APRIL 2018

Education and
training case study: THE CO-OPERATIVE COLLEGE
The Co-operative College offers unique access to
a wealth of information and research that can be
used to develop learning resources – from archive
materials detailing co-operative heritage to current
case studies from co-ops in the UK and around
the world.
The College runs a wide range of workshops
and events at its base in Manchester, but there is
growing demand for webinars and other forms of
e-learning. And, as more and more organisations
take on the delivery of training themselves, the
College is increasingly working with co-ops to create
customised development programmes and training
resources.
Angela Holbrook, the College’s learning and
development manager, has been in post eight
years and previously spent 10 years as an associate
freelance delivering member and director training.
“Training was always important,” she says. “But,
with high-profile cases around governance in recent
years, having directors and members properly
trained has become even more essential. There is
also far more interest than there was 20 years ago
in courses around member engagement, because
societies now realise the benefits you can get by
encouraging members to be active, work together
effectively and fulfil roles and responsibilities.”
The range of courses on offer runs the standard
business school gamut from governance to finance,
behavioural skills and conflict resolution. But the
added ingredient is courses specifically customised
to the co-op movement – from its history to different
models and co-operative leadership and values.
There are also induction courses for worker cooperatives
tailored to organisations with new
recruits who need to learn more about co-ops, as
well as refresher courses for existing staff.
The College’s board skills audit process – delivered
by an approved Co-operative College auditor –
has been used by consumer societies and social
enterprises since early 2003 as a way of helping them
identify skills gaps and decide what to do about
filling them.
One of the biggest growth areas for the College is
in e-learning.
“It is really starting to take off now,” says Ms
Holbrook. “We did a few pilots which were really
successful and we are now doing a series of courses
around topics such as effective chairing, giving
people the confidence to speak persuasively, and
presenting at a meeting. We are having a big push
in May and are currently revising our list of courses,
with topics such as effective governance, roles and
responsibilities and measuring co-op performance
indicators, as well as introductory courses for
colleagues, members and directors.”
Training programmes from the College can be ‘off
the shelf’ or customised for particular organisations.
“There are two key ways we put courses together,”
Ms Holbrook explains. “We identify a need – maybe
a change in legislation or another topic of interest
– and design a course around that as part of our
open programme. We run courses and workshops on
specific dates in Manchester.
“Co-ops can also come to us and say ‘we have a
need for a particular course’. We have a regular
training programme with the Co-op Group and we
are currently talking to an organisation that supports
young people in Manchester. They asked us to put
together a course in persuasive speaking so we are
designing something to meet that particular need.
We can also signpost to other organisations with
specific expertise.”
One of the most innovative developments in
recent years has been more accredited training,
working with organisations such as the Chartered
Management Institute. More options with the CMI
are set to be delivered this autumn. The College
also has a partnership with St Mary’s University
in Canada delivering an executive education
course for senior managers, CEOs and board
members, built around the movement’s history and
exploring how modern co-ops fit within the ‘social
solidarity economy’.
“I absolutely love my job, no two days are the
same,” adds Ms Holbrook. “I love working with
co-ops and helping them to support learners,
knowing they have gone away at the end of the
day feeling more confident. It’s also about how
we embed our values and principles in everything
we do and the unique co-op difference we have
to offer.”
38 | APRIL 2018