An impactful training system : Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC)
Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC) is located in Spain's Basque Country and is the seventh largest corporation in Spain.
Its story begins with Mondragon priest José María Arizmendiarrieta, who was determined to boost employment after the Spanish civil war. in 1956, he set up a workshop in the village with the aim of creating a framework for self-fulfilment by giving people the power to undertake, create, and be autonomous. He then established a training center open to all young people in the region.
Today, the MCC brings together 300 companies across four sector groups: Finance, Industry, Distribution, and Knowledge. It employs 80,000 people and trains 10,000 students through Mondragon Unibertsitatea, established in 1997. Its transparent and distributed governance model is implemented through profit-sharing, cross-functional funds, and the allocation of net profits.
“The idea is not to create more cooperatives, but more cooperative people.” Arizmendi
At Mondragon Unibertsitatea, for example, various activities are brought together in a single building to foster a sense of community and collaboration. The spaces are organized by floor: the ground floor is rented by individuals who are aligned with the values of impact and sharing; the first floor is dedicated to students; the second to businesses; and the third to climate and digital clusters.
Mondragon Team Academy :
The Mondragon Team Academy (MTA) was created in May 2008 as the university’s entrepreneurship unit. With a constant focus on empowering individuals and fostering innovation, it is aimed at both students and professionals.
Projects connected to Africa and European collaborations have been launched, and several entrepreneurial ecosystems have been established in the Basque Country, Barcelona, and in disadvantaged areas elsewhere in Spain, notably in Malaga and Madrid.
The Master in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation (LEEIN) is the first program created at the MTA. In 2009, it became the first official European diploma in entrepreneurship and innovation.
An innovative approach to entrepreneurial learning is promoted, replacing traditional lectures and exams with teamwork, project-based learning, and experiential methods.
The Master’s program takes place over four years and in four different countries, with learning labs located in Oñati, Bidassoa, Barcelona, Berlin, Bilbao, Madrid, Malaga, Puebla, Seoul, Shanghai, and Valencia, and strong links with MIT and the United States.
Mondragon Unibertsitatea, and in particular the LEEIN Master’s program, stands out for its distinctly innovative pedagogy. It draws its strength from peer learning and professional experience, setting it apart from more conventional academic models.
The MTA demonstrates that the use of democratic organizational methods, combined with the human and professional development of its workers and a strong commitment to the surrounding social environment, can foster genuine competitiveness in the marketplace.
