Social Economy education: State of the art and needs analysis report for UK

Social Economy education in the United Kingdom: ‘It should be in the DNA of all modules, in all disciplines’ Although there are many short courses on the SE, there is a shortage of HE programmes. But actors across the sectors are demanding Higher education provisions as well as stronger collaboration between Universities and SE organisations. ‘We need programmes designed to bring new, talented, people inside the cooperative sector.’ Despite the apparent difficulties to define social economy in the UK context and the variations across those self-identified as SE actors, there is a general emphasis on the ends pursued (emphasis on social mission) and a set of common values and principles underpinning organisations operating within the wider social economy sector. Universities need to strengthen their collaboration with SE actors; encourage critical thinking, nurture cultural awareness and support ethnic minority groups. There is a strong desire to extend collaborations between HE institutions and SE actors, yet we need to be mindful of existing scarcity of resources. Designing theoretically rigorous and practice-oriented programmes is in high demand. Finding the right balance between theory and practice is certainly a challenge, yet understanding the complexity of organisations operating in the wider social economy sector and helping graduates develop a range of skills and competencies alongside the cultivation of a distinctive, cooperative-driven and community-based, ethos is highly rated. Redefining ‘how people work and produce value’ and helping to ‘change the way that the economy works’, was considered to be among the top priorities of Universities and any programme related to social economy education.