For two years, the Private Academic High School (PALO) in Piaseczno, alongside partner schools from Spain, Germany, and Italy, under the supervision of the University of Siegen, has been participating in the Erasmus+ project “Young Smart Cities.” Within this project—based on the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology—students tackle real-world challenges in their local communities to co-create the vision of the city of the future. So far, under teacher guidance, students have developed Knowledge Pills and Learning Situations available on the project website (youngsmartcities.com), which were tested during a pilot phase.
Organized on 28th September 2026, as part of the “Young Smart Cities” project and the European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW), under the patronage of the Mayor of the Town and Commune of Piaseczno, Mr. Daniel Putkiewicz, the event titled “Jobs of the Future” aimed to encourage young participants to reflect on the goals and prospects of their education and professional life in future society. Which professions will disappear, and which will emerge? What is worth learning? What will be useful in future work and social life in the context of changes such as AI expansion, climate change, energy transition, or an aging society?
The event was attended by approximately 150 interested students and teachers from PALO and local primary schools: Private Primary School No. 72 (“School of Dreams”), Mieczysław Fogg Primary School in Złotokłos, Primary School in Zamienie, Primary School No. 5 in Piaseczno, Rev. Jan Twardowski Primary School in Chylice, and Primary School No. 3 in Piaseczno.
After welcoming the guests, PALO Principal Mr. Kazimierz Stankiewicz passed the floor to the European projects coordinator at PALO, Mr. Piotr Podemski. He spoke to the audience about the objectives and goals of the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, PALO’s rich experience in implementing this program under its Erasmus accreditation, and the specific details of the “Young Smart Cities” project.
The main content session opened with an expert panel featuring a representative of local authorities—Mayor Daniel Putkiewicz—and a local business representative—Mr. Ryszard Kerschke, CEO of Eledriveco. Both experts, as accomplished professionals, spoke to the gathered youth about the role of education in their own careers. They advised what is worth learning at school and what to pursue for personal development outside of it in order to succeed in tomorrow’s job market (as far as we can predict and design it today).
The participating high school and older primary school pupils then put the insights and reflections from the debate into practice during a workshop session, completing practical group tasks prepared by Ms. Kamila Szafrańska, a geography teacher at PALO. The youth created posters on jobs of the future—both brand-new ones currently emerging and returning professions previously considered extinct.
Following a lunch break with tasty and healthy refreshments, it was time for a demonstration Oxford-style debate hosted as part of the Piaseczno Debate League (PLD)—an initiative run by PALO for several years under the Mayor’s patronage. The topic of the debate mirrored the key question of the day: “Can school prepare us for the jobs of the future?”. Experienced PALO high school debaters showcased various debate styles, providing younger peers with inspiration to develop their own strategies for this year’s PLD season.
To conclude, participants were invited to continue collaborating with PALO through the Piaseczno Debate League and the “Young Smart Cities” project, including an ongoing international competition: https://youngsmartcities.com/engage/knowledge-pills-game/
We would like to thank our Partners in the “Young Smart Cities” project, our Experts—the Mayor and the CEO—and all the Guests whom we had the pleasure of hosting at PALO.
We look forward to seeing you at future events!
