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In WAGES’ experience, worker cooperatives can yield innumerable benefits to low-income communities, including job creation and wealth-building opportunities, healthy, democratically-run workplaces, leadership development, and social cohesion. Yet, the process of developing a co-op is complex and requires an intensive pre-development process. To assist others in this stage, WAGES is delivering a Co-op Readiness Institute. This two-day training event will equip participants with tools to assess their readiness to start a worker co-op and take initial planning steps. This event is ideal for organizations that are considering co-ops as a strategy for developing local economies and grassroots leadership.
September 29th & 30th from 8:30am – 4:00pm
Oakland, CA
At this Institute, WAGES will share its experience developing worker co-ops over the past 19 years, including how our model works, best practices, and lessons learned. To present a diverse perspective of cooperative development, we are partnering with several organizations that will enrich the conversation and present complementary approaches. WAGES is delivering the Co-op Readiness Institute with the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Democracy At Work Institute, Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives, Co-operative News, the Sustainable Economies Law Center, the East Bay Community Law Center, the National Center for Employee Ownership, and Mission Economic Development Agency.
Day 1: Overview of Cooperative Development
Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of cooperative development.
Day 1 will cover: what is cooperative development?, the history of worker co-ops, the state of the field of worker co-ops, models of cooperative development, myths of cooperative development, the roles and skills of co-op developers, and the impact of co-ops from the worker-owner perspective.
Speakers for Day 1 include: WAGES staff, Melissa Hoover of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and the Democracy at Work Institute, Tim Huet of the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives, Loren Rodgers of the NCEO, and Andrew McLeod of Co-operative News.
Day 2: How to Prepare for Cooperative Development
Participants will come away with an assessment of their readiness in each capacity area and a plan to take the next steps.
Day 2 will cover: readiness and preparation for co-op development in each of the three core areas: business development, democratic systems and structures, and member capacity building. Each participant will leave with a plan to take the next steps in each of the three core areas.
Speakers for Day 2 include: WAGES staff, Teresa García of MEDA, Sushil Jacob of the East Bay Community Law Center, Ricardo Nuñez of the Sustainable Economies Law Center, and Tim Huet of the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives.
This event is tailored to staff at community-based organizations who have strong relationships with low-income communities and are considering cooperative development as a grassroots economic development and leadership development strategy.
We do not encourage existing worker co-ops, or community-based organizations that are already in the process of developing a worker co-op, to apply. The curriculum for this event is tailored to groups that are still in the exploratory and planning phases, and the workshops will focus on preparing groups to take initial planning steps.
The participants at The Co-op Readiness Institute will leave with the following:
• A deep understanding of cooperative development as a strategy for developing local economies and grassroots leadership.
• A deep understanding of the roles, skills, and capacity that cooperative development requires.
• Tools to decide whether cooperative development is an appropriate strategy for their organization and community.
• A plan to take the next steps in each of the three core areas of cooperative development: business development, democratic systems and structures, and member capacity building.
Please email Elena Fairley at [email protected] with any questions.
WAGES thanks our generous sponsors for their support of The Co-op Readiness Institute.