What is MacsMAD

In this blog post, we’ll be exploring our MacsMAD training scheme in detail, so you know exactly how the proceeds from your macaroons are being used to achieve our social goals.

What is MacsMAD?

MacsMAD is our ‘Macaroons that Make A Difference’ training programme, which consists of eight weeks of training and work experience sessions led by Miss Macaroon, followed by six months of mentoring and coaching. The course is designed to give our trainees the confidence, motivation and practical skills they need to enter into stable employment. This could be in the catering industry, in retail, or any industry to which the skills gained with us could be transferred.

When does it take place?

The MacsMAD programme runs on a rolling basis every 10 to 12 weeks.

Who are our trainees?

There is no fixed criteria for who we decide to accept onto the course, however all of our potential trainees must demonstrate that they have a real drive and motivation to want to get back into work – the first step to any major change in your life is to want to want it!
In order to make a social impact, we have committed ourselves to prioritising certain vulnerable groups – this could include care-leavers, ex-offenders, those with mental health issues and learning difficulties, and those who may have suffered from homelessness and substance abuse in the past. We work a lot with external agencies such as Crisis, Shelter and young offenders services to identify suitable candidates for our programme, which adds an extra layer to risk management. We’ve got to make sure that we’re not setting up our trainees to fail, and that our other trainees and colleagues aren’t at risk too. To do this we provide lots of extra support and create a network around them.

How many trainees do you take on?

We have spaces for six to eight trainees to complete a course at one time. Our group sizes are purposefully small so that we can truly focus on each trainee’s individual development and getting them the support they need. In this way, we can ultimately make a more meaningful impact as we are transforming the lives of a few in a substantial and long lasting way.

What does the course actually deliver?

Each course is adapted slightly to the needs of the training cohort, and we would offer either a catering course or a retail course. Our next blog post will explain in more detail what these courses include, but they are both a mixture of practical and soft skills, as well as the opportunity to gain qualifications.

What support do we offer after the course?

The ultimate goal of our programme is to get our trainees into work. We offer our trainees the opportunity to complete additional work experience with us where they will become a part of the team. This can lead to further training with us, and other organisations, apprenticeships and more.

We keep an open dialogue with our trainees over a longer period of time after they finish our course, giving them up to one hour a week of coaching and mentoring, depending on what they need. Further to this, we also keep in contact with their new employers to step in if there are any ongoing issues. In exceptional circumstances, like where there may be family problems or living arrangement issues, we also offer crisis management services for extra support. This extra support has been designed to ensure that our trainees really get the most from our course.

For further information about our MacsMAD course, or if you’re an organisation interested in working with us to achieve our social mission, please contact Sabrina at programmeleader@missmacaroon.co.uk or at 0121 359 0700.