Apprenticeship vs studying at college? (Australia)

[klouise]

Hi! I have been applying for hair apprenticeships for a little over a year and recently started looking into studying full time at a college. As I am considered mature age it is more difficult to get apprenticeships in my area, but I am interested in doing an apprenticeship because of the benefits (in salon experience, earning money while learning, guaranteed job when the apprenticeship is complete, special training opportunities). I have two interviews for apprenticeships in the next few weeks, but if neither of them work out I’m not sure if I should keep pursuing an apprenticeship or just enrol to study at college. If I study full time I will be finished in one year instead of three, but the cost is quite high and I have heard it is difficult to get jobs after completing college.

I am wondering if going to college is really that bad or if I should go for that instead? I feel as though I could get a senior stylist position out of college without too much trouble since I have 10 years experience in hospitality and as a makeup artist but everyone I have talked to so far advises against studying at college. Any advice or stories about your experiences would be great. I am eager to start my career in the hair industry and have been trying to get an apprenticeship for a year now. I am a little tired of waiting for an opportunity to come my way but also don’t want to enrol to study if it isn’t going to get me a job at the end of it.

 

[TheDuchess]

I’m not a hairdresser, but the position for hair and beauty are broadly similar. The main problem with college is that you don’t get sufficient practise. There is a difference between learning a technique and being competent. Without on the job experience you graduate qualified but not working at industry standards - too slow, too inexperienced to be able to do a good job on every client, not knowing what you don’t yet know etc. The hairdressers I know say it takes 3 years to learn the job, you can’t do it in a year.

In the UK, the syllabus lags behind the industry and very often what you learn in college is not what you’ll be doing in work, so you still need a lot of training in your first year in work. It’s then a big financial commitment for a salon to take you on essentially as a trainee. All employers moan that college students are not work ready, they don’t expect to clean and find work that needs doing - they don’t understand that someone has to empty bins, run errands, buy milk, fold towels. I remember when I was in college, on work experience we were quiet so I cleaned a sticky trolley. My supervising tutor told me that I didn’t need to do that job. But knowing how to clean is important.

There are also problems with apprenticeships, very often it’s difficult to train you in techniques because you need models and supervision. Some salons manage this brilliantly others less so. In the Uk a job on on qualifying is not a given and not many stay on. Pretty much all salons need a junior, they don’t need an inexperienced stylist without a client base.

Employers haven’t got much imagination. I think you need to demonstrate some commitment to a career in hair. Get yourself into a hair salon doing any job that you can, maybe as a receptionist, and make yourself useful. Maybe you could do a short course in wedding hair or hair ups and you could showcase your work with hair and makeup.

I wouldn’t discount college, if you put the effort in and combine college with a part time job in a salon, I’m sure you’ll do ok.