Polish entrepreneurs warn that current regulations prevent young people from gaining practical construction training, exacerbating a labor shortage in the critical sector.
Industry Concerns
According to entrepreneurs, vocational teachers, and school directors, “companies that currently take students for internships face enormous legal risks, exposing themselves to severe sanctions.” Tomasz Ćwikowski, owner of the Nowy Sącz-based ERBET company, states: “The law actually prevents us from taking students for school internships on construction sites, thereby closing the door for us and the entire construction industry to vocational training of young workers.”
Ćwikowski is not alone in believing that maintaining current regulations threatens to halt the influx of young specialists to this key economic sector, already facing a severe shortage. “How are we supposed to implement major infrastructure investments, including the construction of Poland’s Port (formerly CPK) or energy transformation? How will we build the housing expected by Poles?” the entrepreneur asks.
Demographic Crisis
According to a report by the Polish Economic Institute (“Demography and Labor Supply”), the construction workforce in Poland is rapidly aging: as many as 250,000 specialists will reach retirement age in the next decade. By 2035, 225,000 of them will leave the labor market, while only 113,000 young workers will replace them. Today, there is only one specialist aged 15-35 for every worker aged 55+. Physical construction jobs cannot be performed indefinitely, and this sector is highly resistant to automation and robotics.
“The conclusion is obvious: we need people and we must have places to train them,” comments Tomasz Ćwikowski.
Regulatory Barriers
The Ministry of Education Regulation prohibits minors from “construction and demolition work.” Entrepreneurs and vocational teachers refer to Annex No. 1 to the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of June 19, 2023, on the list of work prohibited for minors and conditions for their employment in certain of these works (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1240). A key provision is in Chapter III, point 10, letter c, which lists “work on construction and demolition of building structures” as prohibited for minors.
Meanwhile, in Annex No. 2 to the aforementioned regulation – listing works that minors over 16 years of age can be engaged in “if necessary for vocational training” – construction and demolition work for the purpose of practical vocational training is not permitted.
Training Challenges
As explained by the Małopolska Education Superintendent, “this means that minors employed by employers cannot perform work on construction and demolition of building structures, but only renovation and finishing works that are not covered by a building permit or notification of construction works under the Building Law Act of July 7, 1994.” The question arises how to train plasterers, concrete workers, reinforcement workers, or roofers under these circumstances.
Małgorzata Mierczak, director of the Zespół Szkół Budowlanych im. dra Władysława Matlakowskiego in Zakopane, admits there is a serious problem with internships for young people in companies. “This especially affects smaller centers. In large cities like Warsaw or Kraków, many large general construction companies operate that can provide students with practical vocational training in the legal situation described above. Unfortunately, in smaller towns, i.e., so-called county Poland, such companies and opportunities practically DO NOT EXIST,” explains the director.
Official Response
Ewelina Gorczyca, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education, explains that training in the mentioned professions, such as concrete worker-reinforcement worker, roofer, and others, is conducted in accordance with the core curricula defined in the regulation of the Minister of National Education of May 16, 2019, on the core curricula for vocational education in schools of industry and additional vocational skills in selected occupations of industry schools (Journal of Laws item 991 with later amendments), which do not provide for performing construction and demolition work.
“These tasks can be carried out in school workshops or at an employer’s under the supervision of a practical vocational training teacher or instructor on positions enabling practical performance of tasks in the above scope,” describes the spokeswoman.
Call for Change
In the opinion of some entrepreneurs and vocational teachers, the current regulations constitute a serious and dangerous barrier to students acquiring practical skills in one of the key areas of the economy. They believe that the Ministry of Education should immediately take action to resolve this problem.
“I hope that the ministry understands the difference between performing certain activities in a school workshop or an improvised workstation and performing specific work on a construction site. Where are students supposed to learn construction work if they are not allowed to work on construction sites? How can entrepreneurs in smaller towns organize internships for students if they are not allowed to do so as part of the work being carried out?” asks Tomasz Ćwikowski.