MAC: Setting the stage for fantastic careers

Recently, Mencap co-trainer Natalie Duo spoke to Hannah, Poppy and Joe - three incredible young people who have recently completed a Mencap Training Academy supported internship at MAC. Find out how MAC has helped them to start their careers below.

Let's start with a bit about you. Can you please tell us who you are and what your hobbies and interests are?

Hannah: My name is Hannah, and my hobbies are football and a bit of rugby, I love to watch England. I used to do a bit of horse riding a while ago, but I don’t do that so much now because of work. I also love dogs, and have two, they’re sleeping next to me now.

Joe : I'm Joe Bowden. I love to play video games, games on Steam and on handheld consoles especially, but just games in general as well. I also love cats. I have two called Robin and Marion. Marion is older but Robin is bigger.

Poppy: My name’s Poppy and I like boxing. I also like baking, cooking and I've got two Romanian dogs. We’ve all got lots of pets here.

Could you please tell us a bit about your job and your role at Midlands Arts Centre?

Joe: I'm a casual contract performing arts technician now and I was offered the contract before the end of my supported internship. So, I've been doing the role for a good two years now, which is a lot longer than I realise sometimes. I've also had a role at the Hippodrome since November. I've worked on a multitude of events, some of which have been pretty challenging in some ways, but it's mostly been good and the events have always been memorable. I find working with technology is easier for me because it just makes sense in my head. I can see where different bits connects so I can quickly make sense of it all.

Hannah: I used to be on the supported internship with Mencap, doing work experience at the Midlands Arts Centre. But then Debbie, who's the CEO, gave me a contract just before the end of my supported internship last year for a paid job at the MAC. I've been working in the KILN café at the MAC for two years now, doing 6 hour shifts, sometimes working in different areas of the café. I'm also now doing an apprenticeship in customer service with an organisation called Creative Alliance.

Poppy: I have recently started in a paid job as a customer services assistant. I’m working in the KILN café with Hannah. I've been doing work experience at the MAC this year since last September, and what I like about it is that there's so many people that you can work with and, as Hannah said, you can go and work in the KILN, but also lots of different areas around the MAC. Before getting the paid job in the café, I worked across the customer service team at the MAC, in the cinema, the theatre, and in the gallery, as well as supporting with events.

What are your colleagues like and how do they support you at work?

Poppy: They have been so helpful. When I started, I wasn’t sure about what I was doing so I was able to go along with them and see what they were doing. I soon got used to what I was doing after that. It’s a really nice place to work and lots of my colleagues are my friends. The customer service manager has been really kind and supportive.

Joe: It’s a good working environment at the MAC. It can be a bit hectic sometimes and we can get a bit wrapped up with what we’re doing. But the team are very nice and I think I fit in well with them. Some of them like video games too so we talk about that sometimes.

Hannah: My colleagues are really helpful. For example, I struggle to stand for long periods of time, so with certain tasks like polishing things, my colleagues bring the equipment to a table so I can sit and do the polishing instead of having to stand up and do it. They’ve also helped me to reduce my hours from 8 to 6 hours a day, so I don’t get too tired. We have an hour lunch break and two 15-minute breaks during the morning and afternoon, so there’s time to talk to people as well. Sometimes, like on weekends when it’s really busy, we have a very big team, so there’s lots of people to talk to.

The CEO at the MAC, Debbie is also really supportive. She often visits the KILN to see how we’re getting on and always shows an interest in how the Mencap learners are doing.

Poppy and Hannah, I understand that you guys have been working together. What's that been like for both of you?

Hannah: Poppy would get a little confused when she first started at the KILN, so I gave her some tips like helping her to understand where different tables are in the café. I helped her with working with the food and drink screens behind the counter as well. I also showed her how to sort all the cutlery and different cups. What to do at the start. I liked teaching Poppy and she was a very quick learner! Once I’d shown her how to do things, she would go and do it herself straight away.

Poppy: It was so helpful having Hannah there with me because she’d been in the same position as me. I knew I could always ask her for help and she could tell me how to do things when I wasn’t sure.

Hannah: And teaching Poppy the different tasks has made me better at them as well. Sometimes when she asked me something I wasn’t sure and I had to think about what I had to do and now I remember those things better as well.

Poppy: And it's going to be the same again in September, with another Mencap learner joining the team. So, I will be taking that new learner around and showing her how to be a customer assistant, which will be really nice!

How would you like to develop your careers from here? Where do you see yourselves in five years’ time?

Poppy: Probably working here to be fair! Some of my friends have started jobs and then gotten another job on top of it, so maybe I could do that in the future. It just depends on what fits for you.

Joe: I'd like to be working full-time, either as a technician at one of the venues where I currently work, or by having some other contracts at some other venues as well. That might be nice as it would give me lots of options for where I go with my career.

Hannah: I would like to stay on at the MAC. But maybe I could work in some different parts of the MAC as well as the KILN, like the Welcome Desk, giving information to visitors. The MAC is a beautiful place for me, I knew I wanted to work here when I first attended an employer matching day here before the supported internship started, and now I don’t want to leave it. If I did ever have to leave, I know I’d like to do something similar in hospitality. I was inspired to work in hospitality by my brother who works in catering.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing a Mencap Training Academy supported internship and work experience at the MAC?

Poppy: I'd say if they want to be able to work with different people and work in different kids of roles, then the MAC is a great place for them! There's lots of different areas you can work in at the MAC and you can move between them if you like so it's really good for people who maybe want to try different things.

Hannah: I agree with Poppy. You can develop here and try new things, so future Mencap learners can work out along the way what they want to do. You can also come to one of the open days before the programme starts to get a sense of what it’s like and what you could do here before you start.

Joe: I would say it’s a great way to get your foot in the door and onto the jobs ladder. The supported internship will give you the chance to get familiar with the venue so you can build your confidence.

Natalie Duo is a co-trainer at Mencap, delivering learning disability awareness training to employers. She is a graduate of a supported internship programme, during which she completed work experience with The Financial Times. Natalie loves writing and regularly contributes articles featuring interviews with Mencap's employer partners and learners.

To find out more about Mencap's supported internships and other programmes, visit the Mencap Training Academy website: https://trainingacademy.mencap.org.uk/