International Cooperative Alliance
International Cooperative Alliance
2021
š¢ Context and Background The report titled "Young people and cooperatives: a perfect match?" is a global research initiative co-produced by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and its regional offices, with support from the Co-operative College and insights from the ICA Youth Network. It was created in response to the pressing challenges faced by youth in various regions, recognizing the potential role of cooperatives in addressing these issues. The report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how cooperatives can align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in promoting decent work and quality education. š Key Findings The research is based on 420 responses collected from young people across 20 countries. It is structured around five critical themes referred to as the five 'E's: employment, education, (in)equalities, engagement, and entrepreneurship. The findings indicate that youth face significant challenges today, including high rates of unemployment and educational inequalities, which cooperatives can help mitigate. Specifically, the report highlights how cooperatives can engage youth effectively and contribute to sustainable employment opportunities. š Role of Cooperatives The report emphasizes the crucial role cooperatives can play in addressing the challenges faced by young people. It points out that cooperatives not only provide employment opportunities but also foster engagement and education among youth. By improving knowledge of cooperatives and enhancing their image, cooperatives can attract more young people. It also recommends the development of structures within cooperatives that are genuinely youth-oriented, which can lead to improved participation and a better understanding of cooperative values. š Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The findings align closely with the UN SDGs, particularly SDG 8 on decent work and SDG 4 on quality education. By promoting decent work opportunities and enhancing access to education, cooperatives can contribute significantly to these goals. The report advocates for cooperatives to adapt to the digitized world to engage young people better and increase their visibility as viable alternatives for employment. š Conclusion In conclusion, the report serves as a call to action for cooperatives to strengthen their support for and engagement with young people. It offers actionable conclusions and recommendations aimed at promoting youth cooperatives, enhancing youth employment, and fostering participation in cooperatives. By addressing these areas, cooperatives can play a vital role in the sustainable development of communities across Europe and beyond.
The report titled "Young people and cooperatives: a perfect match?" is a comprehensive global research initiative co-produced by all regional offices of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) with support from the Co-operative College and input from the ICA Youth Network. The report is structured into five main chapters, referred to as the five 'E's: employment, education, (in)equalities, engagement, and entrepreneurship. It is based on 420 responses from young people in 20 countries and aims to provide insights into the key challenges facing youth today, and how cooperatives can address these challenges and improve engagement with young people.
The report highlights the potential of cooperatives to play a crucial role in solving the challenges of young people, while also contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 on decent work and SDG 4 on quality education. It identifies strategies to engage more youth in cooperatives, such as improving knowledge of cooperatives among young people, boosting the image of cooperatives, developing genuine youth-oriented structures within cooperatives, and promoting decent work opportunities through cooperatives.
The report also includes case studies and examples of cooperative contributions to employment, education, and reducing inequalities. It emphasizes the need for cooperatives to adapt to the digitized world to better engage young people and suggests that cooperatives need to be more visible as an alternative for employment opportunities. The research indicates that while cooperatives theoretically have the capacity to help youth overcome challenges, there are still obstacles that need to be addressed to ensure this potential is realized in practice.
Overall, the report serves as a call to action for cooperatives to strengthen their support and engagement towards young people and provides actionable conclusions and recommendations for the cooperative movement to promote youth cooperatives, youth employment and participation in cooperatives, as well as education on cooperatives.