools in Elbląg. As a result, they have been equipped with modern educational facilities – specialist equipment and tools, as well as IT hardware. The funds obtained were also invested in extension and modernization of existing infrastructure of schools and institutions, training of Staff – specialists in vocational education, and in raising competencies and professional skills of young people studying in vocational schools in Elbląg.

Also under EU projects, the above mentioned ECEZ, the Elbląg Centre for Vocational Education, was established on the basis of the Centre of Practical Training and Vocational and the Centre of Vocational and Continuing Education. Its task is to develop vocational education in Elbląg and educate professionals and specialists needed in the local labour market. As part of the projects, state-of-the-art training facilities were created in the following fields: renewable energy, carpentry and joinery, construction, as well as a "Smart Building" and an energy training ground, which will allow students to practice on photovoltaic and solar systems.

The Centre responds to the needs of unemployed workers, disabled workers and students in a systematic, coordinated way and in cooperation with partners – schools, employers, universities, the Labour Office and non-governmental organisations, by planning directions of vocational education on the Elbląg labour market. The task of Elbląg Centre for Vocational Education is also managing information about local labour market and supporting employers in training qualified employees. The Centre responds to the needs of the local business environment by organising trainings for students, the unemployed and employees consistent with the reported needs.

Elbląg also invests in the development of vocational education teachers. Apart from many trainings, seminars and courses for teachers of vocational courses and teachers of practical vocational training to improve their professional skills related to the profile of education, the city subsidizes postgraduate studies providing new qualifications in vocational education.

In which areas do the city authorities support cooperation between science and business? What challenges can you see in this context?

I am aware of the fact that the dependence of the economic development of a city on its innovativeness and its role as a main innovation generating centre is a challenge for the city authorities in terms of establishing an appropriate development policy. For its effective implementation, it is necessary for city authorities to develop pro-innovative cooperation between the sectors of science, business and public administration. The development and competitiveness of a city requires constantly new concepts to be generated in order to define development mechanisms that are adapted to the constantly changing reality. The contemporary pace of transformations and their complex nature make it extremely difficult to unambiguously define a recipe for city development.

Undoubtedly, however, close cooperation and transformation of traditional roles of the science sector, business and public administration are the foundation of a contemporary view on such development. These institutions include: scientific units, research and development units, business environment institutions, enterprises, local government entities. Together we explore the possibilities of further enhancing the strengths of our city and also the ways of using them to support economic development. Together we are creating tools that enable better use of the city's scientific potential, support the development of entrepreneurship and attract investors, thus increasing the share of the private sector in financing the research and development activities.

Apart from the two universities, an invaluable role in supporting the development of Elbląg by promoting innovation and new technologies is also played by Elbląg Technology Park, whose tasks include creating a positive business environment and supporting start-up and incubation projects. The activity of the Technology Park proves that the cooperation of public administration, science and business aimed at supporting innovativeness creates the most beneficial conditions for the economic development of the city.

Thank you for the interview.

This article comes from magazine:
FOCUS ON Business #4 May-June (3/2022)

FOCUS ON Business #4 May-June (3/2022) Check the issue