A school for a second chance

CME - Cuisine Mode d'Emploi(s) is a school opened in 2012 by Michelin Star chef Thierry Marx. CME offers a free course that encompasses training, conversion courses and work placements for trainees of all ages and backgrounds.

As Thierry Marx began his journey in the boulangerie, he naturally wanted to integrate a French baking component into his catering courses.

French bakers all make use of the same base ingredients. What sets them apart is their knowledge of the craft and their unique talent.

Through practical exercises, the trainees will get to grips with the basics needed to become a baker in eight weeks.

CME's bakery traineeships are aimed at jobseekers, with some looking for a career change as they transition from other sectors.

Eight weeks at the college (ten CME colleges in France) and three additional weeks at a company.

Trainer Christian Hébert gives us the low-down of the traineeship.

Trainees from all backgrounds with success waiting at the end for some.

"… There is a lack of traditional training available, and so we offer a course that is broken down in a way that works for an audience that often struggles to find work. Every year in France, 1.6 million people aged between 15 and 16 leave without any job prospects or school diplomas! But they are absolutely not destined to fail … Our colleges offer them the possibility to rediscover the idea of prospective employment! Boulanger, pâtissier ... it's up to the students to measure out the ingredients to follow a recipe, to multiply or divide based on the proportions needed, to assess their own work and see how far they can go. The pedagogical approach is easy to understand: learn by doing."


Thierry Marx interviewed in Les Echos newspaper