The role of subnational governments in adult skills systems: Poland

This country note provides an overview of the governance of the adult skills system in Poland. It is part of an extensive review of all 38 OECD countries. The main findings across all countries are summarised in the OECD policy paper The Role of Subnational Governments in Adult Skills Systems. Representatives from the Polish government reviewed the country note in March 2025 and it was published in June 2025.

Table 1. Overall governance and expenditure structure

Governance structure	Levels of governance	% of general government expenditure at the sub-national level
Unitary	Central: administracja rządowa Regional: województwo County: powiat Municipal: gmina	30.6%
How is the adult skills system governed?
Centralised	Combined system	Decentralised ✓

Note : For more information on the definitions of the governance models, , please see (OECD, 2025[1])

Source: (OECD/UCLG, 2022[2])

How is the adult skills system governed?

Poland has a decentralised governance structure for adult skills. The country has four levels of administration: central (administracja rządowa), regional (wojewoda and samorząd województwa), county (powiat) and municipal (gmina). Strategic responsibilities are shared between the national and regional governmental levels, while intelligence and funding responsibilities cut across the national, regional and county levels. Implementation and delivery responsibilities are organised across all levels of government.

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) policies are designed at the national level by the Ministry of National Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej), which also shares responsibilities for funding VET schools with the regional and county level. At the regional level, the education superintendents (wojewoda) supports the network of vocational schools, which are predominantly managed at local level. The VET system is primarily targeted young people. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego) sets the framework and oversees the funding of Higher Vocational Education and Training (HVET).

• Continuing Education and Training (CET) and Adult Education (AE) are also designed and funded at the national level, while the regions, counties and municipalities may contribute to their funding. In addition, EU and private funding plays an important role for CET and AE.

• Active Labour Market Policies (ALMP) are delivered by decentralised Public Employment Service (PES) offices operating at the regional and county levels. At the national level, the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy (Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej) coordinates the PES activities and finances ALMPs, leaving significant scope for regional and local implementation. Regional labour offices (wojewódzkie urzędy piracy) are responsible for labour market research and analysis and international job mediation. County labour offices (powiatowe urzędy pracy) provide entrepreneurship, employment incentives, training, and upskilling. In addition, social economy organisations play an important role in providing support for vulnerable groups based on the Act of June 13, 2003 on social employment.

Table 2. Allocation of responsibilities across policy areas and levels of government

		Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Policy area	National level
	VET, HVET	✓	✓	✓	✓	-
	CET	✓	✓	✓	✓	-
	AE	✓	✓	✓	✓	-
	ALMP	✓	✓	-	✓	-
	Regional level
	VET, HVET	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	CET	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	AE	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	ALMP	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	County level
	VET, HVET	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	CET	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	AE	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	ALMP	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	Municipal level
	VET, HVET	-	-	-	-	-
	CET	-	-	-	-	-
	AE	-	-	✓	✓	✓
	ALMP	-	-	-	-	-

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Note: For more information on exact definitions of policy areas and responsibilities, please see (OECD, 2025[1])].

Infographic 1. Overview of the adult skills system

Note: Colour code: Dark blue → government/national/subnational agencies, Green → social partners, Lighter blue → private actors and education providers, Yellow → Expert councils/foundations/associations/research institutions. For more information, see (OECD, 2025[1]).

Source: OECD compilation based on available information.

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the national level

At the national level, several ministries, agencies, councils, and supporting institutes and organisations play a role in the Polish adult skills system.

• The Ministry of National Education designs strategies for VET, formal CET and AE (non-formal CET and AE are not regulated) and partly funds VET schools (in co-operation with counties). At the same time, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education develops strategies for and funds HVET institutions. The Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy coordinates regional and local PES activities and provides funding for ALMPs.

• A wide range of national agencies support the activities initiated by the ministries. These include the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (Polska Agencja Rozwoju Przedsiębiorczości); the Educational Research Institute (Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych), the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji); and the Centre for Education Development (Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji).

• National policies are informed by expert councils, including the Sectoral Skills Councils (Sektorowe Rady ds. Kompetencji) that support implementation of CET policies; the Programme Council for Competences (Rada Programowa) that coordinates the work of the sectoral skills councils; the School Directors Council (Rada Dyrektorów Szkół Zawodowych) that issue opinions on the VET system; and the Labour Market Council (Rada Rynku Pracy) which provides advice on the allocation of funds from the National Training Fund (a co-funding mechanism to support training).

• Public, private and independent non-university higher institutions (uczelnia zawodowa) offer HVET.

Table 3. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the national level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Ministry of National Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej)	✓	✓	-	✓	-	Ministry	VET HVET CET AE	The Ministry sets the general policies and strategic and legal framework for VET, formal CET and AE at the national level (non-formal CET and AE is not regulated). For VET, the Ministry develops programs, including general and vocational qualification courses, and is responsible for directing funding for VET based on information on skills shortages in the labour market. It funds VET schools through general subsidies and specific-purpose grants. The ministry also oversees schools for adults and formal CET, VET centres and Sectoral Skills Centres. The Ministry is also responsible for co-ordinating the national qualification system in Poland. It leads work on adult education in Poland (a shared competence of different ministries). It is responsible for the implementation and execution of the Integrated Skills Strategy 2030, which covers VET, AE, and CET initiatives. Recently, alongside other stakeholders, the Ministry has been responsible for creating and supporting sectoral skills centres (branżowe centra umiejętności) that will provide VET programmes..
Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego)	✓	✓	-	✓	-	Ministry	HVET AE	The Ministry is responsible for public and non-public non-university higher institutions. It establishes public non-university higher institutions, lays down curriculum requirements, and provides funding to these institutions.
Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (Ministerstwo Rodziny Pracy i Polityki Społecznej)	✓	✓	-	✓	-	Ministry	CET AE ALMP	The Ministry oversees the implementation of labour market policies and coordinates PES activities at the regional and local levels. It is responsible for setting the national priorities and strategies concerning ALMPs. It manages and allocates the Labour Fund (Fundusz Pracy) to regional labour offices (directly) and to county labour offices (indirectly through county administration). This fund finances unemployment benefits, activation allowances, and VET costs. The ministry also manages the register of CET and AE institutions offering training to unemployed adults and some categories of job seekers. A significant reform of the Public Employment Service is planned, which assumes the abandonment of the register of training institutions.
Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (Polska Agencja Rozwoju Przedsiębiorczości)	-	-	✓	✓	-	National Agency	VET CET AE	The agency falls under the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. Still, it is responsible for implementing skills programmes. The agency collaborates with the Sectoral Skills Councils to identify skills gaps in key industries and develops training programmes that align with labour market needs. It allocates and manages funding for skills development programs, CET, and entrepreneurship support. The agency provides training by managing the Development Services Base (Baza Usług Rozwojowych). This online platform offers access to professional development for workers and companies looking to upskill. The agency also manages the base which is used to distribute EU funding on training on the regional level and the agency conducts the Human Capital Study (Bilans Kapitał Ludzkiego)
Educational Research Institute (Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych)	-	✓	-	-	-	National Agency	VET HVET CET	The institute is responsible for producing intelligence on education and the labour market, covering all fields of the adult skills system. It serves an advisory function to the Ministry of National Education and provides evidence-based advice on the education system and labour market needs. The institute is also responsible for evaluating the quality of VET institutions. The institute collaborates with the Sectoral Skills Councils by providing input on skills needs assessment. The institute's key role is to manage the Integrated Qualification System and the Integrated Qualification Register.
Foundation for the Development of the Education System (Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji)	-	-	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET HVET CET AE	This National Agency manages and implements certain EU Funds, including the Erasmus+ Programme. It promotes lifelong learning and skills recognition. It implements programmes in adult education and CET. The agency also coordinates the implementation of some EU funding programmes. The foundation is supervised by the Minister of National Education.
Centre for Education Development (Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji)	-	-	✓	-	-	National Agency	VET	The centre is tasked with improving the quality of general and vocational education following the national education policy. It does so through the organisation of training for teachers and school directors. It is also responsible for providing vocational counselling for teachers and developing core curricula for VET programmes. It is led by the Minister of Education.
Sectoral Skills Councils (Sektorowe Rady ds. Kompetencji)	-	✓	✓	-	-	Expert council	VET CET	The Sectoral Skills Councils are non-governmental actors responsible for identifying current and future skills needs within specific sectors of the economy. The 17 councils were established in 2016 by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. They provide a framework and standards to guide regional and local CET and VET policy implementation by analysing their specific industries. An additional 10 councils are planned to be established in the coming years. Their members, which include employers, employees, education providers, and other stakeholders, are appointed by the president of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.
The Programme Council for Competences (Rada Programowa)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert council	VET	The council co-ordinates the work of the Sectoral Skills Councils. It comprises various groups of stakeholders, including employer organisations and trade unions, representatives of ministries, universities, and other education institutions. The council issues recommendations on education and the labour market.
Vocational School Directors Council (Rada Dyrektorów Szkół Zawodowych)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert council	VET	The council consists of 42 heads of schools and school directors from VET schools and represents all regions of the country and different sectors. It issues opinions on changes in the VET system and advises the Minister of National Education on proposed changes in vocational education.
The Labour Market Council (Rada Rynku Pracy)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert Council	CET	The council is an advisory body to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. It is responsible for providing opinions on the planning, implementation strategy, assessments and efficient use of the budget resources from the National Training Fund. Members include representatives from trade unions and employer organisations, local government and experts
Public, private and independent non-university higher institution (uczelnia zawodowa)	-	-	✓	-	-	Education provider	VET HVET CET	These institutions offer specialist HVET programmes lasting at least 3 semesters. Public institutions are established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, but private and independent non-university higher institutions can also exist. These institutions can also operate as open universities (uniwersytet otwarty) to offer VET and CET programmes to anyone outside the academic community. Public, private and independent non-university higher institutions receive financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (Government of Poland, 2004[3]) (Czarzasty, 2015[4]) (Government of Poland, 2018[5]) (OECD, 2019[6]) (OECD, 2021[7]) (OECD, 2023[8]) (Cedefop, 2024[9]) (Centre for Education Development, 2024[10]) (European Commission, Eurydice, 2024[11]) (Foundation for the Development of the Education System, 2024[12]) (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of Republic of Poland, 2024[13]) (Ministry of National Education of Republic of Poland, 2024[14]) (State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, 2024[15])

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the regional level

On the regional level, there are two types of public administration – central government (wojewoda) and regional government (samorząd województwa). Although they operate at the same level, they have different responsibilities.

• The central government (wojewoda) are local bodies of state administration that are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. They are responsible for managing and coordination the work of the central government in the regional area and for supervising the activities of local government units. They appoint the head of the regional education superintendents (kuratoria oświaty), who are responsible for pedagogical oversight within their respective area and supervise VET and formal CET institutions.

• The regional administration (samorząd województwa) are responsible for managing and financning certain educational institutions and programmes at the regional level. They establish VET schools and allocate funding for formal AE (EU and private funds primarily fund non-formal AE). They also keep a register of formal training organisations operating in each region. They are responsible for supervising the regional labour offices (wojewódzkie urzędy pracy), which are regional PES offices with strategic and analytical responsibilities in ALMPs. Through the Regional Coordination Teams (Wojewódzkie Zespoły Koordynacji) they also are responsible for strategy setting and intelligence in their respective area.

• The Voluntary Labor Corps (Ochotnicze Hufce Pracy), which provides VET opportunities to teenagers and young adults; and regional labour market councils (Wojewódzkie Rady Rynku Pracy), which provide recommendations on VET and assess the implementation of the National Training Fund.

Table 4. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the regional level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Central government (wojewoda)			✓					They serve as the central government’s representatives at the regional level, overseeing the implementation of national policies, including those related to education. They appoint and supervise the activities of the education superintendents, who are responsible for pedagogical oversight within their representative area. Additionally, they monitor the legality of actions taken by local self-government units concerning education. They ensure that local educational initiatives comply with national laws and policies.
Regional administration (samorząd województwa)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Subnational government	VET CET AE ALMP	Regional administrations are responsible for supervising the regional labour offices (PES) (see below) and contributing to financing VET schools and some CET and AE institutions. They and maintain the Register of Training Institutions (Rejestr Instytucji Szkoleniowych) operating in a given region. They are also responsible for distributing EU funds within their area.
Regional labour offices (wojewódzkie urzędy pracy)	-	✓	✓	✓	✓	Subnational agency	ALMP	The regional labour offices are supervised by the voivodeship marshal (the regional administration's executive head). They are responsible for designing regional labour market policies and providing analyses and statistics of the regional labour market. The regional administrations can commission the regional PES to run regional programs that activate specific groups and support job creation. They are also responsible for international job mediation via the (EURopean Employment Services) EURES network and, to some extent, provide employment counselling related to finding jobs abroad.
Education Superintendents (kuratoria oświaty)	-	✓	✓	-	-	National agency	CET VET	These authorities are responsible for implementing education policies within schools in their region, including supervising VET and some CET institutions (such as industry skills centres). In each region, they have appointed Vocational Education Coordinators who are responsible for, among other things, supporting schools in establishing cooperation with employers and employers in establishing cooperation with schools, as well as promoting activities related to the development of career counselling in the education system.
Voluntary Labor Corps (Ochotnicze Hufce Pracy)	-	-	-	-	✓	National Agency	VET	They are state-run organisational units supervised by the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy. These units guide inactive young people (aged at least 15 years) and youth at risk of not completing education. They offer vocational counselling, job matching activities and information services to young people in 60 professions. They collaborate with local administration and employers to deliver VET opportunities. There are 16 regional headquarters of the Voluntary Labor Corps corresponding to the 16 regions.
Regional labour market councils (Wojewódzkie Rady Rynku Pracy)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert council	VET	The councils advise the regional administrations on VET programmes for VET schools and implementing the National Training Fund. Their members include representatives of employer organisations and trade unions, farmers' associations, and NGOs.
Regional Coordination Teams (Wojewódzki Zespół Koordynacji)	-	✓	✓	-	-	Expert Council	VET HVET CET AE	The Regional Coordination Teams for Lifelong Learning are established in each region as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan in Poland. Like Sectoral skills centres, they will obtain a sustainable legal and financial framework after the recovery and resilience investment is completed. Their main tasks if facilitating the coordination of Lifelong Learning policies in each region, engaging with a variety of stakeholders

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (Czarzasty, 2015[4]) (OECD, 2019[6]) (Cedefop, 2024[9]) (European Commission, Eurydice, 2024[11]) (Ministry of National Education of Republic of Poland, 2024[14]) (Voluntary Labour Corps, 2024[16])

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the county level

The counties (powiaty) constitute the intermediate/local level of administration. At the county level, key actors involved in the skills system are:

• County administrations mainly fund VET in upper secondary education institutions, including VET schools. They also supervise the county labour offices (powiatowe urzędy pracy), which are the local PES. They are responsible for the delivery of the ALMPs and income-replacement benefits. They also oversee adult education centres that provide basic adult education programmes for citizens.

• County labour market councils (Powiatowe Rady Rynku Pracy) advise the county government on the local labour market situation and the development of specific programmes.

• VET Schools (technika, szkoły branżowe) provide VET to young adults and teenagers. They are managed and funded by national, regional, or county governments. VET schools include the stage I and II sectoral vocational schools (szkoła branżowa I I II stopnia), technical upper secondary schools (technikum), special schools preparing for employment (szkoła specjalna przysposabiająca do pracy) and post-secondary schools (szkoła policealna).

• Public institutions providing CET to adults (publiczne placówki prowadzące kształcenie ustawiczne dla dorosłych). There are four main types of institutions that provide CET: Vocational Education and Training Centres (Centrum Kształcenia Zawodowego), non-public continuing education and practical training centres (niepubliczna placówka kształcenia ustawicznego i praktycznego), continuing education centres (CEC) (placówka kształcenia ustawicznego bez szkół), continuing education centres combined with schools (placówka kształcenia ustawicznego ze szkołami).

• Sectoral skills centres (branżowe centra umiejętności) are newly established institutions that offer CET programmes and facilitate coordination between VET and HVET institutions.

Table 5. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the county level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
County administration (powiat)	-	-	✓	✓	✓	Subnational government	VET CET AE ALMP	County administrations, along with other subnational governments, contribute to the funding of VET schools. They are directly responsible for managing and running VET schools, overseeing adult education centres, and running the local labour offices that deliver services to the unemployed. County governments can also establish industry skills centres (branżowe centra umiejętności) that provide VET.
County labour offices (powiatowe urzędy pracy)	-	-	✓	✓	✓	Subnational agency	ALMP	The county labour offices are local PES supervised by the county administration. They are responsible for administering ALMPs and income-replacement benefits. They also offer training and internships, career counselling, job mediation, and funds for business start-ups.
County labour market councils (Powiatowe Rady Rynku Pracy)	-	✓	-	-	-	Expert council	VET ALMP	The councils advise the county administration on VET and ALMP policies. Their members include employer organisations, trade unions, and NGOs.
Sectoral skills centres (branżowe centra umiejętności)	-	-	✓	-	✓	Education provider	VET HVET CET	The Sectoral Skills Centres are an initiative overseen by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. The Foundation selects and funds the establishment of new centres that offer VET programmes to students enrolled in VET schools at secondary and tertiary levels and adults. The centres also facilitate collaboration between industry organisations, employers, and VET and HVET institutions. The ambition is to establish 120 centres for all specialised professions.
VET Schools (technika, szkoły branżowe)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	VET	VET schools include the stage I and II sectoral vocational schools (szkoła branżowa I I II stopnia), technical upper secondary schools (technikum), special schools preparing for employment (szkoła specjalna przysposabiająca do pracy) and post-secondary schools (szkoła policealna). The Minister of National Education regulates the core curriculum of these schools. Most VET schools are managed by county governments, which allocate funding to them. School principals can decide, in agreement with the county governments and in consultation with labour market councils, which occupations the VET school should provide education opportunities for.
Public institutions providing CET (Publiczne placówki prowadzące kształcenie ustawiczne dla dorosłych)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	CET AE	There are four main types of institutions that provide CET: Vocational Education and Training Centres (Centrum Kształcenia Zawodowego), non-public continuing education and practical training centres (niepubliczna placówka kształcenia ustawicznego i praktycznego), continuing education centres (CEC) (placówka kształcenia ustawicznego bez szkół), continuing education centres combined with schools (placówka kształcenia ustawicznego ze szkołami). They all provide: vocational qualification and skills courses as well as general competences courses.They are founded and managed by a local administration unit, natural or legal persons.

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (OECD, 2019[6]) (European Commission, Eurydice, 2024[11])

Stakeholders and responsibilities at the municipal level

The municipal administration (gminy) is the lowest administration unit. As of January 2024, there are 2 477 communes, including 302 urban municipalities, 711 urban-rural municipalities and 1464 rural municipalities.

• The municipal administration has limited responsibilities in the adult skills system. However, through entities under its supervision, the municipal administration can establish third-age universities (uniwersytety trzeciego wieku), which provide CET to senior citizens.

• Also operating at the local level are the Local Centres of Knowledge and Skills (Lokalne Ośrodki Wiedzy i Edukacji (LOWE)), which co-operate with schools to open access to learning for adults, including adults living in small and remote towns and villages or neglected city districts.

• Social economy organisations (or social employment entities) also operate locally to support vulnerable groups, including the homeless, people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed and those with addictions. They operate through social integration centres and social integration clubs.

Table 6. Stakeholders and responsibilities at the municipal level

Name of institution	Responsibilities					Organisation type	Areas	Description
	Strategy	Intelligence	Implementation	Funding	Delivery
Municipal administration (gminy)	-	-	-	✓	-	Subnational government	VET CET	The municipal administration, along with other subnational governments, contributes to the funding of VET schools. It can also fund third-age universities and establish and run places for teacher retraining.
Third-age universities (uniwersytety trzeciego wieku)	-	-	-	-	✓	Education provider	CET	These entities educate senior citizens through Information and Communication Technology courses and other upscaling workshops. They can be founded by county governments, higher Education Institutions, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and others. Universities receive financing from the State or other sources depending on the founding body.
Local Centres of Knowledge and Skills					✓	Education provider	AE	Since 2017, Poland has piloted a project to establish Local Centres of Knowledge and Skills (Lokalne Ośrodki Wiedzy i Edukacji (LOWE)). The project was launched by the Ministry of National education and co-funded by the EU. So far, 150 centres have been established across the country. The Local Knowledge and Education Centre is an additional function adopted voluntarily by a school, engaging the community to improve the skills of its adult population. Schools are one of the widest existing networks of social services. The task of the centre is to use this natural position of the school and open access to programmes for adults – especially to people living in small and remote towns and villages or neglected city districts.
Social economy/employment organisations					✓	Education provider	AE ALMP	Social economy or employment organisations play an important role in providing support for people in more difficult situations, such as those experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed or those with addictions, based on the Act of June 13, 2003 on social employment. They operate through social integration centers and social integration clubs. Their function is to restore social and professional skills. Social reintegration carried out in the centers includes, among other things, teaching skills necessary to fulfill social roles, learning to plan and manage income. Professional integration, on the other hand, involves enabling center participants to acquire new professional skills that allow for retraining or upgrading qualifications. Clubs, like centers, conduct social and professional reintegration, which includes organizing activities aimed at helping to find employment, public works, socially useful work, legal advice, internships, and self-help activities

Legend: ✓ = Yes; - = No

Source: OECD compilation based on (European Commission, Eurydice, 2024[11])

References

[9] Cedefop (2024), Webpage, https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/resources/ochotnicze-hufce-pracy-ohp-voluntary-labour.

[10] Centre for Education Development (2024), Webpage, https://ore.edu.pl/2023/03/o-osrodku/.

[4] Czarzasty, J. (2015), Poland: New tripartite bodies begin operation, https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/article/2015/poland-new-tripartite-bodies-begin-operations.

[11] European Commission, Eurydice (2024), National Education Overview, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/poland/overview.

[17] European Commission, Eurydice (2023), 8. Adult education and training, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/netherlands/adult-education-and-training.

[12] Foundation for the Development of the Education System (2024), Webpage, https://www.frse.org.pl/about-the-foundation.

[5] Government of Poland (2018), Ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. - Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce poz.1668, https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20180001668.

[3] Government of Poland (2004), Ustawa z dnia 20 kwietnia 2004 r. o promocji zatrudnienia i instytucjach rynku pracy, Dz.U. 2004 nr 99 poz. 1001, https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20040991001/U/D20041001Lj.pdf.

[13] Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of Republic of Poland (2024), Webpage, https://www.gov.pl/web/family.

[14] Ministry of National Education of Republic of Poland (2024), Webpage, https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja.

[1] OECD (2025), “From national to local: Exploring the role of subnational governments in adult skills systems across OECD countries”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2025/XX, OECD Publishing, Paris.

[8] OECD (2023), ““Who does what” for active labour market policies: A zoom on the role of subnational governments”, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2023/09, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d8d6868d-en.

[7] OECD (2021), Regional Economic Inactivity Trends in Poland, OECD Reviews on Local Job Creation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/483a6a25-en.

[6] OECD (2019), OECD Skills Strategy Poland: Assessment and Recommendations, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b377fbcc-en.

[2] OECD/UCLG (2022), 2022 Country Profiles of the World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment., https://www.sng-wofi.org/country-profiles/poland.html.

[15] State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (2024), Webpage, https://www.pfron.org.pl/en.html.

[16] Voluntary Labour Corps (2024), Webpage, https://www.ohp.pl/en/.

About the Local Employment and Economic Development Programme (LEED)

The OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme Papers present innovative ideas and practical examples on how to boost local development and job creation. A wide range of topics are addressed, such as employment and skills; entrepreneurship; the social economy and social innovation; culture; and local capacity building, among others. The series highlights in particular policies to support disadvantaged places and people, such as the low skilled, the unemployed, migrants, youth and seniors.

About the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities

The Centre helps local, regional and national governments unleash the potential of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises, promote inclusive and sustainable regions and cities, boost local job creation and implement sound tourism policies. Find out more: www.oecd.org/cfe

This project was made possible by generous support from the JPMorganChase Foundation.

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.

The views expressed in this report should not be taken to reflect the official position of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, JPMorganChase or any of its affiliates.

The full paper is available in English: OECD (2025), The role of subnational governments in adult skills systems, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d452e8b7-en

© OECD 2025

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Attribution – you must cite the work.

Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid.

Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries.

Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement.

You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work.

Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.