This is my theory of how MCC as we know it came about.
When the JAA was formed and the rule books were being written, it was decided to invent MCC, a course to be completed as part of a type rating in an airline environment demonstrating the importance of operating effectively as part of a crew in the Flight Deck. As well as learning to ask someone else to put the gear up for you, there are some very important lessons that need to be learnt about working safely with others. Responsible operators had actually been carrying this out in the UK by for years, as part of the type rating (what other countries within the newly formed JAA were doing is anyones guess) so it was decided to standarise with the MCC course. A very good, safety concious idea.
A flight school/university in the UK then got the idea that, as well as offering the ATPL course they could make a bit of cash by offering the new MCC course. A bastardised version of the crew interaction part of the type rating was born.
The wannabes of this world desparately searching for jobs, are always keen to get something new on their CV's to put them ahead of others, so they enrolled on this course. Before you can say 'what a load of tosh' other schools see the potential to make a few extra quid out of us and start to offer the course too.
As more training providers start to offer the course the airlines who have not yet got approval to do it in-house, start to request it as part of their minimum criteria.
We all feel we have to do the course to get a job, so we do it. The flight schools make loads of money, some airlines save money by not having to worry about designing the new course and we wannabes eat economy beans for another year.
In my (worthless) opinion, MCC when carried out properly ie as part of a type rating, in a realistic working environment using company sop's is a very worthwhile course. In its current form MCC - being tought fabricated procedures on an aircraft type your probably never going to fly for real, with an instructor who does not fly for an airline- is a worthless course from a learning point of view. And whats more you could be the worst Multi Crew operator in the world and you still get a certificate at the end of it all. If it were the employer doing the course you would be out!
This is how I see it at the moment. I'm ready to be corrected if I've got the wrong end of the ****ty stick.
worzel