National Training Fund

Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy

The National Training Fund is an institution introduced by the novel to the Act on employment promotion and labour market institutions, that aims at supporting lifelong learning of employees and employers, prevent job loss due to inadequate skills, and increase investment in human resources to improve competitiveness in the job market. The Fund is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, with district job centres responsible for application assessment and reimbursement. Firms employing individuals aged 45 and above are eligible to seek financial assistance from the National Training Fund/Labour Fund. The fund supports a range of educational and training endeavours, such as both certified and non-certified ongoing general education and CVET, advanced studies, and skill certification exams. The fund subsidizes up to 80% of the costs associated with employee training, capped at a maximum of 300% of the average monthly wage. Micro enterprises benefit from a full reimbursement of training expenses, also up to the limit of 300% of the average monthly salary. In terms of implementation, companies apply to district job centres, which assess applications. In 2014, 1,433 companies benefited, funding training for 10,417 individuals. The Fund was established in 2014.