Undoubtedly the expansion of secondary education brought Poland closer to the group of modern countries, however, the scale of the change gave rise to new problems. The reversal of the vocational-to-secondary education ratio caused a de- cline in the percentage of students attending vocational schools which has currently resulted in the shortage of people prepared to perform some simple jobs. At the same time large numbers of young people enrolling at secondary baccalaureate schools increased the group of people aspiring at university education, including average graduates from average secondary schools with non-crystallised interests and indefinite professional preferences. The situation of higher education schools became radically different as a result of the changes and under the broader circumstances (among which the economic transformations, changes on the labour market, increasing impact of globalisation processes should be considered the most significant ones). The schools had to face not only the influx of large numbers of students (originating from the old and new baby boom), but also the competition on the education market and new qualitative requirements (determined – on the one hand – by the expectations of students and their demands for greater pragmatisation of the offered knowledge, and on the other hand by the educational standards and other normative regulations imposed by the authorities).

Apart from forecasted employment problems (limited number of jobs), problems resulting from sector changes caused by economic transformations (Fig. 5.10) should be anticipated. Sectors, in which young people have easily found employment so far (trade, gastronomy, hotel industry, finance industry) show moderate saturation. Other – slightly popular among the young, but in a way absorptive (agriculture, mining, construction industry) – display stable or falling trend11. Job offers will come mainly from the public sector and industrial manufacturing.

Considering the trends, both cases are related to qualified employees, more and more sought-after on the market. It is an important piece of information for both the youth (who sometimes seem disappointed with the acquired education or who study easily accessible or popular majors), and the education sector (which, from the point of view of economic needs and market demands, balances on the verge of professional uselessness of most graduates). Such a great scale of mismatch, distinguishing Poland among OECD states, is not only a matter of inconsiderate educational choices of the young, but also of the educational industry’s offer (especially that of universities), which is not prepared for appropriate reaction to changes in its environment.

One of the aims in the general strategy is to create proper conditions for a good life of the young generation (from the second demographic boom after the war), which now is entering adult life. The generation is seen a motor of change which has capabilities to tackle demographic challenges through its dynamic economic activity. This generation was shown as the one which has gone through the experience of radical change in Poland: change of the political system, educational explosion, entrance to EU and consequent wave of migration, opening to other cultures, decomposition of social status of their parents, information revolution and – recently – global economic crisis on the large scale.

The most important challenges towards youth in Poland today are, most of all, transition from education to the labor market and further toward independent living. Their often precarious job situation, non-permanent job contracts disallow them from further investment in housing or family. Childbearing decisions depend a lot also on the situation of women at the labor market as well as lack of mechanism for reconciliation of the family and work (mostly lack of care facilities). It was also stressed in the strategy that we need to aim at empowering women, which due to their intensive investment in education, are yet underused potential for development. Other important aim in the light of strategy is preparation for a foreseen immigration to Poland as well as return of the migrants who have left Poland after EU accession