For the last 15 years state higher vocational schools have been a chance for young people to get higher education and find a job. There are 36 such schools in Poland. They are based in places where in order to develop, free education and study close to home is needed. They meet needs of the regions, provide staff for small and medium enterprises and play an important role in social and economic development. Fifteenth anniversary of the public sector of higher vocational education became a reason to organize a conference titled “STATE HIGHER VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN POLAND: ACHIEVEMENTS, CURRENT STATE AND PERSPECTIVES”. The conference was held on 27-28 June 2013 at Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biala Podlaska at the initiative of prof. zw. dr. hab. Mieczysław Adamowicz under the patronage of prof. Barbara Kudrycka – Minister of Science and Higher Education and Krzysztof Hetman – Marshal of Lublin Voivodeship.