Poland’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy introduces fast-track hiring for over 300 professions facing labor shortages.
Labour Shortages List
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has prepared a draft regulation on a list of professions with labor shortages. This regulation has long been awaited by employers, who appealed for it last year through organizations including BCC and the Union of Employers Transport and Logistics Poland. It is meant to be their rescue in the face of decision paralysis in provincial offices and growing backlogs in residence legalization.
Fast-Track Hiring Process
An employer hiring for a profession on the list will not need to obtain information from the county starost about the inability to meet staffing needs on the local labor market. This is the so-called fast track, which eliminates one of the more time-consuming stages of bureaucracy.
Key Sectors Covered
The list prepared by the ministry includes over 300 professions. As expected, the healthcare and care sector, which faces the largest staffing shortages in an aging society, was given priority. Entities employing doctors of various specializations, nurses, midwives, and paramedics can expect facilitations. The fast track will also cover caregivers for the elderly and caregivers in social assistance homes, which is crucial in the context of demographic forecasts.
A large group on the list consists of professions related to transport and logistics. Driver shortages are disrupting supply chains, so the list includes truck drivers, tractor-trailer drivers, and bus drivers. Railway locomotive drivers and tram motormen can also expect privileges. The construction and industrial sectors are also strongly represented. The list includes, among others, construction engineers, roofers, welders, and electricians.
The IT sector, which constantly seeks specialists, will gain easier access to computer systems analysts, application designers, and database administrators.
Niche Specialties
However, the Ministry of Labour has identified shortages not only in the most popular industries. The list includes rare, forgotten, or highly specialized professions that are difficult to find willing candidates for on the domestic market. Facilitations will cover employers seeking well diggers as well as solderers and welders.
Among the unusual professions covered by the list is also a drawbridge operator. Interestingly, shortages have also affected the aviation industry in very specific areas – the list of deficit professions includes, among others, a parachutist, as well as a balloon pilot and an airship pilot.
Expert Concerns
According to experts, the introduction of the regulation is a step toward making migration policy more realistic. However, they ask what will happen if there are many applications on the so-called fast track, which will thereby lose its priority character. They also wonder what will happen to the remaining applications in such a situation and how long they will have to wait for a decision.
