Education

As the regional office of the International Co-operative Alliance, Cooperatives Europe plays a vital role in promoting cooperative education and training across the continent. Equipping cooperative members, leaders, and the general public with knowledge is one of our key pillars of work and the key to a growing and thriving cooperative movement.

Cooperatives Europe actively engages with policymakers at the EU level to ensure cooperative education and training is supported through legislation and funding programs. Cooperatives Europe advocates for policies that enable cooperatives to invest in their human capital.

Advocacy to strengthen cooperative education

Cooperatives Europe actively engages with policymakers at the EU level to ensure cooperative education and training is supported through legislation and funding programs. Cooperatives Europe advocates in collaboration with its members for policies that enable cooperatives to invest in their human capital.

Call for inclusion in European education initiatives

Cooperatives Europe is advocating for the inclusion of cooperative business models in European education initiatives. With this aim to push for policies that support the integration of cooperative principles into educational curricula. By doing so, we aim to foster a new generation of cooperative leaders well-versed in cooperative values and practices.

We actively engage with EU policymakers to ensure that cooperative education and training receive the necessary support through legislation and funding programs. Our goal is to enable cooperatives to invest in their human capital, ensuring sustainable growth and development.

Development of knowledge tools: Coopedia

Coopedia is an open-source platform with a collaborative search engine that provides cooperative knowledge and resources to users worldwide. It offers a comprehensive repository of resources, tools, and best practices, making cooperative education accessible to all. Coopedia aims to give young entrepreneurs worldwide the support and tools they need to set up cooperative businesses, and to provide learning to students and actors interested in the cooperative business model.

SE4Ces partnership: Social Economy Forces

The Social Economy Forces (SE4Ces) is a social economy education community that fosters partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Social Economy organisations, and community stakeholders. Addressing social inequalities and unemployment, the community was created through an Erasmus+ project to promote Social Economy education and to develop a brand new master’s course on social economy and cooperation.