Hairdressing apprenticeships are a cut above

In 2015, The Bournemouth & Poole College’s own commercial salon, Flaunt, underwent a £50,000 refurbishment to update its facilities and enhance the apprenticeships on offer to students. Flaunt is open weekdays to the public and has a variety of beauty treatments, as well as hairdressing available to its clients for a fraction of the usual price.

At the college, a hairdressing apprenticeship enables students to learn new employability skills that are specific to the industry, and they are then given the opportunity to put these into practice, while gaining hands-on experience working in a salon environment. On completion of the 18-month long course, learners are then able to enrol onto an advanced apprenticeship in hairdressing, working towards an NVQ three.

Rachel Allen, hair and barbering apprenticeship coordinator at The Bournemouth & Poole College, said: ‘‘According to the latest EMSI report there is a 9.5% job growth expected in the hair and beauty industry from now until 2020. Hair and barbering apprenticeships are key stepping stones in finding a career in this industry.

‘‘I did my level two and three apprenticeship with The Bournemouth & Poole College and it was the start of my fantastic career. I worked as a senior stylist and progressed to a salon manager for several years. The opportunities for apprentices are limitless.’’

Amber Cottrell, 17, Robin James Salon apprentice, said, ‘‘I’m quite a practical person and when I finished school I wanted to find a career which meant I could use my creativity. This is what attracted me to an apprenticeship in hairdressing as I felt it was the perfect way to do this. I also get to work with lots of different people and every day brings something new; I’m never bored.

‘‘To be a good apprentice you need to be hardworking, have good time keeping skills and an eye for attention to detail. You must also be reliable so that you earn your colleagues’ and employer’s trust. These are all skills which your apprenticeship at The Bournemouth & Poole College helps develop.’’