In this short piece, I reflect on some research I conducted with colleagues on young people, Youth Service Co-operatives (YSCs), and co-operative education which was originally published in the RECMA-Revue internationale de l’économie sociale. The research focused on the capacity of YSCs to foster young people’s empowerment. Here I share some of the findings of the study, using Ninacs’ rope metaphor, then discuss learning in youth co-operatives, and conclude with some reflections on the research experience and wider implications of the findings.