Tutkaj News

Whilst a proportion of the delegates had very little understanding of the British higher education system (for example some were asking what was the difference between undergraduate and postgraduate courses and in many cases did not realise that they had to obtain an IELTS qualification to demonstrate their level of competence in English language as an entry qualification to university), nevertheless ALL of these delegates understood one thing – the importance of gaining a British qualification in the first place and their desire to continue with their studies for their own personal satisfaction and future career development.

Since the Poles started coming over to the UK, the number of them attending British universities has been increasing each year. Last year the British Council reported that almost 15,500 Poles were attending British universities. Yet a certain number of these are probably mis-matched with what they are studying, the level that they are studying at and even the type of higher institution that they are attending. This is in part due to a lack of impartial advice, a lack of understanding about the British university system and from what was apparent to me from talking to some potential applicants yesterday, that in certain cases there is a lack of confidence in their own level of ability. One person who I met has a degree in International Marketing and three years management experience gained in the UK,  as well as an appropriate level in IELTS, was asking me about applying for a Certificate (not even a Diploma) in Management Studies at a British university. I told him that with his background that he could be considered eligible for an MBA (Master of Business Administration) course by a number of universities. It was obvious to me from his reaction that he panicked at this suggestion. The question is why ? So many times I have met Poles who are going for the easier option when they should be aiming to achieve their full potential. In the UK, employers and universities value the Polish hard work ethic and their ability to achieve and at the British University Fair, the majority of the universities were  ’top league’ . They were there because they believe in the potential of the Poles and have good experience of those who have or are studying at their respective university.

Apart from the lack of information and understanding of the British higher education system on part of the Poles, equally, there can be a lack of understanding from British universities (and employers) about the Polish educational system, about Polish Universities, Technical Universities, Academies, other private higher education institutions and what those Polish qualifications actually equate to in the British system. Whilst NARIC UK offers interpretation of the equivalence of Polish qualifications, there is still confusion as to what the old and new Matura qualifications actually equate to and at times there even confusion in some university departments as to whether Polish degrees and Masters degrees are the equivalent to the British degrees.

I have met several Poles who when they tell me where and what they are studying in the UK and what their academic background from Poland is, I am astonished as to how they ended up doing qualifications at a lower level than what they should be, or attending universities which perhaps are not the most appropriate ones for them. In a few cases some of them have realised that they fell into the trap of taking advice from individuals who have been marketing themselves as experts in giving ‘free’ advice to Poles wishing to study at British universities. These ‘experts’ it turns out are actually agents who are employed by some universities and get paid a fee for steering Poles (some of whom are gullible and vulnerable) into the universities with whom they are contracted to. Whilst there is nothing wrong about being a university agent, what is wrong is the lack of transparency about the fact they are working for particular universities and who those universities are.  If the university agents were transparent about such matters, then at least then the Polish applicants would know exactly where they stand and will be able to make informed decisions taking those factors into account.

This is what inspired me and APEC-UK to put together this event, so that the Polish community would be able to obtain information about higher education opportunities in an impartial way. More importantly, the other issue was to inspire those Poles who have come over to the UK to work, to realise the importance of upgrading their qualifications, knowledge and expertise.  This is to enable Poles to develop their career progression not only in the UK, but if they should ever wish to return to work in Poland.  Certainly with regard to British employers, those Poles who have obtained British qualifications may find that their application forms will be processed more easily and it also demonstrates commitment and personal ambition. The other benefit for Poles with British qualifications is that it becomes easier to ensure that they are paid at the right level, as there will no longer be a question mark as to whether they are at A’level, degree or postgraduate standard.

Very often, highly qualified Poles are to be found working in low paid, unskilled jobs in the UK because it is hard for them to use their Polish qualifications to gain higher status jobs. Yesterday, I met a potential applicant who has a degree from Jagellonian University and who is interested in doing a Masters degree at a British university. The applicant was being complimented by a representative of one of the top Research universities in the UK on their excellent English and the representative asked the applicant what they are doing at present. The applicant declined to answer because of  personal embarrassment about having to admit to working in a cafe. I have met other graduates from high ranking Polish universities working in low level jobs, which included a labourer, a supermarket shelf-stacker, and a waiter. Whilst it is understandable that these Poles need to earn a living, if they stay too long in low paid, low level employment, they will find it harder to gain employment either in the UK or back in Poland that is more appropriate for them. However, degrees are not always enough as in order to progress, some form of postgraduate study is advisable for Poles to gain access to better jobs in the UK and it puts them in a stronger position for employment back in Poland.

In recent months, there have been at least three separate studies carried out in Poland about those Poles who have returned to Poland and their employability situation. All three reports highlighted the difficulties  that the returning Poles had in getting jobs in Poland after working in menial jobs for several years, as Polish employers did not rate this type of work experience. One of the studies showed that six months after returning to Poland, 40% of Poles were still unemployed due to lack of appropriate skills and their Polish qualifications which were gained several years ago, were not regarded by Polish employers as being relevant any more. Many of those Poles who returned to Poland and are still unemployed, are now looking to return to the UK for work again.

The Daily Telegraph recently reported that one in three of those interviewed by the Polish research company ISQ said that they wanted to work abroad again.

Dr Dorota Wiszejko-Wierzbicka, the author of the ISQ study, revealed that in Poland barely a third of the returnees surveyed by ISQ have a steady job, many complain of a hostile Polish labour market and that she was not surprised that one third of those interviewed by ISQ said that they wanted to return to the UK.

Bartosz Trzaskalski, from the Centre for Strategic Consulting and author of their study, said that they found that up to half of the returnees said that they will be leaving for a job abroad within the next two years.  Having spent a few years years working in menial jobs in the UK, and now with no skills suitable for the Polish market, Polish Economists fear that these unemployed returnees may become a burden on the Polish State.

So the message is becoming very clear. If Poles want to move up from low paid, menial jobs and actually achieve their full potential not only in the UK but on their return to Poland, then they need to upgrade their qualifications. There is such a wide choice of part-time study that people can combine with work leading to professional and higher level qualifications. Investing in education is one of the best things that a Pole can do whilst in the UK. In addition, there are many new opportunities opening up in careers that new Polonia has not given much thought to previously.  For example, with the rapid growth of the number of Polish children entering British schools, there are more opportunities for Polish speaking tachers.  Those with a degree and who meet appropriate entry requirements, can apply for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).  They may be eligible to receive a tax free grant whilst studying for a PGCE ranging from £4,000 – £9,000 depending on the subject that they wish to teach.  The pay for a newly qualified teacher in inner London starts from £26,000 per year.

Key Points from the British University Fair for Polish applicants:-

* Make sure you have an appropriate IELTS (International English Language Testing System) qualification. The usual standard required for universities varies from 5.5 – 7.00 depending on the university  and the course.

* Make sure that you know what the equivalence of your Polish qualifications are to the British education system

* Are you applying for the right type of qualification ? Is it for personal satisfaction or is it relevant to your career intentions ? And very importantly, will it be recognised back in Poland ? For example, those working in Human Resources can either do a Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) qualification or do a Masters in Human Resources (but check that the Masters is recognised by and this gives you automatic membership of the CIPD). Usually qualifications which are recognised by a professional organisation are always advisable to obtain as they will be recognised anywhere. Some of the professional organisations may have centres back in Poland as well. For example, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has centres in Poland as well as in many countries.

* Research the universities that you are considering applying to and take into account the fact that fees for a top level university outside of London (as well as living costs) may be considerably lower than that of living and studying in London.  It is always advisable to visit a university Open Day so that you can see the place and talk to people involved with the establishment. This will enable you to feel whether or not this university is right for you. Start with those universities who came to the British University Fair for Polish applicants, as the fact that they were there shows that they have a genuine interest in receiving Polish applications.

* Check eligibility for Scholarships and Grants that individual universities may be offering. For example the University of Hull, London School of Economics and London Metropolitan University offer specific postgraduate scholarships for Polish applicants. In addition, universities like Oxford and Cambridge have a lot of bursaries and small grants for their students.

* Check eligibility for student loans and maintenance grants in the UK

* If you are receiving advice on which university to apply to from someone claiming to be an expert in these matters, ask them if they are contracted by any particular universities and if so which ones. Ideally they should have a postgraduate Diploma in Careers Guidance, or an equivalent qualification if they are advising you on career or higher education options.

For those interested in attending future British university events, please email

For further information about courses and Open days, contact:

Universities taking part in the British University Fair for Polish Applicants :

Birkbeck College, University of London

www.bbk.ac.uk

University of Buckingham

www.buckingham.ac.uk

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

www.cimaglobal.ac.uk

University of Essex

www.essex.ac.uk

King’s College, University of London

www.kcl.ac.uk

University of Lancaster

www.lancs.ac.uk

University of Leicester

www.le.ac.uk

Liverpool John Moore’s University

www.ljmu.ac.uk

London Metropolitan University

www.londonmet.ac.uk

London School of Business & Finance

www.lsbf.ac.uk

London South Bank University

www.lsbu.ac.uk

University of Salford

www.salford.ac.uk

University of Sheffield

www.sheffield.ac.uk

University of Southampton

www.soton.ac.uk

Thames Valley University

www.tvu.ac.uk

University Campus Suffolk

www.ucs.ac.uk

University of Warwick

www.2warwick.ac.uk

University of York

www.york.ac.uk

Liz Walker is the Chairman of the Association of Polish Entrepreneurs & Companies UK (APEC-UK). She is a former Marketing Manager in the education section and was a Specialist Careers Adviser dealing with those applying to university. Her specialism was applying to Oxford & Cambridge Universities. She initiated and ran for many years the Oxford & Cambridge Universities conferences for potential applicants and is the author of the ‘Applicant’s Guide to Oxford & Cambridge’. Apart from holding the Diploma in Careers Guidance, she also has the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma (CIM) and was a former ‘Marketing Student of the Year’ at the university where she took her CIM Diploma.

Elizabeth Walker

Chairman of The Association of Polish Entrepreneurs & Companies UK (APEC-UK)