The system of professional education provides a person with certain means to achieve important goals in life. Its direct dependence on the level of sociocultural development of the society is axiomatic; the relation between the content of professional education and requirements of the socio-economic development of a nation has become the problem of scientific research not only for pedagogues, but for economists and sociologists as well. However, the influence of the evolution in labor on the organization of the system of professional education has not been thoroughly analyzed. The background for appearing innovative organization of the system of professional education is still open for scientific research. First, the paper under consideration offers classification and thorough comparison of educational unions. Second, numerous risks in educational unions are classified, and opportunities to run the risks are differentiated. Third, prognostic analysis of the prospects for educational unions’ development is carried out. The research shows that educational unions are able to resolve a certain contradiction in the modern system of education. For example, the contradiction between the competence being formed and professional tasks to be solved by todays’ students can be solved through the mechanism of state and private partnership.