Young European Trade Union leaders 

The ETUI Education Department has been empowering young trade union leaders for over a decade. Its European training for young Trade Union leaders programme is designed to prepare young trade union leaders for the highest responsibilities within the trade union movement. With a focus on a European dimension, this program is a crucial step in strengthening the social dimension of the European Union. Participants benefit from debates, group work, and study visits, guided by a multicultural team of tutors.

This is an unparalleled opportunity for young activists to grow and learn together in a multicultural environment, acquiring a wealth of knowledge and skills to tackle complex challenges. This youth capacity development programme is a source of endless energy for the European trade union movement and the workers it fights for!

Aims:

1. Develop the capacity to integrate the European and national dimensions into the trade union work by improving the knowledge of economic and social realities in Europe developing knowledge of, and the ability to assess the main European policies and the national trade unions’ realities and positions
2. Develop the capacity to work in a multicultural environment by understanding the advantages and specific aspects of cultural diversity within Europe building, coordinating and leading multicultural groups developing participants’ ability to cooperate at European level
3. Enhance the capacity to communicate on the trade union topics by using shared trade union terminology conducting and participating in debates using online tools for collaborative work at distance, improving drafting skills for written messages/presentations/reports/ synthesis
4. Analyse complex situations and design trade union strategies developing their observation skills developing the capacity to analyse different trade union realities setting objectives and propose solutions drafting trade union action plans
5. Contribute to the development of the European trade union identity by enhancing leadership skills, adopting a leadership style, enhancing critical thinking, developing a project management approach

The full programme will cover a period from May 2023 to April 2024. It will include three residential weeks, as follows:

Week I:  9 - 12 May 2023, Brussels – Belgium (arrival 08/05, departure 13/05)

Week II: 17- 20 October 2023, Ljubljana - Slovenia (arrival 16/10, departure 21/10)

Week III: April 2023, TBD

And 2 intermediate periods that will take place online from May until October 2023 and from October 2023 until April 2024. It will offer 36 hours of independent work, including assignments and self-paced learning modules on the ETUI online platform.

Participants

Eligible participants are young trade union officers working for Organizations affiliated to ETUC. The limit age is no more than 40 years old.    

Participants should have been recently elected or appointed, or are being considered for posts, at the regional/sectorial or national level and have already followed a series of trade union education courses at regional/sectorial/national level.  

Participants should be able to attend all three residential stages of the European training and to work at distance during the two intermediate periods.

It is preferable that participants have a basic understanding of European affairs and have ICT skills.

Each participant pledge to act as a 'multiplier' for the trade union movement and to meet the following requirements:

• to help establishing informal networks with other participants in the training,  
• to apply the knowledge and skills acquired within his/her own trade union working environment  
• to be able to bring the national and trade union realities to the European training.

Guarantor

For each participant, the sending Organization must indicate the name of a Guarantor who will assure that:

• the participant is put in the conditions to attend the training and spend time during the two intermediate periods;
• the Organization gives value to the investment done on the participant;
• the participant is supported in bringing a positive impact on the Organization;

The Guarantor is an experienced trade unionist who knows the sending Organization very well (functioning, priorities, people) and influences the internal decision-making process. ETUI will rely on the Guarantor during the course duration.

A maximum of 18 participants can be accepted.