The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is to train young trade union members to go into schools and talk about workplace issues and the role of unions.

Up to 2.6 million young people start their first job before they are 16, and are likely to be in workplaces where they are vulnerable to low pay and exploitation from employers who flout employment law, says the TUC.

The unions’ umbrella organisation has already produced a teachers' resource pack on working life for citizenship education courses, and will be training young people to visit schools at regional education conferences. The announcement was made at the TUC’s 30th Young Members’ Conference on Saturday.

Together with the National Union of Students, the TUC has also launched a new web site for students working to support themselves while they are at college.