Good practice:

ROP for Lodzkie Region 2014-2020: “Vocational education - City of Łódź” – subaction XI.3.2

In the context of the company's modernization towards Industry 4.0, the qualifications of employees are as important as investments in technology.
The sub-measure "Vocational education" aims at improving the level of vocational education and adapting it to the current situation of the labour market.
As part of the calls for proposals, support is provided for projects which, among other things, are aimed at shaping and developing key competences and universal skills necessary in the labour market.

Within the framework of the calls for proposals, support is provided for projects which, among other things, are aimed at shaping and developing in students key competences and universal skills necessary in the labour market through:
- equipping school workshops and studios for vocational education professions with modern equipment, teaching materials ensuring high quality of education
- modernising the vocational education offer and adapting it to the needs of the regional labour market, in particular through cooperation with entrepreneurs involving them in the process of vocational education and exams.

As part of the call for proposals carried out in the period June-July 2019, the projects dedicated to competences in the field of Industry 4.0 were co-financed.

The amount allocated for support of projects under Sub-measure XI.3.2. is EUR 7 462 400 - European Social Fund resources. The maximum level of co-financing is 90% and minimum project value must be 50 000 PLN (11 363 EUR).

As part of the call for proposals carried out in the period June-July 2019, the projects dedicated to competences in the field of Industry 4.0 were co-financed:
- Mechatronic qualification for Industry 4.0 (grant amount: 409 000 EUR)
- CNC machine tools - new technologies for Industry 4.0 (grant amount: 409 000 EUR)
- Qualifications for Industry 4.0 (grant ammount: 409 000 EUR)
Wide range of support from sub-measure XI.3.2 makes this instrument well suited to changes on the labour market.

Practically all analyses concerning Industry 4.0 mention the low level of competence of employees as one of the main barriers (apart from financial issues) in implementing this concept. At the same time, in countries such as Poland, where the awareness of the need to introduce digital transformation in the business is still at quite a low level, it is risky to introduce support instruments dedicated exclusively to Industry 4.0. Sub-action XI.3.2, is aimed at the development of various qualifications of both teachers and employees of all age groups and in all areas. Such a solution creates an opportunity to obtain support for e.g. learning foreign languages, but also for raising and gaining typically technical qualifications related to the fourth industrial revolution without the risk that funds under this instrument will not be used.