Canadian insurer The Co-operators has launched a Young Leaders Award for people under the age of 35 involved in co-operatives and mutuals.
Created in collaboration with apex Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC), the award aims to support future sector leaders.
“Through the Co-operators Young Leaders Award, we are celebrating the innovation, passion, and potential that young people are bringing to the Canadian co-operative movement,” said Shawna Peddle, director of Co-operators Community Funds at Co-operators. “By spotlighting and developing young co-operative leaders, we also signal to youth outside the sector that there are meaningful opportunities here today and in the future.”
The award winners will receive CA$1,000 and be invited to participate in a virtual Co-operators Leadership Academy programme focused on the co-operative values and principles. They will be able to attend networking and skills-building events, virtual tours, leadership sessions, and events with co-operative leaders nationally.
The Co-operators will announce the names of the first cohort of award recipients in spring 2022.
“Co-operative enterprises help keep our communities and our economy robust and resilient,” said Daniel Brunette, director of advocacy and partnerships for CMC, and a member of the selection committee. “By training the next generation of co-operators and spotlighting their leadership potential, we will build a stronger, more diverse and inclusive future.”
To be eligible applicants must be aged between 18 and 35 and be “meaningfully involved in the cooperatives and mutuals sector in Canada through employment, education or volunteering”.
A selection committee with representatives from Co-operators and CMC will review the applications and evaluate them based on applicants’ dedication, contributions to the co-operative movement and their interest in the learning opportunities offered through the Leadership Academy. Applications will remain open until 30 April 2022.
The awards form part of the Pathways to Employability (P2E) initiative of the Co-operators Community Funds (CCF), a CA$2m project dedicated to supporting the employability of marginalised Canadian youth affected by Covid-19 shutdowns.
