THE LUBELSKIE VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK – AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF PROFESSIONALS Mariusz Kicia Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Poland mariusz.kicia@umcs.lublin.pl Abstract: The article presents the working example of an innovative project The Lubelskie Vocational Qualifications Framework (Lubelskie Ramy Kwalifikacji Zawodowych) being developed in Lublin Region of Poland since 2012 to provide a better cooperation between vocational schools and employers for securing young graduates from early unemployment. The general idea of the project is described as well as the results of pilot implementation and its perception by all parties involved: teachers, pupils and employers. All groups testing project’s outcomes during the pilot implementation (at 5 vocational schools and 100 companies) found the new approach to framework of teaching innovative, valuable and estimate that from that even up to 61-80% of potential target users would be interested in participation. Finally expected benefits and costs of the project’s regional dissemination phase are estimated proving its economic and social effectiveness. Although the project is developed for vocational schools it can be easily adopted at every level of qualifications within the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) that require a better adoption of mass learning and training effects to a specific labour market expectations and permanent adjustments of the perfect employee’s profile being defined by employers’ queries. Keywords: vocational qualifications, youth unemployment, innovation in education 1139