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AUE-FON University part of the international project TUAC2026, supported by the Erasmus+ KA3 – European Youth Together Programme

As part of the international project Trade Union – New Voice for Louder Youth (TUAC2026), the research team has successfully completed a major phase of fieldwork, marking an important milestone in the project’s first year. 

Between early 2026 and spring 2026, a total of 12 focus groups were conducted across six European countries - Romania, Turkey, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Croatia, and Serbia - bringing together 109 participants from 22 cities. Of the total number of participants, 46 % were women and 54% were men. The participants, aged 19 to 35, reflect two key groups central to the project’s aims: 

Students and non-unionized young workers, and 

Unionized workers, predominantly from the public and civil service sectors. 

These focus groups explored young people’s perceptions of trade unions, their experiences with (or distance from) union structures, and their expectations regarding collective organization in contemporary labor contexts. The discussions also addressed barriers to participation, the relevance of unions in precarious and shifting labor markets, and ideas for more accessible and engaging forms of union activity. 

The findings will feed directly into the development of the Trade Union Academy, a central component of the TUAC2026 project. This future educational platform aims to equip a new generation of trade union activists with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to strengthen labor organizing across Europe. 

With the completion of the focus groups, the project now moves into the next phase: analysis and synthesis of findings, which will inform upcoming workshops, pilot programs, and collaborative initiatives among project partners. 

The project “Trade Union – new voice for louder youth” is supported through the Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 3 – European Youth Together, bringing together representatives of 10 partner organizations from Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia, Turkey, Romania and Lithuania, under the coordination of the UPOZ trade union from North Macedonia. Initiative aimes at strengthening the involvement of young people in trade union structures and decision-making processes, both within unions and in society at large.