BEAUTY businesses in Cardiff and surrounding areas are being encouraged to seek additional training support on offer to help them capitalise on consistently strong numbers taking up hairdressing apprenticeships nationwide.
Wales’ leading training provider has put the spotlight on a government training scheme which supports independent salons by placing trainees into the workplace for 10 months at a time after 22,000 people signed up to hairdressing, barbering or beauty apprenticeships between 2014 and 15*.
The call comes from a ‘new look’ team heading up the hair and beauty department at ACT Training who are keen to engage more fully with businesses surrounding ACT centres across Wales for the benefit of the local economy and young people based locally.
With strong industry links in tow, incoming Sector Lead for Hair, Beauty and Barbering Co-ordinator Cheryl Evans and her team are all too aware just how important adopting a business focused approach is, and as such are looking to engage hair and beauty operators in talent spotting and wider networking opportunities in future too.
Cheryl, whose own early training took place in a Cardiff city salon, said: “The hair and beauty tutoring team here know from experience that ‘on the job’ training is particularly relevant within the field we have all been supporting such growth in for a number of years now.
“It’s wonderful to see that trainee figures remain strong in a discipline which employs around 270,000 people in the UK, and which contributes billions of pounds to the economy each year, but we believe there is still more to be done in supporting existing businesses who may be looking to diversify or expand further.
“This is where current traineeships on offer, which enable young people to experience the workplace for 32 hours a week over 10 months of the year without cost to the business concerned, work so well for both the local economy and those looking to take their first steps into the industry too.”
Moves to build on existing connections with local beauty businesses come after the National Hairdressers Federation revealed hairdressing and beauty apprenticeships to be 10th most popular in England. In Wales, more than 80% of 200 hair and beauty apprentices currently on board with ACT Training alone go on to progress positively following their qualifications, contributing to a £7bn turnover from hair and beauty business across Britain annually.
Figures also show more than two thirds of the total number signing up to hair and beauty apprenticeships with ACT Training during all of 2016 have already enrolled on similar courses in the first three months of 2017 alone.
Cheryl, her fellow Sector Lead Co-ordinator Terri Dabbs and their team are therefore keen to raise awareness of the opportunities available to local companies in placing trainees within the workplace, and also engage hair professionals in guest training sessions, for example.
Andrew Cooksley, Managing Director at ACT Training, said: “We are thrilled to have such a great team together looking after our hair and beauty trainees here at ACT Training, most of whom have all come to us via industry-led training routes themselves.
“It’s heartening to see that apprenticeship figures in a field that has always previously benefitted from vocational training pathways continue to flourish in an age where so many routes are now on offer to our young people – it doesn’t mean that local businesses can afford to be complacent when it comes to making the most of the support on offer, however.”
With centres in Aberdare, Barry, Blackwood, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, ACT Training is one of Wales’ largest and currently works with over 700 employers of all sizes, including British Gas, NatWest, Barclays, NHS Health Boards, Radisson Blu, Admiral and many more, to place trainees in a wide variety of work-based roles.
Hair and beauty businesses in the Cardiff area keen to get involved in working with young trainees or find out more about the current traineeship opportunities on offer can call ACT Training on 02920 464727 or email info@acttraining.org.uk
