Founded in 2001, the Specialists in the Youth and Sports Sector (NUOLI) organisation is a member of the AKAVA – Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland.  The trade union NUOLI focuses on the supervision of the professional interests of highly educated experts and employees in the youth and sports sector, as well as of students in these fields.  

One objective of the NUOLI union is to make better known, for both the public and labour market, the academic degrees available in the youth and sports sector. The greatest challenge facing the trade union is to raise the profile of the professional groups that fall within the scope of its supervision of interests. One of the aims for which the union was founded has already been achieved; professionals in the recreational sector are now involved in the discussion concerning AKAVA’s low-wage sectors. 

Specialists in the Youth and Sports Sector is organised through Akava Special Branches as part of the AKAVA trade union confederation and its collective bargaining organisations, Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN (in the private sector) and the Public Sector Negotiating Commission JUKO. The bargaining organisations carry out the practical negotiations between parties representing both employers and employees. 

NUOLI contributes to the development of the strongly growing regional activities of Akava Special Branches while emphasising its own position within regional supervision. The objective of the regional activities is to increase the affinity between the member organisations of Akava Special Branches, and to improve the regional membership services and supervision through, for example, training events.