Cities in international perspective: Bielsko-Biała

Bielsko-Biała is a city with district status in the Silesia region, located at the foot of Beskidy mountains. It was established in 1951 as the result of the merger of two neighbouring cities Bielsko, that origins reach to the middle ages, and Biała, founded in the 16th century. The total population of the city is reaching 180 000. The city is located in the southern part of the Silesian region, that, in total, has about 4,6 million inhabitants. Bielsko-Biała is the administrative, economic, academic, touristic and cultural centre for the southern subregion of Silesia. Due to its proximity of Katowice, Krakow, Czech Ostrawa and Slovak Zilina Bielsko-Biała is an important cross-border development center.

The industry and trade are thriving in the city ensuring that Bielsko-Biała has a noticeable position in the southern part of Poland. The automotive industry is a key player in the local economy, along with the growing IT sector. International companies such as FCA Powertrain, Eaton Automotive Systems, Hutchinson and TI Automotive have located their production plants in Bielsko-Biała. On top of that GE Industrial Solutions and ZF TRW established research and development centers. In this connection, the city offers many opportunities, especially for young engineers.

The unemployment rate in Bielsko-Biała is below 2%, the city is currently second-ranked with the lowest unemployment rate in the Silesian region. Nowadays the local companies are struggling to find employees. This is why foreigners are so important for the future development of the city, not only in economic but also in a social aspect. In the last decade, the city was losing its population. One of the reasons is the ageing population along with the migration of young people. Many young people leave the city because they go studying in larger centers. After graduation, they are not coming back anymore to the city. On the other hand, in recent years we can observe the dynamic growth of the immigrant population, that are looking for a job, especially from Ukraine, currently about 6200 people officially. Other nationalities are also present but in smaller numbers - Georgians - 162, Belarusians - 94, Moldovans - 91, Czechs - 97, Slovaks - 37, Italians 42. We would like the internationals in the city to become a living and active part of our society.

The University of Bielsko-Biała is also very interested in cooperation with the local government in order to launch activities aimed at encouraging people from abroad to study here because there are still not many foreigners among the students. Participation in the ‘’Welcoming International Talent’’ project is also a chance for the university to acquire new students especially from abroad and definitely an opportunity for its further development on different levels.

The city participates in this network to acquire knowledge and learning effective methods that will help to increase the attractiveness of the city among young people from abroad. All activities will be aimed to overcome the barriers which stand in foreigner’s way to find a job that is in line with their ambitions, knowledge and skills. Moreover, the city and its locals could become even more open to internationals, thus Bielsko-Biała would become a place for them to stay for longer.

Thanks to URBACT project we have started a few new initiatives dedicated to foreigners living in the city. One is a newly opened Center for Foreigners 'My BB'. The second is the polish language course, that enjoys great interest. Both activities meet with very positive feedback. Participation in the ‘WIT’ project is, on the one hand, a challenge for the city of Bielsko-Biała, on the other hand, an opportunity to create comfortable conditions for work and everyday life for foreigners.