The findings of the study by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Labor Office leave no room for doubt: in Bolesławiec and Bolesławiec County, there is—and for the foreseeable future there will be—no demand for young, educated specialists. On the contrary: local employers clearly indicate that they primarily need manual workers, laborers and machine operators. By comparison, in the neighboring Zgorzelec County, companies are already planning to recruit specialists with higher education, both today and over the next five years—including specialists in advanced technology, medicine and even arts education.

A year ago, we warned that the lack of a coherent development strategy could lead Bolesławiec to stagnation. In the article “Bolesławiec loses its socio-economic functions under Roman’s rule. This follows from a PAN report,” we warned that the city was not preparing for the challenges of the modern labor market: digitization, automation and the growing importance of specialist skills. Unfortunately, the study results only confirm these concerns—the local authorities have done nothing to reverse this trend.

At the time, we pointed out that without an active policy of attracting modern companies, supporting innovative industries and investing in education, young people would leave the city en masse. Today, that prediction is coming true. Instead of supporting the development of a knowledge-based economy, Bolesławiec remains committed to a model of cheap labor that offers neither prospects nor ambition.

Bolesławiec: worker, not master’s graduate

Data collected from 114 businesses in Bolesławiec County clearly show that as many as 31.7% of current vacancies concern industrial workers and craft workers, while over the next five years the largest number of employers will be looking for machine and equipment operators (as many as 42.7% of planned recruitments). The list of occupations contains almost no positions requiring specialist knowledge and high qualifications. It includes, among others, production worker, delivery van driver, secretary, construction worker and physiotherapist.

It is striking that 23.7% of employees are not required to have any formal education, while only 23.9% of positions are associated with the need to complete a master’s degree. Moreover, specialist occupations almost completely disappear from future forecasts. This is an alarm signal for young residents of the county—especially those who link their future to higher education.

Zgorzelec: skills are valued

Meanwhile, the situation in Zgorzelec County looks completely different. Currently, 21.2% of vacancies concern specialists, and over the next five years specialists will be the most sought-after occupational group. The occupations identified by entrepreneurs from Zgorzelec are much more diverse and include, among others, doctors, logistics specialists, software testers, property managers and art teachers.

It is worth emphasizing that as many as 34.1% of current vacancies require completion of a master’s degree—that is more than in Bolesławiec. Furthermore, employers expect the importance of diplomas and specialist qualifications to grow in the coming years.

Is this the result of a lack of vision among local authorities?

The question arises: is the stagnation of the Bolesławiec labor market and its lack of openness to specialists the result of a deliberate policy by the local authorities—the city president and the county head? Or perhaps rather the absence of such a policy?

Bolesławiec invests significantly less in education than Zgorzelec County—per-capita education spending is several hundred złoty lower. High-specialization industries are not developing in the city or county, and there is no sign of a strategy to attract modern investment or support start-ups. The data on technological transformation are also troubling—only 20.9% of Bolesławiec companies have implemented changes related to digitization and automation, compared with 27.5% in Zgorzelec.

Today, young people graduating from universities in Bolesławiec are practically condemned to economic migration—either to larger cities or abroad. And the local authorities seem not to notice this. There is no coherent strategy for retaining talent and developing a knowledge-based economy.

Time to decide

The difference between Bolesławiec and Zgorzelec shows that a different model of local development is possible. If Bolesławiec is to be a city of the future rather than merely a source of cheap labor, a profound change in thinking is needed—both among local leaders and employers. For now, young, ambitious and educated residents must look for a place elsewhere.

Prepared on the basis of a study on the demand for occupations, qualifications and skills in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship