The report attempts to diagnose the reasons for the low participation of adults in education and training.

The Polish Economic Institute (PIE) report indicates that in 2024, only 23.5% of working Poles aged 25–64 participated in training or education, placing Poland below the EU average. The main motivations for undertaking training were to improve the quality of one’s work and to adapt to new responsibilities, while only 10% of participants did so with a view towards promotion or career development. The report's authors believe that the quality of human capital in Poland deteriorates with age—young people perform better in international competency studies (PISA) than adults (PIAAC), even when  the same age cohort is taken into account.

Access to training largely depends on company size. People employed in medium-sized and large enterprises have significantly greater opportunities to participate in training. In addition, lower-level employees have limited access to skills-enhancing training, which is due both to the limited offer directed to them by employers and to their lower motivation to participate in education. This situation exacerbates inequalities in opportunities for skills development in the labour market.

PIE experts believe that Poland currently has an opportunity to overcome the low level of adult participation in education, but this requires a systemic approach and the implementation of policies based on, among others, financial incentives, flexible educational offers, and the greater involvement of employers in the process of training and improving employee skills.

The report is available on the PIE website.