Investment in human capital through vocational training may not bring the expected results in accordance with the assumptions of education effectiveness. There are many threats. In previous articles regarding the subject matter discussed in the European Union countries, authors pointed out that in Poland these threats may occur the most. In this article, the authors drew attention to people who, after acquiring vocational qualifications in the vocational education system, started higher education. Using 1644 surveys of first-year higher education students from the years 2012-2017 of the North Greater Poland region, who obtained secondary education while studying in technical schools, the authors estimated the loss of poviat budgets resulting from mismatch of competences acquired in the secondary school to the field of study. A mismatch resulting from a change in the field of education at the level of 60% in the whole analyzed group was found, which means financial losses of millions of euros.