Summer at the Co-operative College
Lisa Ball, a year 12 student at All Hallows Co-operative Business & Enterprise College in Macclesfield, Cheshire, is coming to the end of a six week summer internship with the schools team at the Co-operative College in Manchester. She says she has enjoyed every part of it – “except commuting!”
Lisa, who took AS levels in double business, textiles and ICT, has been revamping the Young Co-operatives Action Kit, a resource produced by the College to support young people setting up and running their own co-operative enterprises
Lisa’s placement came about through the Career Academy, which also gives her a business mentor from AstraZeneca, who she meets with regularly for CV advice and interview tips. Lisa said she “wanted the experience of working in a business”, and chose to come to the College because she already knew a bit about ASDAN as All Hallows uses ASDAN’s Stepping Stones qualification in conjunction with the College’s Co-operate for Change! Fairtrade pack. Lisa thinks there should be more resources on co-operatives for older students – for example Sixth Form Business and Enterprise students.
Lisa has been rewriting, redesigning and generally making the Action Kit brighter and more attractive for young people, and has been getting to grips with InDesign and learning proofreading symbols. She has not been afraid to ask about the differences between Trusts and Academies either, popular topics in the schools team office! Lisa has learned a lot about co-operatives, including the Rochdale Pioneers and their Toad Lane store, and about their use of fair weights and prices, from all the reading she has been doing during the course of her placement. She said: “I think I know the values off by heart now!”
Lisa also volunteered to help at the international Mainstreaming Co-operation conference held in New Century House, Manchester at the start of July, assisting on the reception desk, as well as sitting in on a session on education. She said: “It was a bit hectic but I saw it from both sides – organising and watching sessions.”
When she finishes school
, Lisa wants to do something on the creative side at university. She is hoping to do a Foundation Art and Design course at Manchester Metropolitan University, which will teach her everything she needs to know to apply for university, including helping her to build her portfolio and decide what course to do. Eventually, Lisa would like to do a PGCE to become a textiles or art teacher, because she enjoys helping her friends and “the feeling of helping someone achieve”.
Lisa enjoys business studies at school, especially event organisation, and she also loves textiles as she likes crafts, drawing and experimenting with different materials. Lisa has won a place on a nine-day trip to Florence in October for students studying art at schools in Cheshire, and when she has finished at the College, preparation for the trip will be keeping her busy for the rest of the summer.
Lisa has really enjoyed being part of the team at the Co-operative College, and quickly fitted in with the schools team. She said: “I’ve met loads of new people! I expected it to be more formal, but people are nicer which makes working nicer.”
Published On: July 26, 2012
Written By: Natalie
Filed Under: Schools and Young People
Co-operative Learning