Advanced Cooperator Apprenticeship Training

We help worker co-ops in the greater Baltimore area get the capital they need to start and grow. Our non-extractive lending process helps prioritize inclusion and equity, rather than locking communities out of the funding they need to start owning their economy. Most of us BRED staffers are current or former worker-owners; by combining the financing we offer with in-depth assistance and cooperative mentoring, we support worker-owned businesses and help them get what they need to thrive. By joining with other community loan funds around the country (as a member of the Seed Commons Community Wealth Cooperative), we can unlock more funding and knowledge for Baltimore cooperatives.

The Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED) is offering an “Advanced Cooperator Apprenticeship” training to two people in our local co-op network. BRED has obtained funding for this, so these two apprentices will be compensated at $30 per hour for the time they spend learning. 

Synopsis: We want to give you a front-row seat to everything that Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED) folks do: fielding requests for loans from co-ops, working with co-ops to develop solid business plans, coaching co-ops in making strategic pivots, workshopping scenarios and challenges with each other, sitting in on some BRED staff meetings, etc. Our intent is to first give you a sample of all aspects to help them get the big picture, then focus on an approach that is more about the program's goals. BRED has obtained funding for this, so apprentices will be compensated at $30 per hour for the time they spend learning. 

Selection: As we hear back from interested folks, we will be interviewing applicants and selecting two, based on our sense of how the development of their knowledge and skills can best serve the needs and the growth of local co-ops. 

Self-assessment: Those two apprentices will be asked to complete a self-assessment tool that helps us to understand their skills, interests, and needs. We will then use those self-assessments to refine and customize each apprentice's curriculum. 

Overview of curriculum:

• General overview of BRED activities 

• “Meet & greet" with the entire BRED team 

• Shadowing/ sitting in on a sampling of BRED Project Steward activities, BRED meetings, Seed Commons network meetings

• Trainings in BRED tools:

• Business Model Canvas

• Break-Even Analysis

• Steps To Start-Up 

• Governance/ Power-Sharing Matrix

• Bylaws Development/ Questions To Inform Your Legal Documents 

• Financials

• Financial Terminology 101

• Interpreting Profit And Loss Statements 

• Multiple deep dives on specific topics, based on apprentice self-assessment and assessment of outcomes of tools trainings

• Participation in some of BRED's public events, including at least one presentation 

• Making connections to BRED co-ops not yet acquainted

• Making connections to 3-5 other co-ops in Seed Commons

• Making connections to 3-5 other peer funds in Seed Commons

• Periodic reflections and evaluations from apprentices 

• Final reflection and evaluation from apprentices, discussions about potential future engagement 

  Cool! Why is BRED doing this? We have a number of goals that we hope to achieve with this program - we want: 

• to train more folks in how to grow strong co-ops (of course) 

• to train folks in exactly the sorts of things that we might do with a new co-op, but take them deeper into it, in amore focused way 

• co-op workers in our network who really want to do a deep dive, to have the opportunity to get paid for building skills and knowledge around the finer points of co-op development in Baltimore 

• to support the development of a "spokescouncil" of local co-ops, to catalyze more solidarity and mutual aid between our local co-ops 

• to train more people who can go out and talk about and promote our movement, explain the why and the how of co-ops, to ideally build an ongoing team of paid speakers/ presenters 

Awesome! So...when/ where/ how is this training going to happen? And how do folks apply? 

This is a part-time program, with a rough average of 12 hours per week for 6 months, June thru December, 2023. 

• We’ll be applying the principles of Popular Education to the greatest extent possible. 

• Many activities will take place over Zoom, but there will also be in-person meetings and activities. 

• The 12 hours per week includes some self-study/ homework. 

• For more details on the curriculum, see the program description on the other side of this sheet. 

Email HERE and give us a few sentences about: 

• yourself, your experiences, interests, passions

• what brought you to your co-op 

• what you find attractive about this opportunity

• what you would hope to do with what you learn 

Please reply by May 29th, 2023. Thanks!