My week at Co-operatives UK: What I learned on work experience

We often think of work and home as two separate parts of life. But what happens when they aren’t?

This was one of the questions I found myself thinking about during my work experience with Co-operatives UK, where I spent the week exploring the Our House: Halls for apprentices project and the potential for co-operative approaches to housing young apprentices.  
 
My journey with Co-operatives UK actually started earlier this year when I attended the National Youth Summit, which ran alongside Co-op Congress 2026. As a Sociology student at the University of Liverpool, I was interested in learning more about the co-operative movement and how co-operative approaches can be used to address social and economic issues. Meeting people from across the wider sector and hearing about the breadth of work happening across co-operatives made me keen to learn more.

So, when I was later given the opportunity to undertake work experience with Co-operatives UK, it felt natural to build on that initial experience and explore the movement from a different perspective.

During my work experience, I was given the opportunity to explore the Our House project, which looks at how affordable, independent accommodation could help young people access and sustain apprenticeships. For many young apprentices, particularly those who need to move for work, the cost of housing can become a barrier to taking up an opportunity in the first place.  

My task was to look at the existing landscape of housing provision for young people, researching organisations ranging from private student accommodation and supported housing to housing co-operatives and community-led models. I also had the opportunity to speak with employers and other stakeholders involved in thinking about accommodation for young people. What I found interesting was that the question of housing doesn't necessarily stop at affordability: where we live can also affect how we experience work, independence and our relationships with other people.

Speaking with employers who had trialled providing accommodation for apprentices made me think about the relationship between domestic life and working life. What happens when the people you work alongside are also the people you live alongside? Could shared accommodation create a strong sense of community and friendship, while also making it harder to switch off from work? It is a particularly interesting question for apprentices.

While apprentice accommodation could provide valuable community and support, it is important to consider how a housing model can also give young people the space and independence to maintain a life outside of work. This has made me think differently about what the Our House project could ultimately provide. It isn’t simply about creating somewhere affordable for apprentices. It is about creating a home and a place for young people to develop independence, build relationships, and feel part of a wider community whilst having clear separation from their working lives.

Through this research I became more intrigued by co-operative housing. A co-operative model could give residents a meaningful role in making decisions about their home and community, rather than simply being tenants of a housing provider. It raises an exciting possibility: could we create accommodation that supports young people entering the world of work while also giving them ownership and a genuine voice in the place they live?

My time with Co-operatives UK has therefore been about more than researching housing providers. I’ve been able to speak to people working across the sector, engage with a project tackling a current social issue, and see how co-operative ideas can be applied to questions which affect young people’s everyday lives.  

I've also learnt more about the co-operative movement itself. From attending the National Youth Summit and Co-op Congress to spending time with colleagues and carrying out research for Our House, I’ve seen how collective approaches can turn ideas into practical change.  

All together, this week has been super insightful, and I’m so grateful for this experience! I’m excited to see how the Our House project develops and where these ideas might lead next.