Competences as the Foundation of Security. The First Congress of the Sector Skills Council for Security

Strong attendance, together with the broad involvement of public administration representatives and key stakeholders from across the security sector, confirmed that the development of competences remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the field of protection and security.

The first Congress of the Sector Skills Council for Protection and Safety of Property and Persons marked an important step towards a systematic approach to workforce development. The event brought together representatives of security companies, critical infrastructure operators, public administration, local authorities, educational institutions, and industry organisations, creating a valuable forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience. The Congress was held under the patronage of Polish government institutions, including the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of National Education, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the Minister of the Interior and Administration, as well as the Government Centre for Security.

Discussions focused on the role of appropriate qualifications in effective protection, ensuring operational continuity and responding to an evolving threat landscape. A key part of the Congress was a debate on new competences in the protection of critical infrastructure, which clearly demonstrated that these competences should underpin the entire security sector.

As a partner of the Sector Skills Council, the Polish Platform for Homeland Security is responsible, among other things, for outreach and dissemination activities, including the organisation of the annual Congress. Its first edition was particularly important in the context of strengthening coordinated efforts in the field of security. Rashel Talukder, President of the Board of PPHS and Vice-Chair of the Sector Skills Council, noted that the diversity of participants made it possible to look at current challenges from multiple perspectives:

Such meetings make it possible to better understand the needs of the entire sector and to build solutions that truly have a chance to work.

In Poland, Sektorowe Rady ds. Kompetencji (Sector Skills Councils) are expert advisory bodies established as part of a national system to link industry, education and public policy. They were initiated by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) and operate under its guidance. Each Sector Skills Council brings together representatives of employers, employees, educational institutions, industry organisations and other stakeholders from a given sector of the economy. Their role is to analyse the current and future needs for competencies and qualifications, and to recommend how education, vocational training and lifelong learning can be better aligned with labour market needs.

The Sector Skills Council for Protection and Safety of Property and Persons (PL: Sektorowa Rada ds. Kompetencji – Ochrona i Bezpieczeństwo Mienia i Osób) project is jointly delivered by TECHOM, the Polish Platform for Homeland Security, the Polish Association for National Security, and POLALARM. The Council was established to strengthen professional competences in the protection and security sector and strengthen cooperation between public administration, business and the expert community.

For more information about the first edition of the Congress, please visit our website (in Polish): https://kongres.radasektorowa-bezpieczenstwo.pl and LinkedIn channel.

Project FERS.01.10-IP.09-0001/25 co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus under the European Fund for Social Development for 2021-2027.