Industry Skills Centers – new locations on the map of Greater Poland

Since 2024, Industry Skills Centers (BCU) have appeared on the educational map of the country, providing, in a modern and technologically advanced way, the competencies essential for the development of many industries.

BCU fulfill four functions:

educational and training,
integrative and supportive,
innovative and developmental,
advisory and promotional.

The primary task of BCUs is to prepare specialists needed by the modern economy, who will be able to demonstrate the competencies and skills of the future. BCUs are, and will be, not only centers of comprehensive education and facilitators of cooperation among schools, institutions, and universities with employers, but also places for examinations in specific fields, career counseling, knowledge transfer, and support for innovative and developmental activities. Thanks to their cross-sectional nature, Industry Skills Centers will soon complement the existing offer of vocational education.

Each BCU focuses on a specific field of education. Ultimately, there are to be as many as 120 of them established in the country, in every field specified for the competition. On one hand, they focus on education in traditional professions such as baking, hairdressing, or beekeeping, while on the other hand, they concentrate on boosting professional competencies in innovative areas that are crucial for Poland’s further development. BCUs are established at schools providing vocational training or Vocational Training Centers—in close cooperation with an industry organization. Their offer is addressed to students, university students, teachers, lecturers, and employees of the given industry.

Currently, there are 3 Industry Skills Centers operating in Greater Poland in the fields of: agricultural mechanization, baking, and the wood industry/wood technology.

In October, representatives of the Provincial Coordination Team had the opportunity to get acquainted with the operations of the BCUs established at School Complex No. 1 in Lisków and the St. Joseph Technical School in Kalisz.

Greater Poland BCU centers:

Industry Skills Center in the field of agricultural mechanization in Lisków.

Governing body: Kalisz District

The BCU operates at School Complex No. 1 in Lisków. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Polish Chamber of Automotive Industry—the main industry partner, and an additional partner—the university offering education in agricultural mechanization, the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław.

Address: Lisków, Twórców Liskowa Street 13

Website: https://zs1liskow.pl/bcu/

Industry Skills Center in the field of baking in Poznań.

Governing body: City of Poznań

The BCU operates at J. J. Śniadecki School of Food Industry in Poznań. It was founded on the initiative of the City of Poznań in cooperation with the Association of Bakers’ Craft of the Republic of Poland (industry entity) and additional partners: the Greater Poland Chamber of Craft in Poznań and the Poznań University of Economics and Business.

Address: Poznań, Warzywna Street 19

Website: https://bcu-poznan.com/