Poland's Next Skills Transformation: From Qualifications to Lifelong Learning
How Polish universities are supporting adult education, professional development and the skills needed for a changing economy.
Poland’s educational expansion: a foundation for transformation
Poland’s educational transformation after 1989 provides an important example of how widening access to education can accompany profound economic and social change.
The transition from a centrally planned economy to an internationally connected market economy created new demands for knowledge, qualifications and professional skills. Educational institutions responded by expanding provision and introducing more flexible ways of studying.
Private universities and colleges, licea zaoczne (part-time secondary schools), post-secondary vocational institutions and weekend programmes created opportunities for people who had previously found formal education difficult to access. For many working adults, these routes made it possible to improve their qualifications while continuing to earn a living and support their families.
The scale of expansion was remarkable. OECD evidence indicates that Poland had approximately 404,000 higher education students in 1990/91. By 2004/05, enrolment had increased to approximately 1.9 million, with private institutions accounting for around 30% of students.
This expansion was accompanied by significant investment in foreign-language learning, management education, business training and professional development. Poland’s preparation for European Union membership, achieved in May 2004, further increased the importance of international communication, professional mobility and familiarity with European standards.
The significance of these developments extended beyond the acquisition of qualifications. Education became an important means of adapting to new economic circumstances, engaging with international employers and participating in a changing European labour market.
Yet the achievements of this period raise an important question for the future.
Poland successfully expanded access to qualifications. Can it now make continuous learning an equally established feature of professional and personal life?
The next transformation will depend less on increasing the number of people entering higher education for the first time and more on enabling individuals to return to education throughout their lives.
The continuing gap between qualifications and learning
Poland’s educational expansion created a more highly qualified workforce, but participation in continuing professional development remains uneven.
The OECD’s Economic Surveys: Poland 2025 highlights significant differences in employer-provided training. Only around 20% of small Polish enterprises provided continuing vocational training, compared with approximately 80% of large companies.
These figures describe the proportion of businesses providing training, rather than the percentage of employees who participate. Nevertheless, they illustrate a substantial difference in the opportunities available to workers depending on the size of their employer.
Large organisations are generally better positioned to provide structured training, dedicated development budgets and opportunities for employees to move between professional functions.
Smaller enterprises may face very different circumstances. Releasing an employee for training can create an immediate operational challenge. Training costs may be difficult to justify when financial resources are limited, particularly where benefits cannot be measured immediately.
The OECD also identifies limited perceived need, family responsibilities and other barriers affecting adult participation in education. Financial support alone will therefore not resolve the problem.
For many people, the challenge is not simply finding an educational institution willing to teach them. It is finding learning opportunities that are relevant, affordable, accessible and compatible with work and family responsibilities.
This suggests that the next stage of Poland’s educational development will require closer coordination between universities, employers, professional bodies and public institutions.
Universities have an especially important role because they can provide access to research-informed education, recognised academic expertise and opportunities for learners to develop beyond the immediate requirements of their current employment.
Several Polish universities already offer useful examples of how this can work.
Good practice from Polish universities
1. University of Warsaw: opening university education to the wider community
The Open University of the University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Otwarty Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego) demonstrates how a major research university can extend educational opportunities beyond its conventional degree programmes.
In August 2026, the university published an offer of 367 courses for the first trimester of the 2026/27 academic year, including 131 new courses. Provision included online and face-to-face learning across subjects such as languages, culture, society, business, technology, science and personal interests.
The courses are available to people over the age of 16 and are not restricted to students enrolled on degree programmes.
Among the university's wider course offerings have been subjects addressing artificial intelligence, communication, foreign languages, economics, personal development and cultural understanding.
The breadth of provision is particularly valuable.
A professional seeking to improve their English, an employee interested in understanding digital technologies and someone studying art or history for personal enrichment can all engage with the university through an accessible educational route.
This approach recognises that learning does not always need to result in a degree. Short courses can strengthen professional capabilities, encourage intellectual curiosity and help adults rediscover the value of structured education.
The model also provides a potential foundation for deeper engagement. An individual might begin with a short course before progressing to specialist training, postgraduate study or another recognised qualification.
What makes this an example of good practice?
The University of Warsaw demonstrates how university expertise can be made available to a wider population through diverse subjects, accessible course structures and a continuing relationship with adult learners.
Its model positions the university as a resource for lifelong intellectual and professional development rather than an institution serving only conventional students.
2. Nicolaus Copernicus University: reducing financial barriers to adult learning
The Open University at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Uniwersytet Otwarty Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika) provides another example of an institution developing provision for adult learners.
In August 2025, the university announced that selected courses would be offered free of charge through funding from Poland’s National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR).
The initiative was designed to make professional and personal development more accessible to adults who might otherwise find additional education financially difficult.
Its approach connects learning with practical development, including opportunities to acquire new skills, strengthen existing qualifications and consider changes in professional direction.
The value of such initiatives extends beyond individual course participation.
For employees of smaller organisations, people returning to employment or adults considering a career transition, the cost of learning can determine whether participation is possible.
Publicly supported short courses can help address this barrier, particularly when programmes are designed around skills that people can apply directly.
However, affordability should be accompanied by clear information about eligibility, course outcomes and progression opportunities. Participants benefit most when a short course forms part of a wider educational pathway rather than becoming an isolated experience.
What makes this an example of good practice?
Nicolaus Copernicus University illustrates how universities can use external funding to widen participation in adult education and reduce financial obstacles to professional development.
It also demonstrates the potential for public investment in education to support workers who may not have access to employer-sponsored training.
3. Warsaw University of Technology: making higher education compatible with employment
Flexibility is essential if working adults are to participate in university education over an extended period.
The Distance-Learning Centre at Warsaw University of Technology (Ośrodek Kształcenia na Odległość, OKNO) offers a well-established example of how universities can address this challenge.
The centre introduced its internet-based SPrINT model (Studia Przez Internet) in 2001, drawing inspiration from distance-learning approaches developed by the Open University in the United Kingdom and FernUniversität in Germany.
The model was designed specifically to address barriers faced by people who needed to combine university study with employment and other responsibilities.
It introduced a more flexible organisation of learning, allowing students to progress at different speeds and, within the model's arrangements, extend the period of study.
This represented an important departure from the assumption that students should adapt their lives entirely to an institution’s established timetable.
For working adults, flexibility can determine whether university education is realistically possible.
A student employed full-time may need to study during evenings or weekends. Someone with caring responsibilities may require a longer period to complete a programme. Others may be able to progress more quickly because of their existing knowledge or professional experience.
Although the SPrINT model was originally developed for degree provision, its principles remain relevant to contemporary lifelong learning.
Digital access, flexible pacing and learner-centred programme design can also support shorter professional programmes, continuing education and targeted upskilling.
What makes this an example of good practice?
Warsaw University of Technology demonstrates the value of designing educational structures around the circumstances of adult learners.
Its experience also shows that flexible university learning is not a recent development arising solely from the COVID-19 pandemic. Polish institutions were experimenting with distance education and alternative study models much earlier.
4. Poznań University of Technology: connecting education with industry
Lifelong learning also depends on stronger relationships between education and the world of work.
Poznań University of Technology (Politechnika Poznańska) provides a useful example through its long-established collaboration with Volkswagen Poznań.
In March 2025, the university marked 20 years of cooperation with the company.
According to the university, the partnership has included dual-study programmes, access to industrial technologies, collaboration involving artificial intelligence and the development of curricula relating to the future of the automotive industry.
The university also reported that approximately 1,000 of its graduates were employed by Volkswagen Poznań at the time of the anniversary.
The partnership demonstrates how universities and employers can work together to ensure that education remains connected to technological developments and professional practice.
Engineering education provides a particularly relevant example because industrial processes, digital manufacturing, automation and production technologies continue to evolve.
A curriculum developed without continuing engagement with industry may struggle to reflect these changes.
University–industry collaboration creates opportunities for academic knowledge and professional experience to inform one another.
Students can encounter the practical application of scientific and technical concepts, while employers gain access to research expertise and opportunities to contribute to curriculum development.
Importantly, dual-study programmes are primarily an approach to initial higher education and should not automatically be described as lifelong learning provision.
Their wider relevance lies in the institutional relationships they establish.
The same partnerships can potentially support continuing professional development, specialist training, research collaboration and opportunities for existing employees to update their knowledge as technologies change.
What makes this an example of good practice?
Poznań University of Technology illustrates the benefits of sustained university–employer engagement rather than isolated training initiatives.
Long-term cooperation can create structures through which curricula, technological knowledge and professional requirements are reviewed and developed together.
Source: Poznań University of Technology, 20 Years of Cooperation with Volkswagen Poznań, March 2025.
5. AGH University of Krakow: developing AI capabilities through continuing education
Artificial intelligence is creating an additional dimension to lifelong learning.
The challenge is no longer limited to preparing specialists who develop advanced technologies. Employees across different professional sectors increasingly need to understand how AI tools operate, where they can be useful and what limitations they present.
AGH University of Krakow (Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza) provides an example of how a technical university can translate specialist knowledge into shorter professional learning opportunities.
Through its Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, AGH offers training addressing practical AI applications.
One programme, Fundamenty AI: 4 najbardziej pożądane umiejętności na rynku (Foundations of AI: Four Highly Sought-After Skills in the Labour Market), introduces participants to large language models, AI-generated graphics, data analysis and workflow automation using AI agents.
The eight-hour course includes consideration of responsible AI use, risks and ethical issues. It can be delivered in person or remotely.
The importance of this approach lies partly in its accessibility.
Not every professional requires an advanced qualification in computer science. A manager may need to understand how AI can support analysis and decision-making. An administrator may benefit from learning to use AI tools responsibly. A researcher may need to understand their limitations when analysing or presenting information.
These needs differ, but they share a requirement for appropriate technological literacy.
AGH has also published institutional guidelines on the responsible use of AI in education, reinforcing the importance of academic integrity, critical thinking and human judgement.
The combination of practical training and guidance on responsible technology use offers an approach that other institutions can consider.
What makes this an example of good practice?
AGH demonstrates how universities can make specialist technological knowledge accessible through shorter learning formats while maintaining attention to ethical considerations.
Its provision recognises that professional development in AI should involve more than learning to operate software. Participants also need to understand reliability, limitations and the consequences of using automated systems.
6. University of Gdańsk: supporting continuous development among academic staff
Universities cannot promote lifelong learning effectively without also investing in the professional development of their own staff.
The University of Gdańsk (Uniwersytet Gdański) offers a useful example through its Centre for Teaching Excellence and Tutoring (Centrum Doskonalenia Dydaktycznego i Tutoringu).
The centre provides structured training for academic teachers and doctoral researchers, addressing teaching methods, educational technologies, professional development and academic tutoring.
During the winter semester of 2025/26, the centre reported 34 training topics and nearly 540 participants across its activities.
For the winter semester of 2026/27, its programme includes development in teaching methods, professional skills, academic tutoring and the legal and ethical aspects of AI in higher education.
Its published provision also includes Speak Academic, a programme designed to strengthen English-language teaching and research communication.
This combination is particularly relevant to modern higher education.
Academics are expected not only to maintain disciplinary expertise but also to adopt effective teaching approaches, respond to technological developments and communicate research in increasingly international environments.
Professional development therefore cannot be treated as a one-off requirement completed at the beginning of an academic career.
It should form part of continuing academic practice.
The University of Gdańsk example shows how a dedicated institutional structure can provide opportunities for educators to develop new capabilities while remaining engaged in their normal professional responsibilities.
What makes this an example of good practice?
The University of Gdańsk illustrates how lifelong learning can be embedded within an institution's own organisational culture.
Dedicated staff development, diverse training opportunities and continued attention to teaching quality can support the development of educators who, in turn, shape the learning experiences of students.
7. Jagiellonian University: recognising learning beyond working life
Lifelong learning is frequently discussed in relation to employment, productivity and technological change.
These are important dimensions, but they do not capture its full social value.
Education also supports intellectual engagement, social participation, cultural understanding and wellbeing throughout later life.
The Jagiellonian University in Kraków offers an example through its University of the Third Age (Jagielloński Uniwersytet Trzeciego Wieku).
For the 2026/27 academic year, the university offers a selection of educational pathways for older learners, including subjects relating to culture, society, the arts and contemporary issues.
Its provision includes lectures, seminars, language learning and activities extending beyond the classroom, such as educational visits and cultural experiences.
The programme demonstrates that universities can remain relevant to people long after retirement.
For some participants, returning to education may provide intellectual stimulation. For others, it may create new social connections or opportunities to explore subjects they did not previously have time to study.
Such programmes also challenge the assumption that the primary purpose of education must always be economic.
In an ageing society, universities have an opportunity to contribute to active participation in community life and to the continuing development of knowledge across generations.
What makes this an example of good practice?
The Jagiellonian University demonstrates the social and cultural dimensions of lifelong learning.
Its approach recognises that educational participation can remain valuable independently of employment status or the pursuit of formal qualifications.
What these examples reveal about Poland’s next educational transformation
These initiatives represent different institutional approaches, but together they illustrate several principles that could support the further development of lifelong learning in Poland.
The first is that education must become easier to access at different stages of life.
Short courses, distance-learning opportunities and publicly supported programmes can help reduce the barriers associated with time, location and cost.
The second is that educational pathways should be more flexible.
A person who completes a short professional programme should have opportunities to build on that learning where appropriate. Universities can consider how certificates, postgraduate modules and other recognised forms of learning might contribute towards broader qualifications.
Microcredentials may offer one mechanism for achieving this, provided they have clearly defined learning outcomes, appropriate assessment, transparent quality assurance and recognition by institutions or employers.
Their value should depend on the knowledge and capabilities they represent, rather than simply on the number of certificates issued.
The third principle concerns institutional relationships.
Universities and employers need continuing dialogue about the capabilities required in different professions. Such engagement should include large employers but also smaller businesses, regional organisations, professional associations and public institutions.
The fourth is that learning must extend to educators themselves.
Academic staff require opportunities to develop their teaching practice, technological competence, international communication and understanding of changing student needs.
Finally, lifelong learning should not be defined exclusively by labour-market outcomes. Intellectual curiosity, active citizenship, cultural participation and personal development remain legitimate educational purposes.
These dimensions are complementary.
A successful national approach should support people seeking promotion, changing occupations, returning to employment, developing professional expertise or learning for personal fulfilment.
Why adaptability matters in the age of artificial intelligence
The continuing development of artificial intelligence makes the question of lifelong learning increasingly urgent.
A 2025 study conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Poland’s National Research Institute, NASK, estimates that one in four jobs globally is potentially exposed to generative AI.
The study identifies transformation of work as a more likely outcome than complete replacement for most affected occupations.
This means that many employees may continue to work in familiar professions while the activities, tools and skills associated with those professions change.
Separately, the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 reports that employers expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030.
These are global findings and should not be interpreted as forecasts specifically for Poland. Nevertheless, they provide an indication of the scale of change confronting education systems internationally.
The implications extend beyond technical occupations.
Administrative professionals, researchers, educators, managers, accountants, marketing specialists and employees in many other sectors increasingly encounter AI-supported systems.
Some activities may become more efficient through automation. Others may require new forms of oversight, interpretation and decision-making.
In this environment, adaptability becomes a core professional capability.
Adaptability is not simply the ability to learn a new technology. It is the capacity to evaluate changing circumstances, acquire relevant knowledge and apply sound judgement in unfamiliar situations.
This requires a combination of technological literacy and human capabilities.
Critical thinking remains important because AI-generated information may be inaccurate, incomplete or unsuitable for a particular context.
Creativity matters because emerging technologies create opportunities to redesign processes and develop new approaches.
Communication and collaboration remain essential because organisational change involves people, not simply technical systems.
Leadership becomes especially important where decisions about automation affect employees, institutional responsibilities and public trust.
The ability to continue learning therefore becomes a means of maintaining professional relevance without reducing education to the demands of any one technology.
Foreign-language learning and international competence remain essential
Poland’s economic transformation also demonstrates the importance of language education and international competence.
Foreign-language learning supported Poland's engagement with European institutions, international employers and cross-border professional networks.
AI translation tools are now making multilingual communication faster and more accessible, but this does not eliminate the value of foreign-language competence.
International collaboration requires more than the accurate conversion of words from one language into another.
Professional communication also involves cultural awareness, interpretation, negotiation, trust and an understanding of institutional expectations.
A university establishing a research partnership, a Polish company entering an international market or a professional working within a multinational organisation must often navigate differences in professional culture and communication practices.
Technology can facilitate these processes, but effective relationships continue to depend on human judgement.
For universities, this creates an opportunity to connect language learning with international professional development.
Programmes might combine specialist English, German or other relevant languages with intercultural communication, digital collaboration and sector-specific knowledge.
Such provision could benefit professionals seeking greater international mobility while also supporting Polish organisations engaging with partners abroad.
Building stronger connections between universities and employers
One of the most significant challenges is ensuring that learning opportunities reach employees who may have limited access to professional development.
Poland’s small and medium-sized enterprises are particularly important in this respect.
The OECD identifies relatively low participation in adult learning and continuing vocational training among smaller businesses. It also points towards the role of public support, regional skills initiatives and stronger engagement between education providers and employers.
Universities can contribute by developing programmes that reflect the operational circumstances of smaller organisations.
For example, a university might work with regional employers to identify common development needs in digital skills, management, data analysis or sustainability.
Instead of requiring each business to commission its own programme, participating organisations could share access to short, jointly designed courses.
This could reduce costs and make specialist academic expertise available to employers who might otherwise struggle to access it.
Regional universities are especially well positioned to contribute because of their relationships with local economies, municipalities and professional communities.
However, successful engagement should not be based solely on what universities wish to teach.
Employers need opportunities to explain their operational challenges, while employees should be able to identify their own development priorities.
Universities can then use their academic expertise to interpret these needs, develop appropriate educational responses and assess whether the intended learning outcomes have been achieved.
Such collaboration can also support applied research, innovation and knowledge exchange.
From university outreach to a continuing relationship with learners
A further opportunity concerns the relationship between universities and their graduates.
Traditionally, graduation has often been treated as the conclusion of formal study, with alumni engagement developing through networking, events, fundraising or careers activities.
A lifelong learning perspective suggests a broader role.
Graduates could remain members of an active educational community, returning periodically to develop their knowledge as professional and personal circumstances change.
A graduate in management might return for specialist education in AI-supported decision-making. An engineer might undertake further training in sustainable technologies. A teacher might enrol on a short programme addressing new approaches to digital pedagogy.
These activities could take different forms, including online courses, intensive workshops, postgraduate modules, professional certificates and microcredentials.
The objective would not be to encourage individuals to accumulate qualifications unnecessarily.
Rather, it would be to make university expertise accessible when new knowledge becomes relevant.
Alumni relationships could therefore become an important part of institutional lifelong learning strategies.
This approach also creates opportunities for universities to better understand how graduate careers develop over time and how educational provision can respond to emerging professional needs.
For institutions, such engagement could support continuing professional education, employer partnerships and wider societal impact.
For graduates, it would reinforce the idea that a university relationship does not have to end when a degree is awarded.
Measuring the success of lifelong learning
Expanding course provision is an important starting point, but the number of courses offered cannot, by itself, demonstrate the effectiveness of a lifelong learning strategy.
Universities and policymakers also need to understand who participates, what participants learn and whether that learning creates meaningful opportunities.
Relevant measures could include participation among adults from different educational backgrounds, access for employees of smaller enterprises, completion rates and progression into further study.
For employment-related programmes, institutions could consider whether learners have been able to apply new capabilities in the workplace, undertake new responsibilities or move into different professional roles.
Learner feedback remains important, but satisfaction should not be treated as a substitute for evidence of learning.
For programmes focused on social and cultural participation, evaluation may need to consider different outcomes, including continued engagement, accessibility and opportunities for community involvement.
A balanced approach would recognise that different forms of learning have different purposes.
It would also avoid measuring every activity exclusively through immediate financial returns.
The underlying objective should be to demonstrate how educational opportunities support individuals, organisations and wider society over time.
The role of national strategy and institutional leadership
Poland is not beginning this transformation without a policy foundation.
The country's Integrated Skills Strategy 2030 provides a national framework for skills development, while initiatives involving vocational education, employer support, European funding and regional cooperation already contribute to adult learning.
The challenge is translating these structures into opportunities that people can access throughout their lives.
University leadership will be important in this process.
Lifelong learning should not necessarily be treated as a collection of unrelated short courses managed separately from institutional strategy.
It can be connected to academic provision, research expertise, internationalisation, employer engagement, alumni relations and regional development.
This requires coordination across academic and professional services functions, as well as meaningful dialogue with external partners.
Institutional leaders may also need to reconsider how continuing education is recognised within university structures.
Developing short programmes for working adults, collaborating with employers and supporting flexible learning can require different administrative processes from those designed for conventional degree students.
Teaching schedules, admissions arrangements, assessment methods and learner support may all need to become more adaptable.
At the same time, flexibility must not compromise academic quality.
Universities retain responsibility for ensuring that provision is credible, educationally sound and appropriate for its intended participants.
A more integrated approach would allow lifelong learning to become part of an institution's contribution to society, rather than remaining a peripheral activity.
Conclusion: the next chapter in Poland’s educational development
Poland’s educational transformation since 1989 demonstrates what can be achieved when new learning opportunities are created in response to changing economic and social conditions.
The expansion of higher education, growth of private provision, development of flexible study routes and investment in professional qualifications helped support the country's transition towards a more internationally connected economy.
The examples from the University of Warsaw, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Warsaw University of Technology, Poznań University of Technology, AGH University of Krakow, the University of Gdańsk and the Jagiellonian University show that Polish institutions are already developing different approaches to continuing education and professional learning.
These initiatives are not identical, nor do they address every barrier to adult participation. Their value lies in illustrating the range of roles universities can play.
Some extend academic knowledge to the wider community. Others reduce financial barriers, develop flexible learning pathways, connect universities with industry, respond to technological change or support educational participation in later life.
Together, they point towards a broader understanding of what higher education can contribute.
The next stage of Poland’s educational development should be measured not only by how many people obtain qualifications, but also by how effectively the education system enables people to continue learning throughout their lives.
This requires accessible pathways, employer engagement, institutional flexibility and learning opportunities that respond to changing professional and personal circumstances.
Artificial intelligence has made these questions more urgent, but the underlying purpose of lifelong learning remains wider than any single technological development.
It is about enabling people to develop knowledge, maintain their capabilities, participate in society and respond constructively to change.
Poland has already demonstrated the transformative potential of widening access to education.
The next opportunity is to make the capacity to keep learning an enduring national and institutional strength.
References
International research and policy
OECD (2006). Poland’s Education and Training: Boosting and Adapting Human Capital. OECD Economics Department Working Paper No. 495.
OECD (2025). OECD Economic Surveys: Poland 2025.
International Labour Organization and NASK (2025). Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure.
World Economic Forum (2025). Future of Jobs Report 2025: Skills Outlook.
Polish university examples
University of Warsaw (2026). Ponad 360 kursów UOUW. Open University course offer for 2026/27.
Nicolaus Copernicus University (2025). Bezpłatne kursy dzięki dofinansowaniu z NCBR. Open University announcement.
Warsaw University of Technology. Studia na Odległość. OKNO Distance-Learning Centre.
Poznań University of Technology (2025). 20 lat współpracy Politechniki Poznańskiej i spółki Volkswagen Poznań.
AGH University of Krakow. Fundamenty AI: 4 najbardziej pożądane umiejętności na rynku.
AGH University of Krakow (2025). Wytyczne dotyczące odpowiedzialnego wykorzystania AI w procesie kształcenia w AGH.
University of Gdańsk (2026). Oferta szkoleń wewnętrznych dla nauczycieli akademickich UG.
University of Gdańsk (2026). Podsumowanie szkoleń CDDiT w semestrze zimowym 2025/2026.
Jagiellonian University (2026). Jagielloński Uniwersytet Trzeciego Wieku - Uniwersytet Jagielloński
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and educational purposes. Statistical findings are attributed to their respective sources and should be interpreted within their stated methodological and geographical contexts. University initiatives are presented as illustrative examples of practice, not as independently evaluated evidence of comparative effectiveness.
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