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LogForum
2016, 12 (4), 285-300
> Scientific Journal of Logistics <
http://www.logforum.net
DOI: 10.17270/J.LOG.2016.4.8
p-ISSN 1895-2038
e-ISSN 1734-459X
THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICAL EDUCATION IN POLAND AND
UKRAINE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS' OPINIONS
Halina Ryzhkova1, Irena Pawłyszyn2, Nina Rizun3
1) Alfred Nobel University, Dnipro, Ukraine, 2) Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland, 3) Gdansk University
of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
ABSTRACT. Background: A professional future is the next logical step after a student completes their chosen degree
course. More frequently, even during their studies, young people seek opportunities to participate in various conferences,
training courses, internships, work placements, and to travel abroad, etc. All of this has one main goal - to increase the
student's attractiveness as a potential employee on the labour market. Thus, it becomes very important to ask relevant and
timely questions to students about the knowledge they gain during their studies, the skills they possess and how they
perceive their future work.
Methods: This paper presents the views of students of logistics and related disciplines regarding their future careers. The
aim of this study was to investigate the expectations, skills and visions of the future of the young generation who stand at
the threshold of their careers, in two countries - Poland and Ukraine. The test method used for collecting opinions was
a questionnaire.
Results: This paper recognises key elements of young people's perception of the labour market. They present a brief
theoretical discussion on the issue in question. The authors present the results of the comparison of attitudes of students
from two universities in Poland and in Ukraine, in four areas: Participant's Profiles; Professional Attractiveness;
Obtained Knowledge and Skills; Employment.
Conclusions: Contemporary logistics requires professionals of the highest calibre, which is confirmed by many respected
authorities. The research results show a preview of the preferences of students of logistics and related disciplines in terms
of future work, and give information about the knowledge they gained during their studies. Comparison of the two groups
of participants from different countries gives the opportunity to observe the aspirations and visions of each , as well as
propose recommendations aimed at signalling the possibility of improving the situation of graduates in relation to their
future employment.
Key words: students' professional future, logistics, labour market, employment, job.
INTRODUCTION
The dynamically changing situation of the
modern economy constantly presents new
challenges to young people preparing for their
future. The modern era is referred to as an era
of rapid change, part of which is unfavourable
for individuals, because changes in the nature
of employment have led to instability and
a reduced sense of security, or require more
dynamism than the average person possesses
[Bauman 2013]. Many young people are trying
their hand at various activities even while at
university, in order to test the waters in
different areas, and therefore learn to adapt to
different social roles. They must then adjust
their goals and actions to specific life
situations, learn to overcome difficulties and
solve the range of problems that they
encounter. For this reason, the problem of
defining plans and life goals related to future
professional work is unusually important.
Copyright: Wyższa Szkoła Logistyki, Poznań, Polska
Citation: Ryzhkova H., Pawłyszyn I., Rizun N., 2016, The future of the logistician education in Poland and Ukraine:
comparative analysis of the student’s opinion. LogForum 12 (4), 285-300, DOI: 10.17270/J.LOG.2016.4.8
URL: http://www.logforum.net/vol12/issue4/no8
Accepted: 04.11.2016, on-line: 11.11.2016.
Ryzhkova H., Pawłyszyn I., Rizun N., 2016, The future of the logistician education in Poland and Ukraine:
comparative analysis of the student’s opinion. LogForum 12 (4), 285-300. DOI: 10.17270/J.LOG.2016.4.8
URL: http://www.logforum.net/vol12/issue4/no8
Higher education is seen as admission to
a better world of work and treated as
an investment, ensuring financial success and
protection against unemployment. The
demands of the labour market for people with
higher education is indisputable, to which
a CEDEFOP report testifies [Future skills ...,
2012]. It predicts an increase in the level of
competition in areas that require knowledge
and skills – from 29% in 2010 to 35% in 2020.
At the same time it indicates that the majority
of jobs available will be for skilled workers.
The recommendations put forward in the
CEDEFOP report concern investment in highly
productive and skilled workers, as well as
support counselling for the appropriate
targeting of decision-makers in relation to their
future education and training.
areas is logistics. According to the Bureau of
Labour Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs in
the sphere of logistics is expected to increase
by 22% by 2022 [7 things ..., 2015]. In the
economy and business, modern logistics plays,
and will continue to play, a significant role.
This is an industry that, in a globalised world,
is increasingly gaining in importance [Long
2003, Крикавський, Чухрай 2001, Сергеев
2001, Ciesielski, 2001, Gołembska 2005,
Kozlowski 2009]. Due to its specificity, it is
still evolving to meet the needs of modern
business and adapt to dynamic changes in the
economic environment, hence the increasing
demand for specialists in logistics from year to
year [Kurasiński 2014,]. Additionally, more
and more companies are becoming more aware
of the strategic importance of logistics,
primarily due to the significant potential
savings [Васильців, 2010]. As a result, the top
places on their list of priorities are taken by the
necessity of find young people with great
potential for the future, who have not only
adequate expertise but also leadership abilities,
which in the future will allow them to take up
leading positions in the organisation.
However, acquiring a university degree is
no guarantee of employment. Research carried
out by SW Research Agency Market Research
and Opinion shows that almost half of future
graduates fear not being able to find a job after
graduation (49%), and are afraid that they will
not meet the expectations of future employers
(41%) [Młodzi na rynku pracy, 2016]. Student
attitudes such as these are a cause for reflection
about the quality of higher education.
We can reference a number of papers
published in recent years which deal with
various aspects of research plans and priorities
in students’ lives [Pawłyszyn et al., 2016].
Among their priorities is research into
identifying the dynamics of professional selfdetermination for students [Дідковськa 2001].
Similarly, Moskalenko undertook research on
the professional development of young people,
as well on the formation of their professional
awareness [Москаленко, 2004]. Titarenko
proves that ambition has a decisive impact on
success and life satisfaction [Титаренко,
2004]. Oczachowski’s research is focused on
the expectations of students in Koszalin about
the future labour market [Oczachowska, 2013].
Also, studies were carried out on the plans for
professional activity of Silesian students [Zak
work ..., 2013] or students from Warmia and
Mazury [Bačík et al., 2010]. These studies
mainly concern selected universities in Poland.
It was therefore decided to conduct an in-depth
study, aimed at understanding the vision and
perception of the future by students of
universities that offer Logistics or related
disciplines as a full degree subject,
University authorities in Europe and around
the world have long understood the need to
properly prepare students for the labour
market, not only by providing the highest
quality of knowledge and skills related to the
field of study, but also by educating them in
universal competences and providing technical
assistance and access to information about the
reality of the economy and labour market to
help students start proactively planning their
career [Domańska, 2013]. Preparing young
people for a future profession is a serious
challenge for the Polish education and training
system. This issue is part of the ongoing debate
about the extent to which university education
programmes should pragmatically meet the
current needs of the labour market, as opposed
to focusing on a traditional academic
education. [Pierwsze kroki na rynku pracy,
2015].Young people, concerned about their
future careers, tend to follow the trends of
market economy, use changes, and freely
choose a course of study that will provide them
with a safe start to their careers. One of these
286
Ryzhkova H., Pawłyszyn I., Rizun N., 2016, The future of the logistician education in Poland and Ukraine:
comparative analysis of the student’s opinion. LogForum 12 (4), 285-300. DOI: 10.17270/J.LOG.2016.4.8
URL: http://www.logforum.net/vol12/issue4/no8
and to expand them geographically, covering
two countries – Poland and Ukraine.
questionnaire. Participation by students was
voluntary and anonymous. Students were
selected purposefully; the required condition of
participation was students’ agreement to
participate in scientific research. Agreement to
participate was given by returning a completed
copy of the questionnaire.
Thus, the objective of this research is the
elimination of the information gap in the
sphere of analysis of the condition of modern
logistical education, as well as a comparison of
the quality of educational services offered with
the expectations and experiences of students as
future participants in the European labour
market.
The survey contained 23 questions and was
divided into 4 parts: Participant’s Profile;
Professional
attractiveness;
Obtained
knowledge and skills; Employment. The
questionnaire consisted of closed questions and
single- and multiple-choice questions, as well
as questions with 7-level scale weights, where
1 means "strongly disagree / least attractive"
and 7 means "strongly agree / the most
attractive". The questionnaires were handed
out to students in person.
In order to achieve this purpose,
the following tasks needed to be carried out:
− development of a questionnaire, which
allows the above-mentioned questions to be
evaluated by students of Logistics. In the
development process, it is necessary to
consider the specificity of the modern
economic situation and the state of
education in the two European countries in
question – Poland and Ukraine;
− conduction of a survey among students at
the Polish and Ukrainian universities and
statistical processing of the results;
− conduction of a comparative analysis of the
obtained results and definition of the main
differences/similarities of opinions of
students from the two countries;
− formulation
of
conclusions
and
recommendations, based on the results of
the conducted analysis.
The results were both qualitative and
quantitative and were analysed statistically.
The results include only those participants who
gave answers to all questions in the
questionnaire.
Statistical
research
was
conducted with the help of Pearson’s test of
independence. The following statistical rules
were applied:
р>0,05 – no statistical significance,
р0.05) found between
the attractiveness ratings for Polish and
Ukrainian students (Job-sharing - the
employment of two or more people for the
work provided by the employer for one
employee.
Employees
divide
among
themselves
the
remuneration
and
responsibilities of the job; usually this division
is equivalent to the time worked. [Sobolewski
2011].
Professional Attractiveness
In the second part of the survey, students
were asked what they think about the
attractiveness of their future profession. Most
Ukrainian students gave a positive answer
(68%) to the question about whether or not
they have made a decision about their future
profession. As for the Polish students, a half of
them (50% of participants) have already
decided, and the other half have not yet made
a decision about their professional future.
The results of comparing the attractiveness
of a future profession turned out to be
interesting. In this case, students could
evaluate the attractiveness of selected activities
on a scale from 1 to 7.
As a result, it was observed that in both
selections (Ukrainian and Polish students)
there is the same tendency to view certain
forms of employment as the most attractive.
(Fig. 2). Namely, students identified their own
Fig. 2. The attractiveness of future professions
Rys. 2. Atrakcyjność przyszłych rodzajów działalności
The fact that students have chosen their
own business as the most attractive activity is
in some respects obvious. Owning one's own
business is allows greater freedom in decisionmaking, a way to implement personal ideas
and know-how, etc. But, on the other hand,
also implicit is a large range of obligations and
responsibilities, which is often forgotten. It
should also be noted that a large number of
participants would be interested in flexible
working hours, which would allow a relatively
high degree of freedom to plan their job and,
usually, to conduct their own business as well.
Another question, also scored on a scale of
1-7, was to investigate the level of awareness
of students about choosing their future
profession. The average rating (6.0) showed
that most students chose their university
consciously and independently, and fewer
289
Ryzhkova H., Pawłyszyn I., Rizun N., 2016, The future of the logistician education in Poland and Ukraine:
comparative analysis of the student’s opinion. LogForum 12 (4), 285-300. DOI: 10.17270/J.LOG.2016.4.8
URL: http://www.logforum.net/vol12/issue4/no8
were influenced by their parents, friends or
relatives (average: 2.63). Students do not agree
with the statement that their choice was strictly
connected with the necessity to continue the
family business (average; 1.39), as well as
rejecting the statement that knowledge and
skills are not important, and the most important
thing is to obtain a diploma (average: 2.13).
importance. Perhaps it is explained by the
fact that, for Ukrainian students, prestige of
the work is associated primarily with a high
salary and the possibility of professional
growth. Polish students, in turn, evaluate
the following aspects as important: the
possibility to travel and recommendations
of family and friends (however, this is
given the lowest position in their rating).
Then the participants were asked to identify
the factors which guided their choice of future
profession, and therefore their choice of degree
(Fig. 3).
Let's examine the three most frequently
chosen aspects. The level of salary in many
cases is the most important aspect when
choosing a profession; this choice by students
from both countries was not a surprise.
However, apart from good wages, the students
also want to apply practical skills – in other
words, to realise themselves in the professional
area - which is extremely important and
prestigious (Ukrainian students put this aspect
in 2nd place, and Polish students in 3rd place
in the rating of attractiveness). At the same
time, Ukrainian students value highly the
recommendations of family and friends. For
Polish students, the type of work is among the
top three aspects. The type of work associated
with management is not only interesting, but
also ambitious and we will further mention
some challenges that must be met. On the other
hand, this type of job allows a certain freedom
of action and decision-making, which adds
additional attractiveness. Thus, the results of
the analysis, conducted on two groups of
participants (Ukrainian and Polish) about the
awareness of students when choosing their
future profession differ from each other at the
level of statistical significance (р