Miss Macaroon and World Youth Skills Day

What is World Youth Skills Day?

Celebrated on 15 July, World Youth Skills Day was founded in 2014 by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate the importance of relevant workplace skills for young people. Education and technical skills training are vital to ensuring that young people are adequately prepared to thrive in the workforce. This is why Miss Macaroon channels 100% of its profits into our MacsMAD scheme and supports the Kickstart initiative.

Kickstart and World Youth Skills Day

The Kickstart Scheme is a six-month paid placement – set at 25 hours a week paid at minimum wage for your age. As part of Miss Macaroon’s Kickstart programme, you’ll have the opportunity to discover new skills, attend workshops and gain work experience in one of Birmingham’s most well-renowned Social Enterprises. 

For World Youth Skills Day, we asked our Kickstart Marketing Assistants what skills they have learnt during their placements:

“Firstly, my confidence has been boosted massively as at the beginning I was nervous to start the scheme, however almost 3 weeks into the role I am confident with discussing my ideas and opinions and also receiving and giving out feedback on projects. Secondly, my time management has improved by implementing smart targets each day which help me stay organised. They also help me to use my time accordingly when prioritising tasks and projects.”

– Marium, Kickstart Marketing Assistant 

“Before I started at Miss Macaroon, I had just freshly graduated in graphic and media design and struggled to get even a basic job. It felt like I was un-hireable. However, after I started working at Miss Macaroon, my confidence grew as well as my marketing skills. Now, whenever I’m in a interview, I know how to conduct myself and I also know my worth when applying to jobs.”

– Shannon, Kickstart Marketing Assistant 

“I’ve have really enjoyed working for Miss Macaroon and especially appreciate the opportunity it has given me to learn and grow. Working in a small company has allowed me to be given responsibilities I wouldn’t have in other jobs, helping me to grow my confidence and task-management skills.”

– Heléna, Kickstart Marketing Assistant 

World Youth Skills Day and MacsMAD

We also offer the MacsMAD (Macaroons that Make a Difference) Programme at Miss Macaroon. The course lasts for 10 weeks and is for unemployed young people aged 18-35 years old, to gain new skills and work experience to build confidence in the workplace. We specialise in supporting people with mental health needs, on the Autism spectrum, with caring responsibilities or with an offending history. One of these graduates, Solomon, has since transitioned from the MacsMAD Programme to the Kickstart Scheme:

“The biggest skill I gained through MacsMAD was confidence. Thanks to the support I received, I felt confident to progress further into anything I wanted to do, including the Kickstart Scheme through which I am now working as a Marketing Assistant. I also learned resilience and perseverance which have been a massive help within and outside of the world of work.”

– Solomon, MacsMAD Graduate and Kickstart Marketing Assistant

Supporting Miss Macaroon on World Youth Skills Day

This World Youth Skills Day, you can help Miss Macaroon continue to support and train young people with the skills they need to thrive in the workplace. One-hundred percent of the profits from our hand-made luxury macaroons go towards funding the MacsMAD scheme. Every purchase you make helps us bake a brighter future!