Each year students’ unions welcome hundreds of new trustees to their boards, some of which will only be in post for a single year. It is therefore essential that new trustees are brought up to speed very quickly, and Coole Insight is here to help you get to grips with the basics. Using the Nolan Principles as a guide, we provide different training packages ranging from single workshops, one-day, and residential training programmes.

In addition to our elected student officer 360 appraisal, we offer a thorough review process for students’ union staff members that considers how they adapt to working in a student-led environment. The appraisal covers a series of core competencies and provides an excellent platform for self-reflection and improvement of these individuals.

Being a full-time paid student officer is one of the most unique jobs in the world, and it is genuinely down to the individual as to how much they will take from their 1–2-year experience. Our training offer equips individuals, regardless of their starting point or experience, to develop their leadership mindset using self-reflection, emotional intelligence, and storytelling techniques. We also introduce elected officers into the role and function of students’ unions, and their elected role within these amazing organisations.

Following a successful inaugural year, the SU Festival of Training will be coming under the umbrella of Coole Insight from 2022. Led and organised by Ryan Beasley, this sector wide programme brings together a series of essential workshops and training sessions delivered by sector experts, Coole Insight Associates, and students’ union professionals.

The Coole Insight team has over 150 years of experience of working in students’ unions across the UK and internationally. This experience enables us to develop and deliver new and innovative bespoke workshops based on the needs of our clients. For example, we have created sessions on political accountability, the charity governance code, and developing organisational values.

Our broad range of experience enables us to provide mentoring services for all levels of students’ union operations. From an elected student officer taking on their first full time staff role, to middle managers and Chief Executive Officers, we provide six and twelve month 121 packages that can be tailored to the needs of individuals and is quoted on a case-by-case basis.