What is the apprenticeship for adults?
The apprenticeship for adults is aimed at obtaining the professional qualifications or skills by the participants. It can take one of two forms:
- Longer form of apprenticeship for adults (Praktyczna nauka zawodu dorosłych) enabling to sit an exam confirming vocational qualifications or craft exam or
- Shorter form of apprenticeship for adults (Przyuczenie do pracy dorosłych) aimed at acquiring selected vocational qualifications or skills, required to do specific tasks.
The apprenticeship for adults enables to acquire practical skills and theoretical expertise required to do specific tasks.
The apprenticeship for adults is organised by employers, often in cooperation with the training institution.
The duration of classes within the apprenticeship for adults cannot exceed 8 clock hours a day and 40 clock hours a week.
| Longer form of apprenticeship for adults | Shorter form of apprenticeship for adults |
| Lasts 6 to 12 months | Lasts 3 to 6 months |
| The programme considers the requirements stipulated in the core curriculum of the vocational education or the standard requirements being grounds for the craft exam. | The programme considers the vocational qualification standards available in databases kept by the minister of labour or the requirements stipulated in the core curriculum of the vocational education. |
| It finishes with an exam, organised by the Regional Examination Board, confirming vocational qualifications or a craft exam organised by the examination boards of the chambers of crafts. | It finishes with a verification exam organised by the examination boards of the relevant chamber of crafts, training institution entered in the register kept by the Voivodeship Labour Office or another institution authorised to organise the exams, indicated by the starost. It can finish with exams confirming qualifications to do a given job, organised by the Regional Examination Board if the apprenticeship programme considers the requirements stipulated in the core curriculum of vocational education. |
| A participant of the longer form of apprenticeship for adults who passed the exams confirming their vocational qualifications or the craft exam receives the certificates confirming their vocational qualifications or the diploma confirming their vocational qualifications or the craft certificate respectively. | The participant of the shorter form of apprenticeship of adults who passed the verification exam receives the certificate confirming the skills acquired The participant who passed the confirmation exam receives certificates confirming their vocational qualifications. |
Who can benefit from it?
Every unemployed and also the following people can apply for the referral to the apprenticeship for adults to the Poviat Labour Office:
- those who receive social allowance payable during the miner's leave or the miner's social benefit, as stipulated in separate regulations;
- those who participate in classes in the social integration centre or individual integration programme, as mentioned in the social welfare regulations;
- reservists,
- those who receive training pension,
- those who receive training allowance.
Obtaining the referral to the vocational training is conditional on the appropriate budget of the Poviat Labour Office.
What are the participant's rights?
During the apprenticeship for adults, the participant is eligible to receive a scholarship of 120% of the unemployment benefit (as mentioned in Article 72 section 1 item 1), with the scholarship term being included in the period of employment required to acquire or retain employee entitlements and the contributory periods.
During the apprenticeship for adults, its participant is entitled to have 2 days off per every 30 calendar days of the traineeship (on request) which they receive the scholarship for. The scholarship is not payable for the period of any unexcused absence.
The starost can fund the costs of travelling to the place where the vocational training takes place. If the apprenticeship for adults takes place in a town/city other than the place of residence, also the accommodation costs can be covered.
If the participant of the apprenticeship for adults quits the said training or fails to sit the exam confirming the vocational qualifications, craft exam or verification exam, they are obliged to repay the costs of such training. The exception is when quitting or the failure to sit the exam results from commencement of employment, other paid work or business activity.
An unemployed with at least one child below 6 or at least one disabled child below 18, participating in the apprenticeship for adults, can apply for the reimbursement of costs of taking care of the child or children under 7 or of a dependant during such training. The costs will be reimbursed provided:
- They have been agreed before;
- The minimum remuneration for work is not exceeded in a month;
- after the costs incurred are documented.
What is the scholarship value?
During the term of the apprenticeship for adults, the unemployed is eligible to receive a scholarship amounting to 120% of the unemployment benefit. The scholarship is payable also for any days off (similar to the traineeship programme, the participant of the apprenticeship for adults is entitled to two days off for every 30 calendar days). The benefit does not apply for the period when the scholarship is paid.
Is the scholarship payable also in the period when I am incapable of work?
Yes. The unemployed retains the right to the scholarship for the period of their documented incapacity for work. This incapacity should be documented with a medical certificate or a printout of the medical certificate (this does not apply to the unemployed treated in an addiction treatment centre). The unemployed is obliged to notify the Poviat Labour Office of their incapacity for work within 2 days after the certificate is issued and submit it to the Poviat Labour Office within 7 days.