Chapter 1 – The Role of Student Unions in VET

Although the EU does not have a common definition of “student union”, each Member State sets its own rules for how these organisations are recognised and operate. Student unions—also called students’ associations or student organisations—are typically democratic bodies elected by students, run by students, and formed for students, to represent them within educational institutions.

These unions can operate at local, regional, national, European, and international levels and their primary purposes include:

Depending on the level they operate on and the type of educational context they work in, student unions may differ from one another. In particular, within VET systems, student associations often represent a more diverse student demographic and a wider age range, including adult learners and those in continuing education.

Due to VET institutions’ closer ties to industry, student unions in these contexts may help bridge education and the job market, building relationships with trade and labour unions, employers, and sector-specific organisations (European Labour Authority 2017). Similarly, their advocacy efforts mainly focus on the promotion of hands-on, experiential learning opportunities (European Labour Authority 2017), as well as flexible and continuous skill development and upgrading throughout students’ careers, ensuring that VET programmes meet both industry standards and student needs (Marra et al. 2016).