Congress of Occupations, Qualifications, and Skills" - the event was dedicated to the development of the labour market and the changes occurring within.
The event organised by the Ministry of Education and Science also addressed the demand for various qualifications and the related challenges. The participants considered the directions of education development to best meet the demand for professionals and how modern technologies can support the development of individual sectors of the economy.
The opening remarks were delivered by Piotr Bartosiak, Director of the Department of Strategy, Qualifications, and Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Science. The programme of the Congress consisted of speeches and presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. Some of them were conducted by representatives of the IBE.
IQS - the foundation of learning throughout life
Lech Boguta, Head of the Integrated Qualifications System Department at the Ministry of Education and Science, and Maciej Tauber, leader of the IQS 6 project, summarised the current implementation efforts of the Integrated Qualifications System during the presentation "Integrated Qualifications System as support for Lifelong Learning Policy."
Presentation (in Polish): "Integrated Qualifications System as Support for Lifelong Learning Policy – Summary of Implementation Activities."
Identify and document your competencies
Aleksandra Leyk (expert in the field of validation and a trainer in this area), Roksana Pierwieniecka (main expert in validation), and Irmina Sokulska (subject matter expert in validation and lifelong learning) presented tools developed as part of the projects related to the Integrated Qualifications System: the Skills Audit Method and the My Portfolio application. They serve to identify and document competencies and can be used for developmental purposes as well as preparation for acquiring qualifications.
Presentation (Polish): "Qualifications and Competencies – Can Digital Tools Facilitate Their Recognition?"
Implementation of qualifications
Maciej Tauber, along with his guests Piotr Kunysz (The Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences) and Radosław Szafranowicz-Małozięć (Tourism Personnel), discussed best practices in the implementation of qualifications in non-formal education, using the example of snowboarding qualifications and piloting package tours.
Dr. Natalia Kopeć-Panek (main expert for cooperation with awarding bodies) and Boris Poleganow (main expert for the development of qualifications outside formal education) presented boundary conditions for preparing a good qualification description during the workshop they conducted. They also discussed a database that allows identification of the qualification charateristics.
Presentation (Polish): "How to Develop New Sectoral Qualifications?"
AI-based tools can support development planning
The Integrated Qualifications Register team, consisting of Dr. Emilia Danowska-Florczyk (deputy project leader of the IQR3), Dr. Bartłomiej Iwańczak (IT expert, senior specialist (back-end), Monika Parys (key expert for task 2 in the IQR3 project), Robert Ziółkowski (the IQR expert), discussed how artificial intelligence-based tools can support skills development planning.
In this part of the panel, the audience could learn how to use tools such as: “Sectoral Vocational Education Compass” or the chatbot “ZeTerka” recently launched in the Integrated Qualifications Register. These tools can be useful for employees of various institutions as well as ordinary users who are at the beginning of building their career path or planning changes in their current career.
The panel also covered tools designed for the youngest users. "Little IQR" (Integrated Qualifications Register) and "I Know What I Can Do" are primarily aimed at encouraging the younger generation to enrich their portfolios with acquired qualifications and badges.
Presentation (Polish): "Integrated Qualifications Register – how AI-based tools can support skills development planning"
Important meeting of education and job market professionals
"It was really time well spent," said Maciej Tauber. "We had the opportunity not only to take stock of our past achievements, but also to learn about the upcoming challenges in the field of vocational education and counselling, collaboration between employers and educational institutions, as well as lifelong learning. "We mutually drew from each other's experiences, learned about best practices, and each participant undoubtedly made many valuable contacts. Collaboration on projects of such importance from the perspective of the country's educational policy is fundamental," emphasized the leader of the IQS 6 project.
"The congress proved to be an extremely important initiative," said Dr. Emilia Danowska-Florczyk. "The meeting in one place of representatives of ministries, educational institutions, but above all, industry organisations, and al those who care about better quality of teaching and learning, became an opportunity not only for updating knowledge but also for establishing many interesting forms of cooperation. We are proud that the qualifications register, along with the entire package of applications and solutions for various target groups, has also met with such great interest and positive reception," the IQR3 deputy project leader noted in conclusion.
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