New campaign launched to champion student workers’ rights
A new national campaign, co-developed by Leeds researchers and young people with first-hand experience of balancing work and study, is raising awareness of employment rights among student workers.
The Earning + Learning campaign has been launched in partnership with the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Young Women’s Trust. It aims to equip students and young people in education with the knowledge, resources and confidence they need to understand and exercise their rights at work.
Research with impact
The campaign builds on research from L-earning: Rethinking Young Women’s Working Lives, a three-year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded project led by researchers from the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds. The study explored young women’s early experiences of work, including how they combine paid employment with education, and how those experiences may contribute to gender inequalities later in life.
Researchers on the project, including Professor Kim Allen, Dr Lilith Brouwers, Professor Kate Hardy, Professor Rachael Cohen and Dr Kirsty Finn, found that many young people experience significant challenges in the workplace. These included low pay, insecure employment, inflexible working hours, harassment, including sexual harassment, and a lack of voice and power at work.
The research also revealed that many young people were unsure where to turn for support when problems arose and did not view their schools, colleges or universities as places that could help them navigate workplace issues.
Co-produced with young student workers
To address these challenges, the Earning + Learning campaign has been co-produced with young people themselves. An expert advisory board of eight young people aged between 17 and 23 from the Leeds area played a central role in shaping the campaign and its resources. The group included both home and international students with experience of part-time work, agency work and zero-hours contracts.
Professor Kim Allen said:
“Most young people undertake paid work during their studies, yet student workers remain one of the most vulnerable and exploited groups in the labour market. Through this campaign, we want to ensure that students understand their employment rights and know where to go for support when things go wrong.
The campaign has been driven by young people’s experiences and priorities, making the resources meaningful, accessible and relevant to student workers across the country.
The campaign's resources are aimed at students from school age through to further and higher education. They provide practical information about employment rights and protections, with a particular focus on sectors where young people are most likely to work, including hospitality and retail.
The initiative has been supported through an ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) award and extends the impact of the wider L-earning research programme beyond academia.
Crucial time for workers’ rights
Dr Lilith Brouwers said:
“This campaign comes at an important moment for workers’ rights. As employment legislation continues to develop, it is vital that young people understand how workplace protections apply to them. We hope these resources will help students feel informed, empowered and better able to advocate for themselves at work.”
The campaign was officially launched on 24 September at an online event featuring members of the campaign’s youth advisory board, representatives from the TUC and Young Women’s Trust, and researchers from the University of Leeds. Attendees were given a first look at the campaign website and resources designed to support students and young workers nationwide. You can watch a recording of the launch here.
By bringing together researchers, trade unions, charities and young people, the Earning + Learning campaign seeks to deliver lasting change and ensure that students can combine earning and learning without sacrificing their rights at work.
Find out more about the Earning + Learning campaign and access the new resources for student workers.
