Developing Public Employment Services for Economically Inactive People in Poland

5. PES strategies for employer engagement

Abstract

This chapter first describes current employer engagement strategies within the Polish Public Employment Services (PES). Drawing on surveys conducted with PES staff and semi-structured interviews with employers, it identifies barriers to stronger cooperation, including limited employer trust in PES services, a lack of perceived benefits, and administrative complexity. Based on this assessment, the chapter discusses policy options to improve cooperation between the PES and employers. Five areas of possible intervention are highlighted: strengthening staff skills through job advocacy training to support better job matching; building partnerships with employers engaged in corporate social responsibility and family-friendly practices to foster the hiring of individuals who have spent extended periods outside the labour market; using local job fairs as a tool for employer outreach and labour market information sharing; providing tailored HR counselling for small and medium-sized enterprises to address recruitment and retention challenges, particularly when hiring individuals returning to the labour market after a prolonged period of economic inactivity; and strengthening skills needs assessment and anticipation exercises to support strategic workforce planning and employer engagement.

In Brief

To support the activation of clients with a large distance to the labour market, the Polish Public Employment Services will need to build trust with local employers

• In Poland, responsibilities for employer engagement are shared between Powiat (PUP) and Regional Labour Offices (WUP). The PUP serve as the main contact point for employers, offering advisory services, recruitment assistance, and support for posting job vacancies. They also gather employer feedback to inform training design, manage funding for employee upskilling in local firms, and administer incentives such as wage subsidies and workplace adjustment support. The WUP focus primarily on collecting and analysing labour market data at local and regional levels and sharing insights with stakeholders, including employers. They also manage EURES services, helping employers publish vacancies and match with candidates across the EU.

• Survey and interview evidence point to both strengths and limitations in the current engagement between the PES and employers in Poland. A survey of 14 local and regional PES offices (PUP and WUP), along with 16 semi-structured interviews with public and private employers, highlight effective cooperation in the delivery of financial incentives, such as wage subsidies, internships, National Training Fund support, and PFRON-funded wage subsidies for individuals with disabilities. However, both PES staff and employers identified several areas for improvement. These include expanding tailored advisory services, providing relevant labour market information to support workforce planning, and simplifying administrative procedures, particularly for SMEs with limited HR capacity. While some employers value the current advisory services, they often lack concrete guidance on recruitment strategies and are constrained by limited PES staffing for employer engagement, which affects continuity. Labour market information, a statutory responsibility of the WUP, is perceived by employers as insufficient or inaccessible, with many unaware of its availability or how to make use of it.

• Equipping employer-facing staff with advocacy skills could facilitate engagement with employers on the activation of previously inactive individuals. Supporting the job placement of previously inactive individuals requires effective job mediation by PES staff who must be able to promote candidates directly to employers. To strengthen these capacities, the Polish PES could develop a standardised training programme for employer-facing staff focused on employer engagement and advocacy. The training could cover negotiation and communication skills using practical, real-life exercises to build staff confidence in reaching out to and maintaining contact with employers.

• Cooperation with employers engaged in inclusive hiring practices and promotion of such initiatives among other local companies could enhance job opportunities for previously economically inactive individuals. Identifying employers that implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies or offer flexible work arrangements could help the PES expand job opportunities for the economically inactive population. At the same time, the PES could promote inclusive recruitment among a wider range of companies through counselling on diversity planning. To further encourage CSR and family-friendly strategies, a register of inclusive employers could be developed to support knowledge sharing and highlight good practices through public recognition, for example, through diversity labels.

• Scaling up successful models of local job fairs and introducing innovative workshops and job dating events could encourage employer participation. Several Regional and Powiat Labour Offices have already expanded the traditional job fair format to include activities specifically aimed at employers, such as workshops on age management, company growth strategies, the employment of migrants, funding options for workplace adaptations, and non-discrimination policies. Building on these examples, the PES could adopt a more systematic approach to expanding job fairs by integrating labour market information sessions, HR-related workshops, and guidance on digital accessibility. Community-based formats such as “job dating” events in informal settings, where PES clients and employers participate in team-based activities, could further strengthen employer engagement and improve job matching outcomes.

• The PES could develop HR counselling services tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to support their recruitment practices and build capacity to employ individuals with specific workplace needs. SMEs account for 99% of Polish businesses but many lack dedicated HR resources and may struggle to recruit or retain candidates returning from long career breaks. To support these employers, the PES could offer targeted counselling on recruitment planning, inclusive hiring practices and retention strategies. Long-term support could be delivered through outsourced consultancy services, helping SMEs implement structural organisational changes to support inclusive work environments.

• Strengthening the PES capacity to provide regional and local labour market intelligence could support employer workforce planning. To move the provision of labour market information closer to leading practices in OECD countries, the PES could consider improvements across five areas. First, the PES could introduce new data sources, notably online job vacancy data, to complement vacancies submitted directly to the PES and build a complete and geographically granular view of labour demand. Second, efforts could move beyond broad labour demand measures and instead focus on analysing the demand for specific skills, in particular related to the green transition. Third, existing initiatives to analyse changes in labour and skills demand could be integrated with supply side information to identify mismatches between labour supply and demand across sectors and regions. Fourth, long-term quantitative regional labour demand forecasts from the Polish Labour Market Forecasting System and the one-year-ahead expert-based Occupational Barometer could be complemented with medium-term regional forecasts that support employer succession planning and investment in employee skills. Finally, presenting local labour market information in ways that are easily accessible and actionable for a broad range of labour market stakeholders could help increase its use in employer workforce planning.

Introduction

Strong partnerships between Public Employment Services (PES) and employers can increase employment opportunities and improve job matching outcomes. Regular collaboration with local employers ensures that employer needs are reflected in both the matching process and the design of active labour market policies (ALMPs), increasing the likelihood of successful hires. In turn, strong employer engagement can facilitate PES clients’ placements and encourage employers to share vacancies, particularly where trust has been established in the PES’ capacity to identify suitable candidates.

A well-functioning, trust-based relationship with employers could enable the PES to advocate for work arrangements tailored to the distinct needs of the economically inactive. Economically inactive people often face distinct barriers to labour market entry, such as care responsibilities or health-related limitations. Overcoming these may require the willingness of employers to offer flexible work arrangements, which are currently limited in Poland. For instance, part-time employment, defined as working fewer than 30 hours per week in one’s main job, stood at just 4% of total employment for those aged 15–64, compared to the OECD average of 15% in 2023. Remote work opportunities are similarly scarce, with only 5% of employed individuals working from home at least half the time in 2023, well below the EU-27 average of 9%. Stronger PES-employer partnerships could help close these gaps. As intermediaries, the PES can also facilitate workplace adjustments, such as improved access to equipment for people with disabilities.

This chapter examines employer engagement strategies to support PES in integrating economically inactive individuals into the labour market. It begins by reviewing the current state of cooperation between the PES and employers in Poland and identifies barriers to closer collaboration. The chapter then presents measures to strengthen employer engagement, including job advocacy training for PES staff, partnerships with socially responsible employers, expanded job fairs, tailored HR counselling for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the provision of timely and granular labour market information. These initiatives could support the PES in building sustained trust between employers and the PES, a prerequisite for the success of activation strategies that aim to re-integrate economically inactive individuals into the labour market or prevent economic inactivity. Employers play a central role in the success of such strategies, including return-to-work programmes for women and mentoring schemes for older workers (see Chapter: Policies to reach, engage and activate the economically inactive population in Poland).

Employer engagement strategies

A survey with the Polish PES and semi-structured interviews with Polish employers reveal room for a deeper engagement of the Powiat Labour Offices (PUP) and the Regional Labour Offices (WUP) with local and regional employers. A survey on current employer engagement was carried out with the Polish PES, covering six categories of engagement: labour market information, advisory services, job vacancy services, recruitment assistance and job matching services, training and skills development, and incentives and subsidies (see Box 5.1). The employer perspective on the relationship with the PES was assessed through semi-structured interviews with a range of employers (see Box 5.2). The information collected indicates that there is scope for deeper employer engagement, and that building trust is needed for effective cooperation.

Box 5.1. Surveying Polish Regional and Powiat Labour Offices on their engagement with employers

To assess the current employer engagement of the Polish Public Employment Services, a survey was conducted with four Regional Labour Offices (Gdansk, Kraków, Olsztyn, and Opole) and ten Powiat Labour Offices, most of which are based in Lesser Poland. The survey, conducted in April 2024, covered six categories of employer engagement:

• Labour market information: provision of relevant labour market information to employers;

• Advisory services: advisory support for employers on employment-related matters such as labour laws, recruitment strategies, and workforce planning;

• Job vacancy services: availability of online platforms or physical job boards at the regional or powiat level, where employers can post vacancies. Included outreach efforts to encourage employers to utilise these services;

• Recruitment assistance and job matching services: the level of recruitment support provided to employers, including candidate pre-screening, “speed-dating” events, job fairs, and access to databases of qualified jobseekers;

• Training and skills development: collaboration with employers to identify skill gaps in the labour market and develop training programmes to address these needs;

• Incentives and subsidies: employment incentives, subsidies, and workplace adjustment support aimed at encouraging the hiring of specific groups, such as individuals with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, or youth;

For each of the six categories, the following points were covered: the type of employer engagement (interaction with the employer's association or with employers individually), the nature of the engagement (interaction resulting from the Office’s legal obligations or based on identified local needs), communication channels, duration and frequency of employer engagement, as well as effectiveness and barriers to the employer engagement.

Box 5.2. Semi-structured interviews with employers

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employers from across Poland to assess their current engagement with the Polish Public Employment Service and to understand their attitudes and practices in hiring those with significant barriers to entering or re-entering the labour market. Regional Labour Offices in Lesser Poland, Opole region, Pomerania and Warmian-Masuria supported participant recruitment and served as the geographical anchors for the interviews (see Annex A). A total of 16 interviews were conducted in June and July 2024, using pre-designed scenarios to ensure consistency and depth.

The participant selection achieved a balanced representation of urban and rural employers, different sectors of economic activity, and varying company sizes. The following companies were sampled for the study (see also Annex 5.A)

• Small companies (10-49 employees) representing the following industries: beauty/local, electric/supra-regional, construction/local, and robotics/national;

• Medium-sized enterprises (50-249 employees) operating in the following industries: metal/international, education/local, agriculture/national, and window frames/national;

• Public sector employers active in the following sectors: municipal services/local, cultural/local, cultural/regional, and administration/regional;

• Social economy entities operating in the following industries: food, gastronomy, social care, and craftwork.

All respondents were operational managers or team leaders with recruitment responsibilities. In a few instances within the public sector, the interviewees were middle-level managers.

While the PUP lead employer-facing services, the WUP focus on labour market analysis and coordination of employer-related support at the EU level. Responsibilities for employer engagement are shared between the two levels. The PUP are the primary contact point for employers, providing advisory services, recruitment assistance and support for posting job vacancies. They also collect feedback from employers to inform the design and delivery of training for PES clients, manage funding for the upskilling of employees in local firms, and administer employer incentives such as wage subsidies and workplace adjustment support. The WUP are mainly responsible for gathering labour market data and analysing labour market trends at the local and regional levels and sharing relevant information with stakeholders, including employers. They also manage EURES services, supporting employers with job vacancy publication and candidate matching at the EU level (see Chapter: Capacity assessment of the Public Employment Services in Poland for more details on the structure of the Polish PES).

The provision of labour market information to employers is a statutory task of the WUP, but employers perceive the information provided by the PES as insufficient for their workforce planning. The WUP provide employers and other stakeholders with periodic reports on the labour market situation in each voivodeship. Additional labour market information can be requested by employers. The WUP further participate in Regional Labour Market Council meetings, during which they present the current labour market situation of a voivodeship to representatives of other labour market institutions and employer associations. The PUP complement these services by providing monthly labour market information, sharing updates on their websites, and holding in-person meetings and phone calls with individual employers. The law also allows the PUP to introduce independent initiatives on information sharing, but few innovative initiatives currently exist. While employers are generally aware of labour market information services offered by the PES, they cite a lack of time and understanding of the labour market information as a reason that prevents them from working more closely with the PES. Given the information currently provided, employers prefer online resources such as PES websites and social media rather than in-depth consultations.

The PUP offer a range of advisory services to local companies, but deeper employer engagement is hampered by complex administrative procedures and a lack of innovative services. At the local level, the PUP are obliged to offer career guidance services to support the business activities of employers. The PUP also help employers define job requirements in job postings and adapt them to labour market conditions, match individuals looking for work with vacancies and identify appropriate ALMPs to support PES clients’ job placement. These services are typically delivered in person at the PUP offices. Advice on recruitment strategies or legal support, however, is not generally offered by the PES unless funded through local or EU projects. While employers value the existing advisory services, they cite administrative barriers, including difficult appointment systems and the lack of novel policy instruments as limitations to higher service uptake. In particular, the PES rarely assign dedicated staff to coordinate communication with employers, with contact managed through generic email addresses rather than named staff members, limiting the continuity of conversations (Arendt et al., 2023[1]). Employers also perceive PES websites as hard to navigate, which further limits access to information about the PES advisory offer (WiseEuropa, 2018[2]).

Job vacancy services offered by the PUP allow employers to share information about job offers with the wider public but the PES platform competes with private providers. The PUP administer the Central Job Offer Database (pol. Centralna Baza Ofert Pracy – CBOP), an online platform which gathers job offers submitted by employers. Employers can submit the offers during in-person meetings at the PUP, by phone, via e-mail or through a dedicated online system to be shared with potential applicants. The platform is accessible to the wider public, with posting ads visible to all viewers. Furthermore, all PUP and WUP can access the data in CBOP, aiding further job matching services between powiats and regions. There is, however, no legal requirement for new vacancies to be published within CBOP, with many employers opting for other, privately-owned recruitment platforms instead of PES services. If the PES is involved, vacancies posted to CBOP are also shared through traditional and new media and publicly advertised in local institutions. The PUP undertake temporary independent initiatives to encourage employers to submit job offers via individual outreach to companies, and more structured outreach within small-scale pilot projects.

The WUP support the PUP-led job vacancy and advisory services by participating in the European Employment Services (EURES) network. EURES is a European network of public employment services tasked with exchanging information on job mediation and labour market conditions in Europe. The main operators of the EURES network in Poland are the WUP. As part of this task, the WUP provide cross-border job vacancy and job matching services to Polish employers as well as employers from EU/EFTA countries by sharing information about job offers with other countries in the network. Within EURES, the WUP provide advisory services to employers. This support is limited, however, to sharing information about working conditions and hiring practices in European countries. Additional advisory services are sometimes offered by the WUP on a project basis through local government or EU funding.

The PES have a legal obligation to provide recruitment assistance and job matching services to employers. At the local level, the PUP are responsible for pre-selecting candidates for employers who submit their vacancies to the PUP. This pre-selection process includes gathering detailed information on candidates, assessing their skills, qualifications, and work experience, and identifying suitable matches for employers. Once candidates are identified, their contact information is shared with employers through in-person meetings or by email, followed by scheduling an interview with the candidate. The PUP also organise on-site interviews during job fairs to further support recruitment efforts. At the regional level, the WUP provide recruitment services exclusively within the EURES network. EURES staff at the WUP assist employers interested in EU-wide job placements, offering support before and during the recruitment process.

Employers’ engagement in PES job matching efforts is hindered by the perceived unsuitability of candidates, inconsistent job descriptions and the complexity of administrative procedures. The PUP often struggle to identify candidates that meet employer expectations, particularly for positions requiring high qualifications or involving repetitive tasks, such as those on assembly lines. These difficulties can discourage employers from engaging with PES services. An additional factor that undermines the PES reputation vis-à-vis their clients is the perceived discrepancy between the descriptions of working conditions in job postings submitted by employers and the reality on the job. In addition, procedures governing recruitment through the PES are often viewed as rigid and time-consuming. Employers perceive rules prioritising individuals formally recognised as unemployed over other PES clients as restrictive, limiting their access to a broader pool of applicants (EU-Consult, 2013[3]). Further obligations, such as requirements to maintain subsidised positions for up to 18 months, create additional concerns among employers who fear financial or legal consequences if placements are unsuccessful.

In Poland, engagement with employers on training and skills development is managed by the PUP at the powiat level. The PUP design both individual and group training courses based on input collected from employers through surveys and meetings. Questionnaires assessing demand for specific skills are regularly distributed, with most responses gathered during face-to-face meetings. The insights from these questionnaires inform the development of training programmes.

The PUP’s subsidised training services for company management and employees are popular among employers. Staff training is of high interest to employers who view it as a direct investment for their company. The PUP offers subsidised training through funding from the National Training Fund (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy - KFS). The primary goal of the KFS is to prevent employees from losing their jobs due to outdated or inadequate competencies. Information about programmes is published on the PUP website and Facebook pages (see Box 5.3).

Box 5.3. National Training Fund

The National Training Fund (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy – KRS) is a dedicated instrument within Poland’s Labour Fund managed by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and aims to promote workforce adaptability by financing continuing education and training (CET) for employees and employers. Training must be undertaken at the initiative of, or with the consent of, the employer. The primary objective of the KFS is to mitigate the risk of job loss due to skill mismatches in the context of a changing labour market. Each year, the fund supports more than 20,000 employers, enabling the training of approximately 110 000 individuals.

Funding is channelled primarily through Powiat Labour Offices (Powiatowe Urzędy Pracy – PUP), which allocate resources to enterprises for a range of eligible activities, including assessment of skill needs within firms; training courses and postgraduate studies initiated or approved by employers; certification exams confirming the acquisition of skills, qualifications or professional credentials; accident insurance linked to training participation. In addition, KFS resources may be allocated to support labour market analysis and evaluation studies to inform future skills development strategies.

Examples of the use of the KFS include:

• The PUP in Opole across 2016, 2017, 2022, and 2023 allocated PLN 278 309.67 in KFS to Polaris Poland, a leading producer of off-road vehicles, to train 117 employees. The support covered courses in team management, welding, pneumatics, Excel software, and others, targeting both production and managerial staff. Trainings aligned with local skill shortages and sectoral priorities, particularly in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

• In 2023, the PUP in Gdańsk provided PLN 4 329.60 in KFS funding to Gdański Archipelag Kultury, a network of 8 municipal cultural centres, to support continuing education linked to the adoption of new work processes and tools. The training involved 35 employees and focused on effective project and team management using the Asana software platform. This initiative improved communication and coordination across its locations.

• In 2023, the PUP in Olsztyn allocated PLN 28 160 in KFS funds to Smart Idea Sp. z o.o. to support continuing education focused on new business processes and technologies. The training involved 11 employees and centred on active sales of charter services using an online reservation and Customer Relationship Management system. Following the training, the company expanded its yacht charter services, improved customer relationship management, and enhanced online booking efficiency.

Source: Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (2025[4]), Album jubileuszowy Krajowego Funduszu Szkoleniowego [Jubilee Album of the National Training Fund], UNESCO (2022[5]), “National Training Fund (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy – KFS), a Sub-Fund of Labour Fund”.

The provision of financial incentives and subsidies to support the hiring of specific groups, such as individuals with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, or youth, is a core function of the PES. Both the PUP and the WUP have roles in delivering programmes to subsidise firms that hire specific target groups. At the local level, the PUP administer a wide range of subsidies directly to employers, including wage subsidies, funding for internships and training, and financial support for workplace re-equipment. Subsidies for these services are funded through two main sources: the Labour Fund supports internships, training, and initial wage subsidies, while the KFS finances upskilling of current employees. The PUP also facilitate access to funding from the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled People (Państwowy Fundusz Rehabilitacji Osób Niepełnosprawnych - PFRON), which supports the employment of individuals with disabilities. In contrast, the WUP's role is mainly indirect, acting as intermediaries for the distribution of national funds and ESF+ grants to public institutions that work with local employers.

Employers show high interest in co-financing arrangements for salaries and workplace adaptation when hiring through the PUP but consider administrative complexity as a deterrent for higher uptake. Employers value the subsidies provided by the PES, particularly for salary co-financing and workplace adaptation, as these reduce the financial risks associated with hiring by offsetting parts of the recruitment cost. Despite these benefits, the administrative complexity of subsidies sometimes discourages employer uptake. Some employers describe the process of obtaining subsidies as rigid and burdensome, with strict requirements to demonstrate that subsidised positions remain operational for at least two years. Compliance checks and extensive documentation requirements further reduce the appeal of PES support.

New tasks related to the activation of economically inactive individuals present an opportunity for the PES to overcome barriers to employer engagement and expand the pool of qualified candidates for better job matching. Currently, four main factors hinder employer cooperation with the PES: a perceived lack of suitable candidates among PES clients, the absence of innovative policy instruments to support employers in their recruitment, insufficiently granular labour market information for workforce planning, and burdensome administrative procedures in accessing PES services. The inclusion of economically inactive individuals as PES clients could significantly widen the pool of available candidates, enabling the PES to achieve better job matching and respond more effectively to employer needs. The new Act on Labour Market and Employment Services also creates space for the introduction of modern policy instruments that are tailored to local employer needs and streamlined to minimise administrative burdens. Finally, enhanced provision of timely and granular labour market information could further strengthen employer trust and drive deeper cooperation with the PES.

The strategies presented in this chapter address existing barriers and lay the groundwork for deeper employer engagement essential for activating economically inactive individuals. The strategies outlined in this chapter aim to create new opportunities to build mutual trust between the PES and employers. They focus on strengthening the internal capacity of the PES to engage with employers and introducing new services to encourage a more active role in the job-matching process. Five strategies are proposed. First, the introduction of job advocacy training would equip PES staff with the skills to clearly communicate the strengths and development areas of their clients, including the economically inactive, simplifying interactions with employers, lowering administrative barriers and fostering stronger local partnerships. Second, systematic engagement with employers that demonstrate corporate social responsibility or family-friendly practices would enable the PES to identify companies experienced in hiring individuals with reduced work capacity. Third, scaling up local job fairs to make them more attractive to employers would allow the PES to deliver targeted labour market information alongside job-matching services. Fourth, a novel hybrid model of HR counselling, combining in-house expertise with outsourced services, would provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with tailored support in human resource management, a service model that has proven effective in other OECD countries. Finally, the PES could reinforce their image of a reliable labour market partner by strengthening skills needs assessment and anticipation exercises, thus offering regionally significant insights to local employers.

Job advocacy training can equip PES staff with the right skills to engage with employers

To improve the employment prospects of individuals facing complex barriers (re-)entering the labour market, active job mediation is needed. Job mediation involves identifying suitable candidates among PES clients and directly promoting them to potential employers. Active mediation is particularly valuable for individuals who have been out of the labour market for extended periods and are at risk of being overlooked due to career gaps, age, health limitations or other perceived disadvantages, despite having relevant skills and motivation. This includes economically inactive individuals who, under the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services, are a target group for the PES. To enhance the employment prospects of such individuals, employer-facing staff must build trusted relationships with employers and support job matching through strong advocacy and regular communication, ensuring employers remain engaged with the service.

Employment counsellors support the matching of PES clients with employers. In Poland, job mediation is carried out by employment counsellors (pol. doradcy do spraw zatrudnienia) who can assist jobseekers and the unemployed, employers or both, depending on their assignment, in line with the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services (Article 97). When working with jobseekers and the unemployed, counsellors inform them about available vacancies, assess their skills, needs and motivation and prepare profiles to present to employers. When working with employers, employment counsellors establish cooperation with new firms, gather job offers, conduct interviews to understand hiring needs, lead the matching process and maintain regular contact with local actors to monitor employer satisfaction with PES services (Article 97 para. 3 of the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services). Strengthening counsellors’ skills in advocacy negotiation and employer engagement will be important for the PES to fulfil their new mandate to activate individuals who have been economically inactive. In Poland, these skills could be developed through targeted training for counsellors working with employers.

The Slovenian approach to counsellor training for job advocacy provides a model for the Polish PES. The Slovenian Employment Service (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje - ZRSZ) has introduced dedicated workshops for employer-facing staff, focusing on advocacy techniques. The Slovenian model combines the development of negotiation skills, courses to teach PES staff how to build relationships with employers, and practical advocacy exercises to prepare counsellors to promote candidates who have been outside the labour market for extended periods. It serves as a concrete example of how PES staff can be equipped to effectively support and activate clients facing complex barriers to employment through advocacy (see Box 5.4).

Box 5.4. Strengthening Public Employment Services’ (PES) employer service capacity through advocacy skills training

In 2016, the Slovenian PES began implementing a new employer-centred strategy to improve its services. This strategy aims to establish the PES as a “one-stop-shop” for employers through a four-point plan that emphasises personalised services tailored to employer size, sector of economic activity, and region. The novel initiative further aims to strengthen collaboration with employer associations at local, regional, and national levels.

An important building block of this strategy is advocacy for PES clients who face significant barriers to employment, such as the long-term unemployed. This group often faces stigma, a lack of confidence, and perceived mismatches with employers’ expectations. Many of the individuals in this group have relevant skills and motivation but need additional support to reach the interview stage, despite ongoing labour and skills shortages. To address this, the Slovenian PES developed a procedure that identifies individuals who could benefit most from advocacy support with the aim of matching them with employers willing to offer them a chance.

Implementing this advocacy model requires the specialisation of PES counsellors, who receive training developed in cooperation with employers. Advocacy training addresses topics such as: (i) the concept and purpose of advocacy; (ii) identifying individuals to advocate for; (iii) recognising employers likely to be receptive to advocacy efforts; (iv) building good partnerships with employers; (v) developing negotiation skills for productive communication. Since the beginning of the programme, 113 out of 350 Slovenian PES staff have participated in the training. The training is based on the following elements:

• Building trust-based relationships: The training emphasises the importance of establishing trust with employers as the foundation for successful advocacy. Counsellors learn to listen carefully to employers' concerns and hiring preferences, understanding that receptiveness often grows over time.

• Negotiating employer expectations: Once trust is built, counsellors are trained to sensitively challenge employer expectations that may unintentionally exclude individuals with complex employment barriers. Counsellors learn to adapt negotiation to the situation of each person, recognising differences between them.

• Learning from good practice examples: Practical examples are used to illustrate successful advocacy. One case involved an employer seeking a highly skilled male candidate under 30. The counsellor proposed alternatives better aligned with labour market realities, resulting in two hires. When one left, the counsellor successfully placed an older candidate, overcoming initial scepticism.

• Understanding job requirements in detail: Counsellors are trained to help employers clarify the most critical criteria for candidate selection. This includes asking targeted questions about job tasks, required skills, expected behaviours, and potential constraints.

• Practical role-playing and personal development: The programme includes role-playing exercises with business advisors and PES staff, providing personalised feedback. Each counsellor also creates a personal growth and development plan to learn and implement relevant skills.

Source: Information obtained from the Slovenian PES.

Following the example of the Slovenian PES, the Polish PES could develop a standardised training course for employer counsellors. The job advocacy training could be directed primarily at employment counsellors who are responsible for the job placement services. WUP could organise the training of employer counsellors, and its format standardised at the national level by the forum of WUP directors. Providing training for PES staff at regional and powiat levels is a statutory task of the WUP, granted by the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services by Article 32, paragraph 1, point 22. Organising courses on employer engagement at the regional level would allow for the harmonisation of training curricula across Poland. Specific training plans can furthermore be agreed on during meetings of the Forum of WUP directors (Konwent Dyrektorów Wojewódzkich Urzędów Pracy), in cooperation with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (pol. Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej – MRPiPS) which, under the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services, is to cooperate with the regions on the organisation of training for PES staff (Article 32, paragraph 1, point 18).

The training curriculum could be designed to comprehensively build the competencies of PES staff in employer engagement and advocacy. Drawing on the Slovenian experience, the programme could include several modules to upskill Polish PES employees. Participants could engage with principles of advocacy and learn how to build sustainable partnerships with employers, based on mutual understanding and trust. A strong emphasis could also be placed on negotiation skills to increase PES counsellors’ confidence to effectively mediate between PES clients and employers. The courses could address the procedural barriers to engagement highlighted by employers, by emphasising the need for adjustments of communication styles to the nature of the conversations and to facilitate the understanding of PES legal procedures and questionnaires. The modules could also address candidates’ preparation and presentation, teaching counsellors how to support PES clients in highlighting their potential. The programme could be based on practical exercises, such as role plays, organised with external HR specialists, and individual feedback sessions to outline areas for growth of each counsellor. Specifically, the training could closely follow the Slovenian curriculum described in Box 5.4 and include the following elements:

• Introduction to advocacy and employer engagement principles

• Identifying candidates for advocacy and selecting suitable employers

• Job analysis and candidate preparation techniques

• Negotiation strategies and communication skills

• Building sustainable partnerships with employers

• Role-playing and simulation exercises, followed by individual feedback.

The structure would thus equip the counsellors with both theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience which they will later be able to use in their relations with employers.

The practical dimension of the training could incorporate workshops that mirror real-life scenarios employment counsellors may encounter. Practical exercises could focus on preparing staff to assess and promote the potential of candidates. A core exercise could focus on behavioural interviewing techniques (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje, 2021[6]). Participants could begin by analysing a real or simulated job offers to identify the key traits and soft skills likely to be valued in the role. This would be followed by role-playing mock interviews, where trainees could take turns posing behavioural questions designed to uncover transferable skills and attributes. The goal would be to prepare PES staff to support their clients in articulating their strengths and, simultaneously, to gain experience in decoding job offers and understanding what employers are looking for.

Additional workshops could cover techniques for identifying strengths in PES clients, particularly among economically inactive individuals. Through active listening and case-based discussions, the training participants could learn how to recognise skills developed in non-work contexts (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje, 2021[6]). These could include skills in areas like caregiving for economically inactive women or mentoring for older workers. The participants could learn how to reframe such career breaks as assets in job interviews and professional settings. The exercises could help counsellors support their clients in building a convincing skill portfolio.

The workshops could also include negotiation training and effective communication modules. Sessions could include simulations to help PES staff members clarify negotiation priorities, anticipate the counterpart’s position, and define areas for flexibility. Techniques drawn from the Harvard negotiation model used by the Slovenian PES such as identifying mutual interests, weighing alternatives, applying objective criteria to negotiations, and committing to shared outcomes, could be used to foster a structured and professional negotiation style among PES staff (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje, 2021[6]). Finally, “elevator pitch” exercises could be used to train employment counsellors in effective public speaking. PES staff members could practice delivering concise, persuasive introductions of both the PES offer and themselves as trusted partners to employers. This exercise could be especially useful in helping employment counsellors feel more confident initiating contact with employers in less formal settings, such as events organised by community organisations or the local government, where clearly communicating the benefits of cooperation with the PES is essential to building new relationships.

Identifying employers with corporate social responsibility programmes and those that promote family-friendly employer initiatives can build a pool of job opportunities for previously inactive individuals

Inclusive hiring practices can support the labour market integration of previously economically inactive individuals. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to voluntary business practices that promote social, environmental, and economic sustainability. To expand job opportunities for the economically inactive population, the PES could strengthen cooperation with employers implementing CSR strategies or offering flexible working arrangements such as part-time roles, remote or hybrid options, and family-friendly workplace practices. Such employers are often more open to hiring individuals returning to work after extended career breaks. Employment counsellors could map these employers and prioritise collaboration with them to support the job placement of clients facing barriers in their job search. At the same time, the PES could promote inclusive employment practices among a wider range of companies through job fair sessions and tailored counselling on diversity planning, to broaden the network of employers willing to hire previously inactive individuals.

Identifying and mapping employers engaged in inclusive hiring practices could be the first step to expanding the pool of job opportunities for previously inactive individuals. Employment counsellors at the WUP and the PUP could lead the process of identifying companies with CSR strategies locally by relying on their knowledge of local labour markets, and through cooperation with sectoral associations and local professional chambers (pol. izby rzemieślnicze). The PES could also take advantage of local partnerships established with social economy organisations under the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services (see Chapter: Policies to reach, engage and activate the economically inactive population in Poland) to identify employers with CSR strategies in place. Information on CSR practices could also be gathered through press monitoring. A dedicated local database could be created to help PES staff better match their clients with supportive employers. Companies included in the database could then be approached with proposals for recruiting formerly economically inactive individuals, tailored to the specific objectives of employers’ CSR strategy.

In the long term, the MRPiPS could aggregate local and regional level information of companies with CSR strategies into a national database to facilitate information exchange between regions and powiats. As the entity responsible for overseeing PES at the national level, the MRPiPS could manage a centralised national CSR employer database. The database could serve two purposes. First, a central database would improve information-sharing between the WUP and the PUP by allowing them to access up-to-date lists of socially responsible employers, enabling better-targeted job placement and coordinated outreach to companies operating across multiple regions. Second, the register could serve as a knowledge-sharing platform between employment and career counsellors. The counsellors in the WUP and the PUP could identify successful collaboration examples, such as employer-led mentoring schemes or job placements for vulnerable clients, which could then be validated and highlighted by the MRPiPS as best practices. Companies with successful CSR strategies could receive diversity labels, demonstrating strong inclusion efforts, similar to the practice of the regional PES Actiris in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium (see Box 5.5). To implement the database in Poland, the Department of Social Economy (Departament Ekonomii Społecznej) could be tasked with overseeing the register, building on its experience managing the publicly available Register of Social Policy Entities (Rejestr Jednostek Polityki Społecznej). The new CSR employer register could include information such as the company name, location, a short description of specific CSR practices such as, mentoring schemes, return-to-work programmes, or partnerships with local social economy organisations, and the main sector of economic activity.

The Polish PES can also play an active role in promoting inclusive employer practices. A notable model of the promotion of inclusivity in hiring has been introduced in the Brussels-Capital Region, where the regional PES, Actiris, supports companies in introducing diversity strategies into their hiring and career progression practices. Through long-term consultancy support and a recognised diversity label for the most inclusive companies, Actiris incentivises employers to engage in inclusive recruitment (see Box 5.5). Drawing on Actiris’ approach, the Polish PES could expand their employer engagement activities to include the promotion of diversity strategies and family-friendly employment practices.

Box 5.5.  Support for developing diversity management programmes in the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium

Actiris, the PES in the Brussels-Capital Region, offers a guidance programme for employers to support the creation of more inclusive and diverse teams.

The programme is implemented by 12 diversity counsellors of Actiris who have diverse educational backgrounds in law, sociology and other fields. Their role is to facilitate and encourage reflection and analysis within companies and ultimately helping to implement diversity plans. These counsellors offer networking opportunities and advisory support, but do not provide direct coaching and training for employers. They also cooperate with Actiris’ employer counsellors, as well as other organisations such as training institutions and disability-focused organisations.

Companies join the programme for various reasons. Some already have a commitment to diversity and participate to formalise or expand their efforts. Others view efforts towards a more diverse workforce as a part of their strategy to tackle labour shortages. Co-financing options for projects and initiatives aimed at combating discrimination and supporting diversity further incentivise employer participation in the programme, which has attracted more than 300 regional employers so far.

The process of joining the programme involves the following steps:

1. Initial meeting and diversity working group: The process begins with a meeting between the employer and a PES diversity counsellor to discuss anti-discrimination laws and available diversity subsidies. Actiris then establishes a diversity working group within the company, comprising employees from various departments and levels.

2. Quantitative workforce analysis: A socio-demographic analysis of the company’s workforce is conducted, examining factors like nationality, age, and gender across different job levels.

3. Qualitative assessment and objective setting: Actiris performs a qualitative analysis to identify strengths and challenges for different target groups, such as younger and older workers or people with disabilities. Key areas of focus include recruitment, HR management, awareness-raising, internal communication, and external positioning. Based on these findings, the working group sets diversity goals for a two-year period and collaborates with Actiris to develop an action plan.

4. Diversity plans and inclusion strategies: Three types of diversity plans are available: mini-plans, global plans, and thematic plans. Actiris encourages companies to draft a charter of core values for inclusivity, integrate these values into contracts, and adopt inclusive language for job postings. Guidance is also provided on workplace adjustments for individuals with disabilities.

5. Access to grants, subsidies, and the diversity label: Actiris links companies to grants and subsidies for hiring and accommodating underrepresented groups. Companies meeting certain criteria can apply for the diversity label from the Brussels-Capital Region. Up to EUR 10 000 in co-financing is available for developing a global or thematic project to support long-term diversity strategies. Most employers opt for global plans.

During the implementation phase, a mid-term evaluation is conducted, followed by a final assessment after two years to determine eligibility for the diversity label. The label signals that the company follows inclusive HR practices, enhances employer branding, and helps attract talent. It also signals to the PES that the company is pursuing non-discriminatory hiring and may be open to recruiting individuals with health issues, older workers and women with caregiving responsibilities.

Source: Information obtained from Actiris.

Drawing inspiration from the model of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium, PES employment counsellors could begin introducing the concept of diversity planning. Employment counsellors could promote the concept of diversity planning and inclusive hiring at job fairs sessions for employers or through regular semi-formal meetings with local stakeholders (see Chapter: Policies to reach, engage and activate the economically inactive population in Poland). These activities would fall under the PES’s responsibility to cooperate with local labour market actors through the creation of local partnerships, as outlined in Art. 6 of the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services. Interested employers could then be supported during counselling sessions in identifying goals and steps related to inclusive hiring, accessibility, or return-to-work pathways. The plans could gradually expand over time, depending on each employer’s level of commitment and capacity. Diversity planning could complement the targeted engagement with CSR-oriented employers. While the database of socially responsible employers would aim to identify companies suitable for matching with previously inactive individuals, the promotion of diversity planning could allow the PES to encourage inclusive practices among a broader group of employers.

The PES could recognise and promote companies that implement family-friendly workplace policies. Employers that offer family-friendly, flexible policies such as remote work options, part-time positions, or adaptable schedules could improve labour market access for individuals returning to work after a long break, particularly for parents and long-term caregivers. Public recognition of such employers could increase the visibility of good practices improve employer branding and encourage others to adopt similar approaches. Award schemes and certifications have been introduced in Germany and the United Kingdom to highlight such efforts (see Box 5.6).

Box 5.6. Promoting family-friendly workplaces in Germany and the UK

In Germany, companies can obtain certifications as family-friendly employers, with the local PES offering information on available labels and certification schemes. Private employment services like Randstad also support these initiatives through their Family Friendly Workplace programme, aimed at fostering supportive environments for employees with caregiving responsibilities. Additionally, federal states and local governments run award programmes to recognise family-friendly companies.

Similar initiatives exist in the United Kingdom, where the national charity Working Families hosts an annual awards programme to celebrate best practices in family-friendly workplaces.

Source: Federal Employment Agency (2025[7]), Equal opportunities in Hanover: Balancing family and career, RCSA (2024[8]) Get Accredited – Randstad Champions a Family Friendly Workplace, Working Families (2024[9]), The 2024 Working Families Best Practice Award winners highlight diverse array of family-friendly workplaces.

The WUP could lead the certification process for family-friendly companies. The WUP could recognise family-friendly employers through formal certifications or annual awards. PES employment counsellors could help identify these employers by engaging with local partners, such as social economy organisations and employer representatives (see Chapter: Policies to reach, engage and activate the economically inactive population in Poland). Through local partnerships established to support outreach to potential PES clients and to design activation strategies, the PES could also gather insights into good practices adopted by local companies, particularly those offering flexible work arrangements. Potential criteria for recognition include the availability of part-time or remote work, flexible start and end times for employees with caring responsibilities, parental leave policies exceeding statutory requirements and support for employees returning from care-related breaks. These criteria would enable the PES to consistently assess employer practices across both SMEs and larger companies.

Scaling up innovative models of local job fairs can incentivise employer participation

Local job fairs organised by the PES can support job placement services and function as forums for engagement between employers and PES representatives. Job fairs are public events which bring together employers and PES clients. For the PES, the fairs are a tool supporting job placement services and can be useful for those clients who struggle in interactions as part of formal recruitment channels or lack motivation to independently seek out job offers. In Poland, both the WUP and the PUP organise job fairs as part of their employer engagement strategies. While the primary focus of job fairs organised by the PES has been on job matching, the events can also act as an opportunity to engage employers. Job fairs provide an opportunity for PES representatives to build relationships with local businesses and present the institution’s broader offer, including subsidies, training support, or access to labour market data. Successful examples of such expanded events include those organised by the WUP in Gdansk, Krakow, Opole, and Warsaw (see Box 5.7)

Box 5.7. Job fairs across Poland

In Poland, several Regional and Powiat Labour Offices have expanded the traditional format of job fairs to include specialised activities for employers. These initiatives not only enhance PES clients-employer matching but also support companies in addressing HR challenges and improving inclusive practices.

Workshops and drop-in points for employers

During the We Work Together job fair (Targi Pracy PracujeMY RAZEM) in Warsaw, alongside drop-in points and lectures for PES clients, dedicated panels for employers were organised. These included workshops on age management, identifying company growth factors, employment of migrants and refugees, and fostering intergenerational dialogue in the workplace. The workshops were delivered in cooperation with external partners such as coaching experts, the Polish Psychological Association (Polskie Towarzystwo Psychologiczne), academics, and representatives of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).

Similarly, at the Job and Entrepreneurship Fair (Targi Pracy i Przedsiębiorczości) in Krakow, employers could access drop-in counselling points staffed by representatives from institutions such as ZUS, the Tax Office (Urząd Skarbowy), and the Department for Foreigners’ Affairs (Wydział ds. Cudzoziemców). Additional workshops were held on business plan development, marketing strategies, and attracting new investors, providing employers with a broader support package beyond recruitment.

Group-specific fairs with dedicated employer sessions

In Gdansk and Opole, job fairs have been tailored to address the needs of specific groups of PES clients while providing value for employers. During the National Accessibility Fair (Ogólnopolskie Targi Dostępności) in Opole, the focus was on improving workplace accessibility for individuals with health limitations. Employers attending the fair could participate in lectures on funding options for workplace adaptations, the use of inclusive language in professional settings to prevent discrimination at the workplace, and digital accessibility practices. In Gdansk, the Senior Job and Activity Fair (Targi Pracy i Aktywności Seniorów) combined activities for older PES clients with employer-targeted workshops, such as “Maturity at work: the strength and values of seniors in the work environment”, encouraging better integration of older workers into the workforce.

Source: Gdańsk.pl (2024[10]), Targi Pracy i Aktywności Seniorów [Job and Senior Activity Fair], PFRON (2024[11]), I Przystanek Dostępności i III Ogólnopolskie Targi Dostępności Opole 21-27 października 2024 [First Accessibility Stop and Third National Accessibility Fair, Opole, 21–27 October 2024], Urząd m. st. Warszawy (2024[12]) PracujeMY RAZEM - Targi Pracy i Przedsiębiorczości [Working Together, Job and Entrepreneurship Fair], Kraków.pl (2022[13]), Targi Pracy i Przedsiębiorczości “Świadomie do celu” [Job and Entrepreneurship Fair - Consciously Towards the Goal].

Building on existing cooperation frameworks, the PES could use job fairs to organise information sessions for employers by presenting labour market information relevant to recruitment strategies. In addition to promoting employers’ job offers, the PES can use the community-building opportunity of job fairs to provide on-the-side information sessions for employers. During these sessions, WUP representatives could present information on broader trends in labour and skills demand in the local and regional labour markets. The presentations could cover topics that influence recruitment strategies, such as local labour and skills shortages, wage trends, or demographic shifts. The sessions could also be tailored to specific sectors of the economy, to equip the participants with knowledge relevant to their work field. Data-driven presentations could then be followed by discussion formats, for example, in the form of a moderated roundtable, to foster exchanges between employers. Such sessions could highlight the ability of PES to monitor changes in sought-after skills and gather data vital to local companies’ HR strategies.

Dedicated employer sessions can also act as workshops on best practices in hiring or HR management. As part of local job fairs, the WUP and the PUP can additionally organise practical workshops on hiring practices, with a focus on the recruitment of individuals returning to employment after long career breaks, integrating workers with disabilities or health limitations, and managing an ageing workforce. Specialised sessions targeted at SMEs could focus on strengthening their HR practices and offer insights into tools for stronger employer retention. The PES could use this opportunity to promote the services available to employers via the labour offices, thus strengthening future cooperation with the local stakeholders.

The PES could move beyond traditional job fairs by organising community-based activities that facilitate informal interaction between PES clients and employers. In France, for example, the PES hosts “job dating” events at sports facilities, where jobseekers and recruiters participate in team-based physical activities. Jobseekers are not informed who the recruiters are, allowing employers to observe soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and adaptability. These events can help identify candidates who may lack recent work experience or formal qualifications but demonstrate strong job-relevant attributes. Box 5.8 describes the “From the Stadium to Employment” initiative in France in more detail. In Poland, similar events could be organised by the WUP and the PUP either as part of job fairs or as standalone initiatives co-designed with employers. To organise these events, the PES could draw on its own experience with skill-building workshops during job fairs, where past initiatives focused on areas such as time management or self-presentation (Grodzki Urzad Pracy w Krakowie, 2025[14]).

Box 5.8. Matching jobseekers and employers through PES-organised sports events in France

Launched in 2020, the “From the Stadium to Employment” initiative is a novel recruitment method developed by the French Public Employment Service (PES). It does not rely on CVs but focuses on identifying transferable skills developed through sports, such as teamwork, perseverance, responsiveness, communication, and initiative. These skills are considered relevant to the workplace, and recruiters gain first-hand insight into candidates’ behaviour in a team setting.

Events are held in sports facilities, where jobseekers and recruiters are anonymously assigned to mixed teams. Jobseekers are not informed who the recruiters are, ensuring that interactions are informal and authentic. After the sports session, participants share a meal together, still anonymously, allowing recruiters to get to know jobseekers personally. Formal recruitment discussions then take place in the afternoon at the same venue.

In 2022, 550 such events were organised across all regions of France. To facilitate these events, the French PES works closely with local sports associations to organise the activities and support outreach efforts. A pilot study found that more than half of participating jobseekers secured employment within six months. A follow-up impact study is underway in 2025.

Source: France Travail (2025[15]), Stade Vers l’Emploi, un recrutement innovant autour du sport [Stade Vers l’Emploi, an innovative recruitment event through sport], Groupe Pluricité (2025[16]), Étude sur l’impact sociétal, social et économique du sport [Study on the societal, social, and economic impact of sport], The Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life (2025[17]), Rapport de l’impact social, sociétal et économique du sport [Report on the social, societal, and economic impact of sport].

Providing HR counselling for small and medium-sized enterprises can incentivise their engagement with the PES and help build capacity to hire individuals with specific workplace needs

SMEs could play a key role in activating previously inactive individuals, but they often lack the human resources to manage such recruitment and ensure staff retention. SMEs comprise more than 99% of Polish companies, generating over 45% of the Polish Gross Domestic Product (PARP, 2024[18]). While local SMEs are valuable partners for PES job placement services, SMEs are relatively more likely to lack dedicated Human Resources Departments and internal HR expertise (Marchese et al., 2019[19]). SMEs are also less successful than larger companies in effectively recruiting or retaining employees and hiring individuals with complex employment histories (OECD, 2021[20]). Their potential to serve as entry points into the labour market for previously inactive individuals may thus be underutilised. The Polish PES could address this gap by offering targeted HR support to SMEs, delivered through in-house services and outsourced strategic counselling.

HR counselling in Poland could be provided under a hybrid model, with initial sessions conducted by trained PES employment counsellors. As part of counselling sessions, organised under Art. 87 of the Act on Labour Market and Employment Services, PES employment counsellors could share information about good HR practices with employers and provide entry-level support on HR management topics. Counsellors could offer practical assistance in recruitment, planning, onboarding, and addressing difficulties in the retention of employees. The meetings could be held online, in PES offices, or at company premises. To provide effective in-house counselling, employment counsellors would require dedicated training in basic HR practices, focusing on topics such as recruitment cycles, work organisation or inclusive hiring. Such training could be organised by the WUP, in line with their statutory obligation to train PES staff. Training plans could be standardised at the national level through coordination between the WUP.

The second component of the hybrid HR counselling model could involve the referral of SMEs to external providers for longer-term, strategic HR counselling. In cases where companies require more detailed and tailored support, particularly when strategic organisational changes are needed, the PES could outsource HR services to specialised private providers. Building on Austria’s “Impulse Consulting” programme (see Box 5.9), outsourced counselling services could address structural workforce issues within a company, such as the implementation of fair hiring practices, addressing skills shortages, or introducing health and age management practices. The Act on Labour Market and Employment Services (Article 197) provides a legal basis for the contracting of external providers. This Act stipulates that the PES are able to contract out tasks to external employment agencies.

Box 5.9. The Impulse Consulting programme for employer services offered by the Austrian Public Employment Services

The Impulse Consulting programme is part of the Austrian PES (AMS) services for employers, designed to help businesses address labour market challenges by developing HR solutions that benefit both companies and the Austrian workforce. The service is outsourced to private consulting companies and financed through the national government’s general budget and AMS budgets. A public and open call for tender is used to select the provider. The counsellors for the programme implementation are proposed by the chosen private provider and nominated by the AMS.

The programme has seen strong demand since its inception in 2020, with AMS recently renewing its contract with the external provider to increase capacity. The programme involves over 120 consultants who work with the AMS to provide support nationwide. To date, over 2 900 companies have participated, most of which SMEs.

Impulse Consulting addresses a range of HR challenges, including recruitment, retention, knowledge management, capacity building, flexibility, gender equality, diversity management, and the green transition. Among these, companies show the greatest interest in recruitment, retention, and knowledge management, as they are directly linked to addressing workforce needs and mitigating labour and skills shortages. To tackle these shortages, the programme supports companies in implementing strategies such as targeted employer branding to attract underrepresented groups, including women who may be inactive due to caregiving responsibilities. It also assists businesses in developing internal training programmes to bridge skills gaps in hard-to-fill positions. In addition, the counsellors delivering the programme provide information on AMS services.

The programme is structured into three phases:

• Initial consultation: The programme begins with a consultation phase aimed at understanding each company’s specific needs and expectations for participation.

• In-depth analysis and action planning: This is followed by a detailed assessment of the company’s workforce structure, including age, gender, and qualifications, through interviews and focus groups with management, HR teams, and employees.

• Tailored Consulting and Implementation: Insights from the analysis phase inform a customised consulting approach. This phase can extend up to six months, during which the programme supports companies in implementing new HR practices and provides ongoing follow-up to ensure necessary adjustments are made.

  Throughout the process, AMS services are promoted as resources, fostering a stronger relationship between AMS and participating companies. Services are mainly provided at the companies’ sites. The process is standardised, and the services and content of the counselling are tailor-made and adapted to the company’s needs.

To ensure an effective implementation, AMS holds regular meetings with the external employer counsellors and annual steering meetings to adjust the programme and the service offer. AMS implements outreach activities to inform employers about the programme. By consistently reserving up to 10% of the programme budget for innovation, AMS is able to adapt Impulse Consulting to meet current labour market priorities. The impact of the programme is continually measured through customer satisfaction surveys, third-party evaluations, and representative studies, to ensure it remains aligned with evolving labour market needs and shifting economic conditions.

Source: Information obtained from the Austrian PES.

Following the in-house consultation, SMEs that require more in-depth HR support could be referred to an external consulting service. If an employment counsellor identifies that companies require strategic long-term solutions, they could outline the scope of external counselling services and propose a referral to the outsourced service. To ensure consistent implementation, clear referral criteria could be established during regional or national PES meetings. Under the outsourced service, external providers would deliver company-specific HR consulting, beginning with a comprehensive problem diagnosis and leading to a tailored action plan. These providers could be contracted through public procurement. Procedures for the outsourced service, including its duration and areas of focus, could be standardised to ensure that the support provided is actionable and results in measurable improvements.

In parallel, PES employment counsellors could receive dedicated training to monitor and coordinate outsourced counselling services. This training could focus on familiarising PES staff with the service offerings and working methods of external consultants, enabling the PES to act as an informed intermediary. Counsellors could be trained to interpret consultants' reports and maintain ongoing communication with both the service provider and the employer. Continuous oversight of external providers would be crucial for ensuring service continuity and providing feedback to enhance both in-house and outsourced HR support.

External consultants could also support SMEs in adapting workplaces to meet the needs of employees with disabilities or chronic conditions. Some outsourced services could have a thematic focus, assisting employers in hiring individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions, providing guidance on workplace adaptations, or developing internal health management practices. Similar initiatives have been introduced by the PES in Estonia and Austria (see Box 5.10).

Box 5.10. Counselling services in the area of health-management and work capacity assessment in Austria and Estonia

The fit2work programme in Austria

The fit2work programme in Austria is a counselling service for unemployed individuals and companies, jointly offered by the PES (AMS) and the Social Ministry Service (SMS). Introduced in 2011, this counselling and secondary prevention service supports people with disabilities, chronic diseases, and employees with the goal of preserving or restoring the ability to work and enabling rapid (re-)entry into employment through early intervention.

Under fit2work, companies can receive a free assessment and counselling regarding their occupational health-management system at company level (Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement). The Austrian Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection defines occupational health management as the development, control, and optimisation of structures and processes that promote health within companies. Its objective is to maintain and improve employees' health and their ability to work. An effective occupational health management system integrates employee protection, workplace health promotion, and workplace integration management, with active participation from the workforce at all levels of the organisation.

An evaluation of the programme found that participating companies had fewer sick days among employees compared to a control group. However, the impact of the programme on employees’ work ability and exit into unemployment was negligible. According to the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Economy, this was likely explained by the positive selection of companies already aware of health management practices.

Counselling companies for employing people with health issues in Estonia

To support the employment of people with health limitations, including people with disabilities, the PES in Estonia offers a wide range of services to employers. These include workplace adjustments and work-related technical aids, aid for designating a work-related support person for a period of 12 months to guide and assist people with health issues to adapt to the working environment, and health-related employers’ counselling.

The health-related employers’ counselling is provided through different channels, such as e-seminars for HR staff, managers, and team members, workshops and training courses, and individual consultation at employers’ sites. PES counsellors offering this service have expertise in mental health disorders, hearing loss and movement disorders. They also provide counselling on chronic diseases and vision loss. About half of the counsellors are peer advisers with lived experience, and they collaborate with external specialists when necessary. Topics addressed by the health counsellors include information on the nature of the health problem, dispelling myths and fears, simulating daily work activities, and mapping workplace accessibility from the perspective of an employee with a health problem.

Source: fit2work (2025[21]), Fit2work can help you too, Federal Ministry of Labour and the Economy (2024[22]), Evaluierung von fit2work 2023/2024. Personen- und Betriensberatung [Evaluation of fit2work 2023/2024: Individual and Company Consulting], Esser and Palme (2016[23]), Thematic Report on retirement regimes for workers in arduous or hazardous job. Some additional information was obtained from the Estonian PES.

The outsourced thematic counselling on health-related issues could include a strategic assessment of a company’s capacity and equip managers with the skills needed to enhance workplace inclusivity. External consultants could begin by evaluating the company’s existing health management system, focusing on the promotion and maintenance of employees' health and identifying areas for improvement. This initial assessment phase could help to identify organisational practices or physical workplace features that may hinder the recruitment or long-term retention of employees. Beyond assessments, external experts could deliver targeted workshops or training sessions for managers and experienced team members. These sessions would aim to build a shared understanding of health-related challenges in the workplace, address common misconceptions and employer concerns, and equip staff with practical skills to integrate individuals with chronic conditions or disabilities. To provide these services effectively, external consultants require specialised expertise in mental health, chronic illnesses, and disability-inclusive employment practices.

In addition to health-related support, the PES could also extend its support to age-related counselling for employers. Age-related counselling could help employers better attract, retain and support older workers. Age-sensitive HR strategies can be valuable in the recruitment of previously inactive individuals over the age of 50. By partnering with external experts, the PES could facilitate targeted advice to support SMEs in addressing the needs of Poland’s ageing workforce. Employers could benefit from practical support in adapting workplace conditions to the needs of an ageing workforce, gaining insights into implementing flexible work arrangements for older employees, and learning how to address age-related stereotypes that may contribute to discrimination. Additionally, they could explore strategies for fostering intergenerational learning within the workplace. Germany’s INQA initiative, supported by the Federal PES, can act as a model for the implementation of external support to SMEs in Poland (see Box 5.11).

Box 5.11. Supporting age management through employer services and partnerships in Germany

In Germany, the Federal Public Employment Service (ger. Bundesagentur für Arbeit) provides employers with information and practical guidance on managing an ageing workforce. This includes advice on age-friendly workforce practices and raising awareness of the value that older workers bring to the labour market. The PES publishes guides and short articles for employers on this topic on its website. Information is also provided on existing recruitment incentives offered by the PES to companies.

In addition, the German PES is a member of the New Quality of Work Initiative (ger. Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit, INQA), launched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) in 2002. This initiative brings together the federal, state, and local governments, employers' associations, chambers, trade unions, the Federal Employment Agency, and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It also unites INQA ambassadors from the private sector, academic experts, and other cooperation partners.

Promoting the employment and well-being of older workers is a central priority for INQA. The initiative offers coaching for SMEs, supports the development of innovative workplace practices, and provides a platform of publications on topics such as diversity management and workplace health. It also highlights good practice examples from companies in areas like age management, gender equality, and work-life balance.

Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (2025[24]), Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit [New Quality of Work Initiative], Federal Employment Agency (2024[25]), Alter vor GenZ: Warum Sie auch an Best Ager denken müssen [Age before Gen Z: Why You Also Need to Think About Best Agers], Federal Employment Agency (2024[26]), Best Ager am Arbeitsmarkt: Eine ungenutzte Ressource im Kampf gegen den Fachkräftemangel [Best Agers in the Job Market: An Untapped Resource in the Fight Against the Skilled Labor Shortage].

Age-related counselling in Poland could be delivered as part of the outsourced thematic HR services. External consultants working with the PES could support SMEs by conducting age structure analyses for the companies and identifying areas where tailored strategies could be needed, including inclusive hiring or mentorships between older and younger employees. The experts could also facilitate coaching sessions with company managers or HR staff on fostering age-inclusive practices and overcoming age-related biases in recruitment or promotion. Building on the German model, the Polish PES could also coordinate the publication of toolkits and case studies, showcasing effective approaches to age management. These materials could support employer learning and complement the in-house and outsourced counselling services and be shared online or disseminated among employers during meetings of local stakeholders.

Strengthening regional and local labour market intelligence to support strategic workforce planning

Labour market intelligence is increasingly important for helping PES across the OECD tailor services to employer needs and respond to changing recruitment challenges. While information on labour supply, such as PES clients’ characteristics and employment trends, has traditionally been more accessible, understanding the demand side has posed greater challenges due to limited data, particularly on the specific skills employers require. Recent advances in data collection, methods for linking administrative records, forecasting techniques, and data visualisation tools now allow governments and PES to generate more detailed, timely, and geographically granular labour market information. These developments make it possible to go beyond general measures of labour demand, such as occupation or education levels, and instead assess and anticipate demand for concrete skills, supporting more targeted matching, upskilling, and workforce planning.

In Poland, the provision of labour market information for employers is primarily the responsibility of the WUP, but businesses currently do not view the PES as strategic partners for workforce planning. The WUP are mandated to analyse labour market trends and produce regular reports on labour market conditions in each voivodeship and present this information during Regional Labour Market Council meetings with representatives from labour market institutions and employer associations. The PUP complement these efforts by publishing monthly updates on the situation of the local labour market on their websites and by sharing information directly through meetings or phone calls with employers upon request. However, although employers are generally aware of the available information, they often find it insufficient for their planning needs, citing a lack of time and limited understanding of how to effectively use the information. As a result, they tend to rely more on easily accessible online resources rather than engaging deeply with the PES.

Strengthening regional and local labour market intelligence in PES could improve employer engagement. More detailed and timely intelligence could help position the PES as a more valuable partner to employers, particularly in addressing recruitment challenges and planning for future skill needs. Five areas of improvement could support this shift. First, the PES could introduce new data sources, notably online job vacancy data, to complement vacancies submitted directly to the PES and build a more complete and geographically granular overview of labour demand. Second, efforts could move beyond broad labour demand measures and instead focus on analysing the demand for specific skills. Third, existing initiatives to analyse changes in labour and skills demand could be better integrated and leveraged to identify mismatches between labour supply and demand across sectors and regions. Fourth, regional and local skills anticipation methods could be further developed and aligned with leading OECD practices. Finally, presenting labour market information in ways that are easily accessible and actionable for a broad range of labour market stakeholders could help increase its use in decision-making, and strengthen the role of PES as a source of strategic labour market insights.

Systematically gathering online job postings data can complement job vacancy data submitted to the PES. The Job Offers Barometer, the System of Online Job Offers (SOJO), and the Job Advertisement Monitor already provide insights on labour market trends, employer needs and the job seeker-employer matching process. Such information is important for economic policy and workforce planning, but methodological limitations, such as coverage gaps, selection biases, and classification errors can reduce their reliability for policy use. To complement current tools, Poland could benefit from integrating additional, more comprehensive data sources for online job postings. These online data sources contain rich, real-time information on job openings, can provide a more complete and geographically granular view of the labour market, and often include information on skills requirements, working conditions, and location-specific demand. This additional information can also help capture recruitment activity from employers who do not interact directly with the PES. A notable example is Lightcast, which collects daily online job postings from over 65 000 sources and uses natural language processing combined with expert validation to classify elements such as required skills, education levels, and salary estimates (see Box 5.12).

Box 5.12. Online job postings data provided by Lightcast

Lightcast.io collects and analyses job market data to track skills demand, job openings, and labour market dynamics across various industries and occupations. Data are collected daily from over 65 000 online sources, including job boards, company websites, PES, and recruitment platforms. The data collection process is based on natural language processing, which is supported by experts’ validation. Lightcast classifies over 70 elements from each job posting, offering insights into job market trends. These elements include:

• Job titles

• Job responsibilities

• Hard and soft skills in demand

• Experience requirements

• Education requirements (degrees, certificates, etc.)

• Advertised salary / market estimates

A significant advantage of Lightcast’s dataset is its detailed classification of job offers, making it an almost ready-to-use source for skills demand analysis. The skills are retrieved from the job offers and organised into two types of taxonomies: (i) a traditional, hierarchical skills classification, which organises skills into broader categories while maintaining their interdependencies; (ii) a bottom-up approach, where skills are identified at the lowest level in job postings and aggregated into larger categories.

Source: Lightcast (2024[27]), About us.

To better support employers, Poland’s PES could move beyond traditional labour demand measures and explicitly analyse the demand for skills. As economies undergo structural changes caused by technological advancement, the skills required for jobs can change rapidly. Direct measures of skill demand, rather than labour demand measured by industry or occupation, can capture these trends and more effectively inform training and education policies. Most initiatives in Poland, however, rely on labour demand data drawn from sample surveys and administrative records, which do not explicitly capture skills. These gaps limit the PES’ ability to diagnose and respond to real-time shifts in labour market needs, a function that would contribute to building trust with employers and tailoring services to their recruitment challenges.

Adopting a skills-oriented approach could strengthen PES’ employer engagement. A shift towards measuring the demand for skills rather than labour demand measured by occupation, industry or education level would allow the PES to provide more targeted support in recruitment, including shortlists of candidates based on desired skills, as well as guidance on upskilling options for near-matched candidates. International good practices, such as Nesta in the United Kingdom, have demonstrated how user-friendly skills dashboards based on online job postings data can improve the relevance of services for both employers and PES clients (NESTA, 2025[28]). Nesta primarily uses data supplied by Lightcast (see Box 5.12), to map and classify over 10 000 distinct skills into a structured taxonomy. These skills are then visualised in interactive dashboards that show trends in demand, wage returns, and career progression pathways, helping employers and people seeking for a job make informed decisions. Adopting a shared skills taxonomy, like the multilingual classification of European Skills, Competences, and Occupations (ESCO), and embedding it into PES tools could improve the understanding of skills demand and harmonise efforts for skills and labour demand analysis across Poland.

Integrating and leveraging existing initiatives and data sources could improve the analysis of mismatches between labour supply and demand. Poland has already developed a range of initiatives that collect valuable labour market data, however, the number of initiatives using data integration is relatively low, and many data sources remain underused due to insufficient coordination across institutions. For instance, existing administrative datasets from the Social Insurance Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych - ZUS), the PUP, the Central Database of Job Offers (Centralna Baza Ofert Pracy - CBOP), and graduate tracking systems, contain detailed information on employment patterns, job vacancies, and education-to-employment transitions but access for researchers and policy makers is currently limited. One example of how Poland is working to address this challenge is the Data Blender project. The project uses multiple data sources, such as the ZUS, the Central Statistical Office (Główny Urząd Statystyczny), and PLOs, as well as online job postings, to provide county-level insights into job openings, wages, and employment trends (Regional Employment Office in Rzeszów, 2024[29]). Expanding the system to include data from additional institutions could further improve its capacity to generate labour market insights. An international example of how data integration can support innovative labour market research is Germany’s IABSE-ADIAB dataset, which combines job vacancy surveys with Integrated Employment Biographies (IEB) (see Box 5.13).

Box 5.13. Linking job vacancy and employment biographies: The IABSE-ADIAB dataset in Germany

In Germany, data from the Job Vacancy Survey (JVS), conducted by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), is integrated with the Integrated Employment Biographies (IEB), also processed by the IAB (Gürtzgen and Küfner, 2021[30]). The JVS is the German counterpart of the European Job Vacancy Survey, which contributes to Eurostat statistics. It has been conducted since 1989 and contains company-level information, including general details on the hiring process. Specifically, it provides data on the structure of all new hires based on their socio-demographic characteristics, previous employment status, and type of employment.

The Integrated Employment Biographies (IEB) is an administrative dataset that includes individuals recorded in the social security system at least once since 1975 (West Germany) or 1992 (East Germany). It contains daily employment records, with variables covering both establishments and individuals. These records are linked across databases using company identifiers, hiring dates, and individual characteristics such as age, gender, and occupation. A deterministic data linkage algorithm links 50% of the hires reported in the JVS with personal biographies (Lochner, 2023[31]). This process resulted in the creation of the IABSE-ADIAB dataset, which offers comprehensive insights into labour demand, labour supply, and the matching process.

The application of this, and other integrated datasets, has enabled extensive labour market research. For example, it has been used to analyse wages from both worker and firm perspectives (Lochner, Wolter and Seth, 2023[32]), examine pre-match hiring costs in times of tight labour markets (Bossler and Popp, 2024[33]), and to study worker replacement mechanisms in Germany (Jäger and Heining, 2022[34]).

Source: Bossler and Popp (2024[33]), “Labor Demand on a Tight Leash”, Lochner (2023[31]) “IABSE-ADIAB – IAB Job Vacancy Survey Data Linked to Administrative Data”, Lochner, Wolter and Seth (2023[32]), “AKM Effects for German Labour Market Data from 1985 to 2021”, Jäger and Heining (2022[34]) “How substitutable are workers? Evidence from worker deaths”, Gürtzgen and Küfner (2021[30]), Hirings in the IAB Job Vacancy Survey and the administrative data — an aggregate comparison.

A further challenge is the lack of continuity in many labour market research initiatives. Numerous promising projects in Poland, such as regional pilot studies on occupational demand or forecasting exercises have been launched with the support of temporary or EU co-funding, but stall or disappear when funding cycles end. This instability limits the ability to provide consistent, up-to-date labour market intelligence to guide recruitment and training decisions. Sustained public investment and long-term institutional ownership are important elements for generating labour market insights that are maintained, regularly updated, and effectively applied in practice. Embedding research and forecasting systems within core PES functions would help institutionalise employer-facing intelligence and reinforce the credibility of PES as a strategic, forward-looking partner.

Regional and local skills anticipation methods could be further developed and aligned with leading OECD practices. The WUP regularly conduct skills needs assessment exercises at the regional level (see examples in Annex Table 5.A, but these initiatives vary widely in scope, methodology, and data quality. As a result, findings are difficult to compare and use for national policymaking. A nationally guided framework that supports regional research on labour demand and skills anticipation using standardised approaches, while preserving space for local adaptation, could improve the consistency and utility of labour market intelligence. This model could draw inspiration from centrally supported initiatives like the Occupational Barometer or the expanding Data Blender system, which leverage regional input under national coordination.

Strengthening regional and local labour demand forecasting can support employers in preparing for long-term workforce transitions. Medium- and long-term regional forecasts can serve as benchmarks for labour market trends, helping PES and policymakers identify emerging imbalances between labour supply and demand. Quantitative forecasting models, such as the Polish Labour Market Forecasting System (PLMFS), serve to identify long-term trends in labour supply and demand. These models offer insights into macroeconomic developments and regional employment shifts, especially when disaggregated to county or occupational levels. Better coordination between ministries, such as the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, which manages the PLMFS, and the Ministry of National Education, which managed the Analysis of the Demand for Occupations, Qualifications, and Skills could enhance the impact of anticipation and forecast initiatives, especially regarding lifelong learning and adult education policies, which require close inter-ministerial collaboration. The PLMFS could also be complemented by medium-term forecasts with lower uncertainty that would support employer succession planning and investment in employee skills, as done by the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) at Maastricht University (see Box 5.14). As in the ROA model, such forecasts could include inter-occupational mobility and incorporate interregional migration and commuting flows. Expanding the scope of forecast exercises to include skills in changing fields such as green and digital, and aligning outputs with employer engagement tools could further allow PES to support more strategic hiring and reskilling decisions.

Box 5.14. Labour market forecasting in the Netherlands: the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) approach at Maastricht University

The Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) at Maastricht University has conducted labour market forecasting in the Netherlands since 1986 through the Education and the Labour Market (POA) project. The forecasts, covering both demand and supply sides of the labour market, are produced every two years with a forecast horizon of six years.

To determine labour demand, ROA uses macroeconomic data on future employment growth in 21 economic sectors. These figures, based on economic growth estimates from the Dutch Central Planning Bureau (CPB), provide information on the number of employees and jobs, as well as value added and capital investment by sector. The forecasts consider not only the expansion demand for employees resulting from new job creation, but also replacement and substitution demand. The labour supply forecast includes future inflows of workers, such as graduates, the short-term unemployed, and those in frictional unemployment.

ROA’s forecasts cover 114 occupational groups, 41 occupational segments (based on its own occupational classification aligned with ISCO), and 108 study fields. An important element of ROA's forecasting methodology is the Indicator of Future Labour Market Position (ITA), which compares expected labour supply and demand for each field of education. ITA highlights labour market tightness across different fields of study, providing insights into graduates’ employment prospects. Recent forecasts also include the Future Bottlenecks in Personnel Provision indicator (ITKP) and the Future Bottlenecks in Personnel Provision by Occupation indicator (ITKB), which identify fields of study and occupations likely to face recruitment challenges, which is critical information for employers and training providers.

ROA places significant emphasis on the regional dimension. Since 2013, its forecasts have been disaggregated into 35 regions using a top-down approach, maintaining consistency between national and regional forecasts. The modelling considers graduates’ migration behaviour when estimating labour market flows by study field and region, leading to the calculation of ITA at the regional level. Additionally, ITA is adjusted for commuter flows, creating the commuting-adjusted ITA, which accounts for interregional worker mobility. The size of this adjustment is estimated based on push and pull factors between regions.

Source: Bakens, Dijksman and Meijer (2024[35]), Methodiek arbeidsmarktprognoses en -indicatoren 2023-2028 [Methodology for labor market forecasts and indicators 2023-2028], Bakens, J. et al. (2021[36]), Methodiek arbeidsmarktprognoses en -indicatoren 2021-2026 [Methodology for labor market forecasts and indicators 2021-2026], Bakens, Dijksman and Fouarge (2020[37]) Methodiek regionale arbeidsmarktprognoses 2019-2024 [Methodology for regional labor market forecasts 2019-2024], Verkade and Bakens (2020[38]), Commuter flow predictions in POA: Evaluation study.

Multidisciplinary and qualitative anticipation methods also play an important role in making forecasting exercises more responsive to sector-specific changes. Tools such as Delphi surveys, expert panels, and scenario analysis enable labour market institutions to capture emerging trends not yet visible in quantitative data. Poland’s main qualitative anticipation exercises is the Occupational Barometer, which provides one-year labour market projections by identifying occupations expected to be in shortage, surplus, or balance based on the match between job vacancies and labour supply. The analysis relies on the expertise of various labour market stakeholders including labour offices, private employment agencies, chambers of crafts, the Voluntary Labour Corps, NGOs, academic career development offices, and city or county administrations. The Educational Research Institute (IBE-PIB) analysis of occupations, qualifications, and skills also combines quantitative, qualitative, and foresight research to support the Ministry of National Education’s policies. The main limitation of these initiatives is that they are often disconnected from employer services in Poland or underutilised by regional PES. Making the results of these anticipation exercises accessible to frontline staff in a manner that enables them to use the information to engage directly with employers and training providers could strengthen the PES’ position as a reliable partner in identifying future skills needs.

Improving how the PES presents data and insights to labour market stakeholders can strengthen engagement. Labour market information is often underused simply because it is too complex or not tailored to user needs. The PES can make labour market information more accessible by adopting formats that serve a broad range of stakeholders, including SMEs with limited analytical capacity. Poland could invest in modern data visualisation tools and worker- and employer-facing dashboards that present skill shortages, wage trends, or candidate availability by occupation and region. For PES clients and employers, introducing a career transition tool could enhance guidance services by showing how workers can move from one occupation to another, based on the skills they already have and the additional ones they need to acquire to access in-demand jobs. Such interactive tools could be modelled after SkillsFuture Singapore, which offers tools that map career pathways across sectors, identify transferable skills, and link users to relevant training opportunities (SkillsFutureSG, 2025[39]).

Annex 5.A. Characteristics of respondents

Annex Table 5.A.1. Characteristics of respondents

	City	Organisation size	Sector of economic activity	Operational reach1
1	Opole	small	beauty sector	local
2	Gdańsk	small	electric power industry	trans-regional
3	Kraków	small	construction	local
4	Olsztyn	small	automation and robotics	national
5	Gdańsk	medium	metal industry	international
6	Kraków	medium	education	local
7	Opole	medium	agriculture	national
8	Olsztyn	medium	window joinery	national
9	Gdańsk	social economy organisation	food production	local
10	Kraków	social economy organisation	gastronomy	local
11	Olsztyn	social economy organisation	social care	local
12	Opole	social economy organisation	Vocational Activity Centre	local
13	Gdańsk	public sector	municipal economy	local
14	Kraków	public sector	cultural institution	regional
15	Olsztyn	public sector	cultural institution	regional
16	Opole	public sector	administration	regional

Notes: In all cases involving enterprises, the interviewees were representatives from the management level, including directors and CEOs. In a few instances within the public sector, the interviewees were middle-level managers. All interviewed respondents were operational managers or team leaders with staff responsibilities, as the majority of the organizations interviewed were small and did not have dedicated HR teams.

Annex Table 5.A.2.  Regional studies on labour demand and skills anticipation conducted by regional employment offices in Poland

Coverage	Scope	Methodology	Labour demand measure/dimension	Status/Source
Kuyavian-Pomeranian region (including county-level disaggregation)	A series of quarterly studies of online job offers	Statistical analysis of online job offers published in selected job portals (by NACE sections)	Online job vacancy	Quarterly study since 2022, e.g. (WUP Toruń, 2024[40])
Kuyavian-Pomeranian region	Analysis of labour demand	CAWI/CATI/PAPI and FGI interviews	Occupations, own skills taxonomy	Single study, (WUP Toruń, 2023[41])
Kuyavian-Pomeranian region	Analysis of the match between the offer of vocational secondary schools (technical and vocational schools) to the demand for labour	Desk research, CAWI/CATI/TDI interviews and case studies methodology	Occupations, own skills taxonomy	Single study, (WUP Toruń, 2022[42])
Lesser Poland Region	Assessment of the labour market situation in the Lesser Poland region	Descriptive statistical analysis based on secondary data	Occupations	Conducted each year, (WUP Kraków, 2024[43])
Lubelskie Region (including county-level disaggregation)	Vocational education qualifications and the needs of local labour markets	CAWI survey	Occupations. Qualifications required in respective occupations	Conducted every two years since 2019, (WUP Lublin, 2024[44])
Lodzkie Region	Labour demand in the green economy	Desk research, CAPI survey	Employment in green jobs (own taxonomy)	Single study, (WUP Łódź, 2020[45])
Lodzkie Region	Labour demand in the silver economy	Desk research, PAPI survey	Occupations (related to silver economy branches)	Single study, (WUP Łódź, 2016[46])
Masovian Region	Forecasting demand for competencies in the 2040 horizon	Desk research, Delphi method, probability and impact analysis	19 competencies of future identified within the study	Single study, (WUP Warsaw, 2019[47])
Masovian Region	Competencies’ requirements in the regional labour market	Desk research, FGIs, job vacancies	Occupations, employment by NACE sections	Single study, (WUP Warsaw, 2017[48])
Pomeranian region	Employers' demand for skills and qualifications of employees in occupations in selected strategic sectors of the Pomeranian Region	FGIs	Occupations and job positions in selected branches	Single study, (WUP Gdańsk, 2022[49])
Pomeranian region	Quantitative study on development of job-related competences and qualifications of adult residents of the Pomeranian Region	CATI interviews	Occupations	Single study, (WUP Gdańsk, 2022[50])
Pomeranian region	Projection regarding the demand for remote work in the context of COVID-19 pandemic	Desk research, CATI and FGI interviews	Employment by sectors; competences – own taxonomy (soft, job-related, universal)	Single study, (WUP Gdańsk, 2020[51])
Silesian Region	Study on green economy and demand for green jobs	Desk research, CATI and FGI interviews	Employment by sectors and job positions	Single study, (WUP Katowice, 2023[52])
Sub-Carpathian region (including county-level information)	Series of studies on demand for occupations, qualifications, and competences on local labour markets	CATI and CAWI interviews	Employment and recruitment prospects by occupations, NACE sections, competencies (own taxonomy)	Conducted each year, e.g. (WUP Rzeszów, 2021[53])

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[17] The Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life (2025), Rapport de l’impact social, sociétal et économique du sport [Report on the social, societal, and economic impact of sport], https://sport-inclusion.fr/rapport-de-limpact-social-societal-et-economique-du-sport/.

[5] UNESCO (2022), “National Training Fund (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy – KFS), a Sub-Fund of Labour Fund”, Global Review of Training Funds – Country Brief, https://unevoc.unesco.org/countryprofiles/docs/UNESCO_Funding-of-Training_Poland.pdf.

[12] Urząd m. st. Warszawy (2024), PracujeMY RAZEM - Targi Pracy i Przedsiębiorczości [Working Together, Job and Entrepreneurship Fair], https://um.warszawa.pl/-/-pracujemy-razem-targi-pracy-i-przedsiebiorczosci.

[38] Verkade, E. and J. Bakens (2020), Commuter flow predictions in POA: Evaluation study, University of Maastricht, https://doi.org/10.26481/umarot.2020005.

[2] WiseEuropa (2018), Modelowe procedury współpracy IRP z pracodawcami i przedsiębiorcami [Model procedures for the cooperation of IRP with employers and entrepreneurs].

[9] Working Families (2024), The 2024 Working Families Best Practice Award winners highlight diverse array of family-friendly workplaces, https://workingfamilies.org.uk/news-events/news/2024-best-practice-award-winners/.

[50] WUP Gdańsk (2022), Study on the development of competencies and professional qualifications of adult residents of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

[49] WUP Gdańsk (2022), Survey of employers’ demand for skills and qualifications of workers in occupations in selected strategic sectors of Pomeranian Voivodeship.

[51] WUP Gdańsk (2020), Current and projected demand for workers and prospects for the development of remote work in the Pomeranian labor market, taking into account the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.

[52] WUP Katowice (2023), Labor market in the area of green economy in the Silesian province.

[43] WUP Kraków (2024), Assessment of the labor market situation in Małopolska province in 2023.

[45] WUP Łódź (2020), Popyt na pracę w obszarze zielonej gospodarki II. Analiza dla województwa łódzkiego [Labor demand in the area of green economy II. Analysis for the Lodz region].

[46] WUP Łódź (2016), Popyt na pracę w obszarze srebrnej gospodarki Analiza dla województwa łódzkiego [Demand for work in the area of silver economy Analysis for Lodz region].

[44] WUP Lublin (2024), Kwalifikacje w zawodach szkolnictwa branżowego a potrzeby lokalnych rynków pracy [Qualifications in trade education professions and the needs of local labor markets].

[53] WUP Rzeszów (2021), Demand for occupations and qualifications and competencies in local labor markets in Subcarpathian voivodeship - impact of COVID-19 pandemic - edition 2021.

[40] WUP Toruń (2024), Analysis of online job listings published in Q1 2024 for Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship compared to other provinces, https://wuptorun.praca.gov.pl/documents/5078407/22541888/Analiza%20internetowych%20ofert%20pracy%20w%20I%20kwartale%202024%20r./8e89a975-9bae-496b-8c24-7a23ae252ad4?t=1716893577127.

[41] WUP Toruń (2023), Demand for occupations, qualifications and professional competencies and training needs of employers in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region.

[42] WUP Toruń (2022), Analysis of the match between the offer of vocational secondary schools (technical and industry schools) and the demand of the labor market in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship.

[47] WUP Warsaw (2019), Kompetencje przyszłości na mazowieckim rynku pracy w perspektywie do 2040 roku [Competencies of the future in the Mazovian labor market in the perspective to 2040].

[48] WUP Warsaw (2017), Zapotrzebowanie na kwalifikacje i kompetencje zawodowe na mazowieckim rynku pracy [Demand for professional qualifications and competencies in the Mazovian labor market].

[6] Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje (2021), Workshops: Representation in ZRSZ, vIDEO Center: Za Razvoj Kadrov.

Note

← 1.  The classification of operational reach (national, regional, trans-regional, and local) is based on interviewees' declarations, with 'national' referring to activities across the entire country, 'regional' to those within a voivodeship, 'trans-regional' to activities between voivodeships, and 'local' to actions within or between poviats or municipalities.