Youth Cooperatives for Youth Employment by Juergen Schwettmann International Labour Organization

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Youth Cooperatives for Youth EmploymentbyJuergen
SchwettmannInternational Labour Organization
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The Social Economy
Many names . Social Economy, Solidarity Economy,
Community Economy, Popular Economy, Social and
Solidarity Economy, Social Enterprise, Social
Economy Enterprises, Third Sector, Non-Profit
Sector, Economic Alternatives, etc., etc.,

• Common features .
• Primacy of people over capital
• Participatory management, democratic control
• Solidarity and responsibility
• Focus on local assets, needs and capabilities.

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Actors
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Facts and figures

• 750.000 cooperatives with 800 million members and
  100 million employees
• 141 cooperative insurance collect 7 of the
  worlds insurance premium
• 248 million of the 360 million EU-15 citizens are
  involved in the social economy, which contributes
  8 to the Unions GDP
• There are 62.000 foundations in the EU-15
• Associations in the EU-15 have 40 million members
  and 3 million employees
• The 43.000 credit unions represented through
  WOCCU are supported by 136 million members and
  control about 825 million US- in assets.

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Coops create jobs
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Common Goal, CommonBond
Where individuals may lack
Cooperative members

• invest together
• negotiate together
• innovate together
• work together

• ... capital
• power
• ideas
• skills

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Why Youth Cooperatives?

• Because young people are eager to work and live
  together
• Because young people are ready to pool resources
  and share risks
• Because young people uphold values and
  principles
• Because young people fight for social justice.
• Because young people cooperate.

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Example 1 Marang Cake, Bread and Catering
Cooperative, South Africa

• Started in the year 2000 by four skilled, but
  unemployed youths who discovered a market niche
• Support received from various agencies, mainly
  for capacity building
• Now 14 members who earn a decent salary the
  cooperative now provides advisory services to 14
  emerging youth cooperatives in the area

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Example II Organic Planet Cooperative, Canada

• Founded by five youths in 2003 as a workers
  cooperatives in the premises of a consumer
  cooperative that closed business
• Received support from the local credit union
  after presenting a viable business model
• Now has seven members and nine employees, who
  will become members after a probationary period
  the coop has reached the break-even point and can
  pay decent wages.

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Example IIIYouth Cooperatives in Serbia

• Exist since 1938 today, there are 300 youth
  coops with 200,000 members in Serbia
  Montenegro
• Unemployed youth register with the coop, which
  then tries to find a suitable short-term post in
  a private company or the civil service
• About 25 of youth find a permanent job
• All coop members are covered by social security.

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Lessons learned

• Have confidence to start your coop
• Establish strong ties with the community
• Welcome support, but not interference, from
  others
• Understand and apply the cooperative principles
• Be prepared to make sacrifices.