The document summarizes a workshop on designing careers for young people in Poland. It notes high unemployment rates, especially among youth and those with higher education. During the workshop, a multidisciplinary team used design thinking to develop prototypes helping young people start careers or businesses. They conducted interviews, grouped topics like turning hobbies into businesses or encouraging entrepreneurship. The team developed ideas like courses on business plans and enabling employer input on education. Their prototype was a reality show introducing youth to the job market and business startup procedures.

1. DESIGN YOUR CAREER
WORKSHOP
Warsaw, TEF2013

2. Unemployment in Poland

Unemployed registered in labor offices at
the end of August 2013 constituted 13.0%
of the working population (in July of 2013 13.1%, in August 2012, 12.4%). The
highest unemployment rate still remained
in the Warmia and Mazury (20.2%), the
lowest unemployment rate in the region:
Greater Poland (9.5%), Mazowieckie and
Silesia (at 11.1%).

3. Young people starting career

Every third young person in Poland
is unemployed. The largest group of
the unemployed were people
between 25 and 34 years of age
(29%). Most of the unemployed have
higher education (25,5%).

In Poland there are 445 public and
private universities. Only 86 schools,
mostly state-owned, is a type of
academic institutions that have at
least two powers confer doctoral
degrees.

4. Workshop

During one week long workshop, the
multidisciplinary team used the design thinking
method to create prototype showing new,
creative ways on how to make a living.

5. How can help people to start making a
living?

QUESTIONS:

What kind of job do you expect? What type of
education, qualifications do you need to get it?
Why are you unemployed?
Have you tried to find a job and what are your
achievements in that field? What do the young
unemployed, if they don’t have a job?
What is your experience in all kinds of (eg
volunteering, local school / university, hobbies,
etc..)?
What is your dream job?




6. Interviews



young people from NGOs
who have a lot of work, but
that did not earn
Young people who have
found work without
problem
Career Services

7. Grouping topics
1. How to change hobby
into profitable activity?
2. How to encourage
young people to start
their own business?
Choosing cases
3. How to learn
what one’s want
to do in life?
4. How to provide young
people with skill useful in
professional life?

8. Ideas
Developing program of
studies by creating
courses on how make
business plan and run a
company
Enabling employers to
have impact on
program of studies
Simplification of
procedures related to
starting one’s own
business
Creating co-working
spaces, where young
people can examine
their business ideas and
present them to
eventual partners

9. Prototype
Producing a series of reality show broadcasted in
internet introducing young people to market situation
and explaining procedures