Labour Market and Education Observatory of Małopolska

31st August 2015

Tag list

Location / Country / Region

Małopolska

Time frame

2006 – 2015

Short description

The Labour Market and Education Observatory of Małopolska is a research project of the Regional Labour Office in Kraków launched in 2006. It is the first project of this type in the region to answer urgent information needs about lifelong learning.

The first stage of the project (2006–2007) was of a pilot character. The team tested methodologies and research tools, conducted the first studies, developed the first labour market analyses, launched a website in cooperation with the Information Resources Library and began a collaboration on selected research problems. The current stage of the project (2008–2014) is a continuation and an expansion of the pilot project.

Three types of research are conducted: one-off – responding to current information needs; regular – repeated every year; and analyses of selected problems in the labour market. Regular studies include a survey on vocational school leavers, a survey on Małopolska employers that aims to assess the demand for employees and an “Occupational Barometer”.

Conducting its research activities, the Observatory cooperates with a large number of institutions, including county authorities (starosties), local labour offices, vocational schools, agencies and research institutes. Moreover, it exchanges its experience with foreign centers and draws new ideas from them.

An important part of the project is the dissemination of the results of the research and encouraging their use in decision-making concerning education and the labour market. This is why the Observatory provides results to the relevant institutions, organises conferences and seminars and participates in such events held in the region, in Poland and abroad. Moreover, it updates in real time its website, including the Online Library of Małopolska Observatories and the data visualisation module.

Target audiences

The projects is aimed at the inhabitants of the Małopolska Region.

Relevant links, websites, etc.

www.obserwatorium.malopolska.pl

www.barometr.obserwatorium.malopolska.pl

Background

Social dimension

The project provides useful information about the labour market prospects for job seekers, regional institutions and decision makers.

Technical dimension

The project fosters the development of methodologies, websites and other web-tools for labour market analysis.

Analysis

Innovativeness

The Observatory carries out research projects which are innovative on a national scale. For example the “Occupational Barometer” is a short-term (one-year) forecast of demand for occupations in the Małopolska Region. The forecast is developed with the experts’ panel method and is fully qualitative. The added value is that this methodology enables gathering information about the local labour markets that goes beyond public statistics. Essentially, it offers the possibility of taking into account the employees’ qualifications and their actual preparedness to perform the occupation.

Contributions to LLL Policy

The experience acquired during the first stage of the project was used for launching other Małopolska observatories: the Social Policy Observatory, the Economic Observatory, and the Development Policy Observatory. Moreover, it inspired the development of labour market observatories in other regions (voivodeships).

Contact Details for Practice