In its initial pilot form, which runs from July to November this year, the program will be open to those living in the European Union, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. If successful, it will subsequently be extended to include Polonia communities in other countries.
Three-month work placements
Successful applicants will receive a three-month placement at “selected Polish companies, including state-owned or Polish branches of foreign companies,” along with financial and logistical support from the MFA.
Organizers say the scheme offers participants an opportunity to integrate with Poland’s business community, forge international connections, and discover their ancestral heritage.
“We encourage Poles, people who feel the Polish gene, who maybe have ancestors [from here] or are interested in Polish culture, to come to Poland – and maybe to stay,” said PAIH Chief Executive Andrzej Dycha. He noted Poland’s growing role as an R&D hub, particularly in the IT sector, and pointed to recent partnerships with Microsoft and Google.
The Polish diaspora—often referred to as Polonia—numbers an estimated 20 million people worldwide, with large populations in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Brazil, France, Ukraine, Belarus, and Argentina.
In recent years, officials in Warsaw have urged Polish communities abroad to relocate, highlighting a robust economy and low unemployment, while also seeking to address a demographic crisis caused by a declining population.
(jh)
Source: gov.pl, PAIH