If you have or know of a group of three or more members and a concept for a worker co-op, CWCF’s Worker Co-op Academy wants to hear from you! Our next cohort is beginning May 8, and applications are due two weeks prior. The Academy is an online training program that coaches start-up groups through the process of developing and launching their worker co-op enterprises in a supportive cohort, with the help of experienced co-op developers.
The program comprises 14 workshops, scheduled approximately every 2 weeks over a period of 11 months (with breaks for holiday periods), which will cover topics including governance, marketing, finances, and everything else a successful worker co-op needs to know. Each group also receives 20 hours of one-on-one coaching and draft document review by a professional co-op developer.
Although the Academy is open to all, CWCF encourages applications by groups led by equity-denied populations including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), youth, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ2S+ people, and non-binary people.
Tuition for the Academy is valued at $5,000 +G/HST per group. CWCF is offering bursaries for up to $4,000 +G/HST of this amount. The final cost for most groups is $1,000 +G/HST.
Interested groups should email Kaye Grant at communications@canadianworker.coop to notify her of your intentions to apply (more information on the application process is available here).
As a program prerequisite, all group members must register for & attend CWCF’s free webinar “What is a Worker Co-op?”, taking place April 11, 2023, at 12 pm ET (please contact Kaye if this date poses a problem).