About

The Co-operative College is a unique educational institution focused on providing world class learning programmes and research to support the development of a successful and diverse co-operative sector.

Commitment to education was one of the founding principles of the Rochdale Pioneers and, as an educational charity, the College reflects that in its mission:

Putting education at the heart of co-operation

and co-operation at the heart of education.

Today, the College works with co-operatives throughout the world. It delivers programmes to help individuals and groups achieve the skills and understanding needed to put co-operative values and principles into effective practice and help build successful co-operative businesses. It works with a wide range of universities, government departments and non-governmental organisations, together with a rapidly growing network of co-operative schools.

The College is the UK’s leading knowledge centre on co-operation, drawn from nearly 100 years’ experience of working with co-operative throughout the world. Its hosts the National Co-operative Archive collection, which traces the development of co-operative ideals and how a vision of a better world was translated into today’s global movement.

The vision and values of the pioneers of co-operation are at the heart of all the learning programmes, projects, research and resources provided by the College today.

The College research team helps to build the knowledge base and inform wider policy debate. Work with schools and young people is taking co-operation to a new generation, including helping them set up and run their schools as co-operatives.

A dedicated, experienced and highly qualified team together with unrivalled institutional knowledge make the College what it is – a unique resource and centre of excellence in co-operation and co-operative learning.