Voivodship Labour Officein Gdańsk

Monika Dapczyńska

EURES Adviser

Haugesund and Stavanger, 5-6 th September 2012

Current situation in employment market for engineers – general unemployment

rateGeneral unemployment rate in Poland in June 2012

Current situation in employment market for engineers:

 

There is no exact data but unemployment rate for engineers but it seems to be rather low.

Only about 16 078 engineers were registered in labour offices in Poland in the end of 2011 which is about 0,81% of all unemployed people.

The percentage of unemployed up to 27 years of age who completed higher studies (there is no differentiation between types of higher education) is 1% of 12,4% of the general unemployment rate in Poland for June 2012.

Generally speaking, engineers rarely register themselves in labour offices as jobseekers. Most engineers are employed (working during their studies) but they’re often searching for better working conditions, salary and more opportunities for self-development).

 

Current situation in employment market for engineers

Types of engineers looking for employment

• Agriculture Engineers

• Civil Engineers in general construction (recently reduced demand for this kind of specialist in Poland)

• Animal Production Engineers

• Food Technology Engineers

• Horticultural Engineers

• Chemical Engineers (especially young graduates)

• Electronics Engineers• Mechanical Engineers - machinery and equipment

Occupations and specializations Number of unemployed registered (end of 2011)

Agriculture Engineer 2 154

Animal Production Engineer 1 113

Civil Engineer - general construction 1 109

Food Technology Engineer 900

Mechanical Engineer - machinery and equipment 748

Horticultural Engineer 708

Electrical Engineer 628

Production Planning and Control Engineer 604

Electronics Engineer 584

Chemical Technology Engineer 504

Computer Network and Systems Engineer 500

Civil Engineer– waste management 455

Mechanical Engineer - mechanical technology 411

Mechanical Engineer - transport 389

Civil Engineer – sanitary systems 386

Forest Engineer 370

Civil Engineer - hydrology 294

Automation Engineer 277

Telecommunication Engineer 275

Materials Engineer 252

Civil Engineer - HVAC 243

Land Management Engineer 205

Textile Engineer 202

Others 2 767

Polish engineers looking for employment

Information about graduates of the Gdańsk University of Technology (research carried out on graduates of 2009 and 2010)

• 91,9 % of graduates are employed

Graduates employment rate according to faculty

Situation of young graduates – Gdańsk University of Technology

• 78,8 % work in accordance with the profession

Work in occupation according to faculty

• about 80% are satisfied with their job

Situation of young graduates – Gdańsk University of Technology

In 2011 over 23 thousand engineers have graduated in Poland and this number is growing every year. About 3-5 % of engineers leave our country to work abroad.

From the survey carried out by Data Bank of Engineers (Bank Danych o Inżynierach) it appears that if graduates have the opportunity to work abroad 27,9% of them choose Norway as their destination country (This is the most popular choice). The runner up is Germany with less than 20%.

The reasons for moving to Norway are:

• favorable working culture,

• stable economic situation

• competitive salaries.

Current situation in employment market for engineers

Education of engineers in Poland

Higher education in engineering in Poland is provided in two types of tertiary institutes:

1) technical universities ("Politechniki") and

2) higher schools of professional education ("Wyższe Szkoły Zawodowe").

The first type is accredited by the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI) and is included in it’s INDEX. It comprises of the universities of technology "Politechnika", "Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza" and engineering faculties at agricultural academies "Akademia Rolnicza" and "Akademia Rolniczo-Techniczna".

Education system – titles awarded

• Inżynier

Bachelor, BSc: The 1st level studies in Poland and is completed by obtaining a diploma and being awarded a BSc degree, normally 3 - 4 years.

• Magister inżynier

Master’s degree, MSc: The 2nd level studies and is completed by obtaining a diploma and being awarded a MSc degree.

Subsequent to the Bologna agreement, the majority of Universities of Technology are offering two-tier programs leading to a Bachelor in Engineering (3-4 years) and Master’s degree (1,5- 2 years). Only in a few disciplines (mostly in the area of medicine) a long-cycle of 5-6 years programs result in Master degrees.

The titles "Magister inżynier" ("Mgr inż.") and "Inżynier" ("Inż.") are legally protected. To be awarded any of the above titles the student must complete all subjects and internships in the curriculum, must submit and defend a diploma project or thesis and pass a diploma examination. Upon graduation, each student receives a diploma in a specific field of study, two copies of the diploma, a diploma supplement. Upon request a diploma and diploma supplement in foreign languages can be provided.

Some tertiary institutions provide part time courses where students are required to attend two full days, every second week-end. The duration of the studies (which result in the "Inż." title) is 4-4,5 years. These courses have not been yet accepted by FEANI.

Education system – titles awarded

• Doktor

PhD: Awarded to a person who has passed doctoral examinations, submitted and defended a doctoral dissertation Rozprawa doktorska. Holding the professional title of magister or its equivalent is a necessary condition for the Doktor's degree.

• Doktor habilitowany

Awarded to a person who holds the Doktor's degree, has significant scholarly or artistic achievements, has submitted a dissertation Rozprawa habilitacyjna and has undergone the successive stages of review, debate and defense.

• Profesor

Professorship is an academic title within a specified field of science.

Education system – titles awarded

Accreditation system

Which marks are good and/or average?

• Very good: 5

• Good: 4

• The average: 3

What should the employer be looking for concerning marks?

That which is of more importance than marks is the experience gained during an individual’s studies. Most students work during the last years of their education. Additional training, internships, practical placements and participation in academic projects should be reviewed.

 Polish students are well known for their initiatives and projects valued even on international stage, for example: PW Sat was the first Polish satellite testing the deorbitation technique and innovative solar panels.

Taking the responsibility of the team leader in an academic project allows a student to develop specific interpersonal skills which are useful later, when required to build up good relations with both clients and coworkers.

Universities in Poland that provide engineering degrees

1. Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) - http://eng.pw.edu.pl/ 2. Wroclaw University of Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska) - http://www.portal.pwr.wroc.pl/index,242.dhtml 3. University of Science and Technology (Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. Stanisława Staszica w Krakowie) - http://www.agh.edu.pl/en 4. Łódź University of Technology (Politechnika Łódzka) - http://www.p.lodz.pl/en/index.htm 5. Silesian University of Technology (Politechnika Śląska w Gliwicach) - http://www.polsl.pl/en/Strony/0_welcome.aspx 6. Gdańsk University of Technology (Politechnika Gdańska) - http://www.pg.gda.pl/en/ 7. Poznań University of Technology (Politechnika Poznańska) - http://www.put.edu.pl/ 8. Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna im. Jarosława Dąbrowskiego w Warszawie – Military University of Technology - http://www.wat.edu.pl/ 9. West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin ( Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet Technologiczny w Szczecinie) - http://www.zut.edu.pl/home/news/current-news.html 10. Cracow University of Technology (Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki) - http://www.en.pk.edu.pl/ 11. Czestochowa University of Technology (Politechnika Częstochowska) http://www.pcz.pl/english/

12. Opole University of Technology (Politechnika Opolska) - http://www.po.opole.pl/en/ 13. Bialystok University of Technology (Politechnika Białostocka) - http://www.pb.edu.pl/en/ 14. Rzeszów University of Technology (Politechnika Rzeszowska im. Ignacego Łukasiewicza)-

http://portal.prz.edu.pl/en/ 15. Lublin University of Technology (Politechnika Lubelska)- http://en.pollub.pl/ 16. Kielce University of Technology (Politechnika Świętokrzyska w Kielcach) -

http://www.tu.kielce.pl/en/ 17. University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz (Uniwersytet Technologiczno-

Przyrodniczy im. J. i J. Śniadeckich w Bydgoszczy) - http://www.utp.edu.pl/en/index.php 18. Koszalin University of Technology (Politechnika Koszalińska) -

http://www.tu.koszalin.pl/eng/ 19. University of Bielsko Biała (Akademia Techniczno-Humanistyczna w Bielsku-Białej) -

http://www.ath.bielsko.pl/english/ 20. Politechnika Radomska im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego - http://pr.radom.pl/index.php?

ServiceName=en.pr.radom.pl

21. Gdynia Maritime University (Akademia Morska w Gdyni) - http://www.am.gdynia.pl/en/

22. Szczecin Maritime University (Akademia Morska w Szczecinie) - http://www.am.szczecin.pl/en/

Universities in Poland that provide engineering degrees

English Language

By what age do people start learning English in Poland? During primary school English is a compulsory subject. It is very current to learn English even in nursery schools. During the first years of tertiary studies it is required to take a language course, for example at the Gdańsk University of Technology one can choose between: English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian, Japanese and Swedish. English is the most popular subject to enroll in.  

Most Universities of Technology in Poland provide engineer studies in English on all levels in chosen specialization. This may vary from University to university and it can be checked on each institutes website.

These studies are often entirely free of charge, as they are co-financed by the European Union. The candidates wishing to study in English registers at the same time as the candidates for the studies in Polish, and they are subject to the same qualification procedure. The recruitment criteria are the same regardless of the language used to teach during the courses. However, the candidates for the studies in English are required to prove an excellent command of English by submitting an appropriate language certificate. It is worth mentioning, that graduating from the studies in English provides an opportunity for a building license application, after certain legal requirements are fulfilled. After a two-year practical training period, the graduates also have a chance to apply for the European Union engineer degree, which is accepted in all European Union countries

 

English Language

Norwegian courses

Norwegian classes are provided on few Universities (in Gdańsk, Poznan, Toruń and Warsaw), in Polish-Norwegian Association in Warsaw and in many private schools.

Polish-Norwegian Association in Warsaw since1963 organizes Norwegian language courses on three different levels: basic, intermediate and advanced. Each year there are about 40-50 participants taking 70-140 lessons. There is also possibility to organize special courses for different professions. Contact: tpn@zgtpn.org.pl

Many private schools offer Norwegian courses.

Very common courses are short, intensive courses preparing people to work abroad, concentrated on speaking and communicating in Norwegian. Some are even targeted on special professions in different branches.

Work culture

Average work hours for engineers - Full time = 40h/week or individual agreement (max 8h/day)

 

Salary for engineers (Average per year)

The average salary for engineers in Poland is 7 000 - 8 000 PLN gross per month which is about 168 000 -192 000 NOK per year.

 

What are the relationships like between management and employees? Is there a hierarchy?

In most cases there is rigorous hierarchy in Polish companies. An Engineer might start as an assistant or junior engineer and will then advance to the position of specialist, project manager, and general manager and so on.

In a more international environment the relationships are rather horizontal with a team leader/manager cooperating with other team members.

Candidates with leadership skills might then easily be promoted to managerial position with salary about 360 000 NOK per year.

 

Challenges

The biggest challenge is the fact that Polish companies are very interested in recruiting. In fact about 60% of Polish companies need engineers especially mechanical engineers, electricians and metallurgy and mining engineers. There is also the competition from German, American and Arabic Countries labour markets as these companies are also actively recruiting Polish Engineers.

Taking into account that Polish workers are looking for stable labour market, good salary and high working culture, Norway should still remain a favorite destination. Help with travel, accommodation and bringing their family (work for spouse, information about nursery, schools, work place well communicated with bigger cities etc.) would be very appreciated. If a candidate perceives that an employer is willing to support him/her in the relocation process, it will create more motivation to accept an offer.

Important factors when choosing employer (based on research carried out on graduates from Gdańsk University of Technology)

Challenges

Recruitment events and interviews

We can organize a recruitment day (or days - depending on the needs and capabilities of employers) in our office in Gdańsk. We have experience in organizing such events and we have available a conference room for about 50 people and smaller rooms for the single interviews.

We can organize such an event whenever it is suitable for the employer, but to attract the appropriate candidates we need a sufficient amount of time. In this instance, November will be good month as it provides more than 1 month after the workshop to assist companies in finding the right candidates.

Organizing such an event is dependent on getting written information from the employer via EURES in Norway. We require an overview of which candidates the employer is looking for and how many positions are available.

 

Recruitment events and interviews

Steps to successful recruitment

The following steps should be taken:

• Contact your local NAV EURES advisor and provide written information, as stated above

• write the job offer(s) ,including salaries, in our template and submit them to NAV EURES

• NAV EURES will quality control all offers and will then forward them till EURES in Poland

• EURES in Poland will promote the offers via our labour offices, newspapers, portals etc.

• Collect the CV’s (preselecting included if needed)

• Set the date for interviews along with EURES in Norway and Poland and inform candidates

• Travel to Poland for the recruitment meeting(s) (Travel expenses are on the company’s cost)

• Submit an evaluation of the event and EURES’ services

• Report how many candidates have received positions by informing NAV EURES.

If there are not enough candidates interested in coming to Gdańsk (northern part of Poland), we can arrange a few recruitment days in different cities with big technical universities like Warsaw, Wroclaw or Łódź. The employer can then come to Poland for 2-3 days and visit Gdańsk (north), Warsaw (middle) and Wroclaw (south part of Poland). It would then be easier for suitable candidates from different parts of Poland to come for interviews.

Recruitment events and Interviews

• There is also an opportunity to take part in Engineer Job Fair which is organized each year on our Gdańsk University of Technology. This is a quite big and well organized job fair with over 30 exhibitors. We would like to suggest to promote the Norwegian job offers before this event and that the companies collect the CVs beforehand and schedule job interviews to take place during this event. The employers could not only meet the selected candidates but also present their company to an even bigger public (students and graduates) on the exhibition stand. This job fair is organized probably in March 2013.

Recruitment events and Interviews – Engineer Job Fair

Recruitment events and Interviews – Engineer Job Fair 2011

How to apply for participation?

First step is always contacting your local NAV EURES advisor.

 

What can You expect concerning advertising of positions, before the event?

EURES Poland can advertise all positions in the different labour offices in whole of Poland (on their websites and on the national database). We can also advertise it in the press (connected with job searching) and in Careers Service Centers on Technical Universities. EURES Poland will have to use different advertising methods to reach different target groups.

 

Recruitment events and Interviews

Practical tips

• You should submit your advertisements for positions as soon as possible, and at least a minimum of one month before the interviews.

• Presentation about the company at the event is very useful. It can be presented for bigger group before the individual interviews.

• The dress code is casual. We recommend a minimum 2 interviewers, so they can divide the workload. More than 3 interviewers might make the applicant feel intimidated.

• You should provide a list of candidates to EURES so we can assist you on the day. We can also help you to schedule the interviews and call the candidates.

• What type of questions to candidates is not appropriate? - Questions about sexual orientation, religion, political orientation and pregnancy.

Thank you for attention!Monika Dapczyńska

EURES Adviser

Regional Labour Office in Gdańsk

m_dapczynska@wup.gdansk.pl