Students

You can become a member of Akava Special Branches while still a student. Student members are entitled to the same benefits as full members. Use the association search service to find your member association.

The union arranges activities for students, such as courses and an annual student event. The associations also arrange their own activities in which students are welcome to participate.

Student members can also participate in general member courses arranged by the union.

• Approximately 3,300 student members
• All the union’s member benefits and services are also available to student members
• Special activities are organised for students, such as The Road to Work (Tie työhön) training events which cover subjects like job-hunting and career planning, and union student events
• In addition, member associations organise activities which student members can attend

The following member associations of the union accept student members:

Association of Professional Archives Employees
Association of Municipal Experts and Managerial Professionals
Translation Industry Professionals
Union of Academic Museum Employees in Finland
Specialists in the Youth and Sports Sector
SPECIA – Experts and Managerial Professionals Association
Association of Finnish Bachelors of Hospitality
Finnish Federation of Dental Hygienists FFDF
Finnish Association of Occupational Therapists
Finnish Association of Sign Language Interpreters
Art and Cultural Professionals’ Trade Union
Aito HSO (Tradenomi HSO Sihteerit) 
Civil Servants of Regional Educational and Cultural Administration
Union of Communications Professionals 

> Member associations

Student members only pay membership fees for the earned income, obtained during working months, which accumulates earnings-related unemployment security. Thus student members are exempt from the membership fee if their work is sporadic and does not accumulate the required length of employment.

Working students have the possibility to accumulate earnings-related employment security. Members are insured by the Unemployment Fund for the Specially Trained. The required length of employment for earnings-related unemployment allowance accumulates when the weekly working time amounts to at least 18 hours or, in teaching, 8 hours.