Wielkopolska is worried about the unemployed miners and energy. It will support them

The European Commission decided to extend the program “Road to employment after coal” – the press office of the Marshal's Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship transferred PAP. Until now, support mainly included miners and energy. Now they will also be other residents of Eastern Greater Poland.

According to the press office of the Marshal's Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship (UMWW), in March this year the office submitted a request to the European Commission regarding changes in the European Funds program for Greater Poland, including the extension of the program “Road to employment after coal”. He assumes the support of people looking for jobs, working, learning or living in Eastern Greater Poland, as well as employees and former employees of the PAK group who have lost their jobs since the beginning of 2017., w tym niezamieszkałych na terenie Wielkopolski Wschodniej.

The application was accepted by the EC – the UMWW informed.

Until now, the program initiated at the beginning of 2024 could only be used by current miners and energy from the PAK group, employees dismissed after 2018, their families and employees of companies related to the energy industry. As part of the program, they receive support in looking for a new job, establishing their companies and social cooperatives.

Representatives of entities implementing the program for several months signaled a small number of its participants.

Interest in the project is still not what we would expect – admitted in a conversation with PAP a project manager at the Wielkopolska Enterprise Development Agency Marta Juszczak.

In March, the president of JOBS First Anna Karaszewska talked about the scale of interest in “below possibilities”; As part of the program, the company conducts career counseling and helps to find new employment.

According to the data of the Provincial Labor Office in Poznań, which coordinates the program, so far it has joined the project 650 participants. 100 of them found employment, and 65 received financial support for the opening of a business or social cooperative. Ultimately, the program is to use a maximum of 2.2 thousand. people.

The extended program is to support the inhabitants of the region, who – according to the provincial authorities – “require special attention”. As UMWW pointed out, this group is quite numerous, worse qualified and functions in a poorly developed local economy. The office indicated that miners and energy can use – unlike other residents of the region – from the cover program financed from the state budget. He guarantees employees with check -in and mining leave.

– Especially The aspect of creating perspectives for young people (below 30 years old) is also importantwhose outflow from the labor market of the Eastern Greater Poland subregion is currently very noticeable – said UMWW.

According to the provincial authorities, the extension of the program will increase the efficiency of relieving the negative effects of energy transformation in Eastern Greater Poland.

The self -government of the Wielkopolska Voivodship designated 2040 as the date of reached by Eastern Greater Poland climate neutrality. The region's economy was based on the extraction and burning of coal for years. The still operating mine is currently in the process of extinguishing operations. The end of coal mining and burning was scheduled in the first half of 2026. The PAK group in 2020 announced the end of coal energy production by 2030 at the latest.

The EU Fund for Just Transformation is support for the region in this process. The fund's total budget is EUR 17.5 billion, of which over EUR 415 million will go to Eastern Greater Poland. (PAP)

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