Beginner Hairdresser Advice

[blonde_hana]

Hi there, any advice would be appreciated.

I am 21 and ive left a uni course after two years, and i am wanting to go into hairdressing. I am wanting to consider all options, so I have applied to two colleges to do my nvq levels starting august but i am also sending out letters and cvs to local salons asking about either a work experience placement or a position as junior assistant.
i have also looked into city and guilds training academys and the only problem is how expensive it is and you have to fund yourself. is there any help you can get with funding?
also am i too old to get an apprenticeship? i think the maximum age is 19?
as i am not sure whether i will be in Dundee or Glasgow/Falkirk area come august, what is a better course to go for, NVQ (falkirk) or NC (dundee/glasgow)? are they the same thing?

please help, thanks in advance

h

xxx

 

[toni.d]

i went to college loads of times doing random courses but did hairdessing in 2008 and just finished last june.

college is good, i went to elmwood in cupar, they were really hands on, i have heard that the dundee college is good too.

i did one day at week in a salon while at college, but the salon owner didnt feel that colleges were any good so would not take me on once finishing college.

no your not too old for an apprentiship, the only draw back with apprentiships is the money, im 22 years old and i have been accepted on apprentiships but ad to turn them down because i was offered a wage of just above £1 an hour.

the problem with college is once your finished its very difficult to get employment as they all want you to have experience, this is my problem, i have been qualified since june last year and have had no luck at all in finding a job.

from my experience the 2 best options are:

an apprentiship (if you can afford the low wage) at a salon, where you will work in the shop all week and attend college one day a week, for theory and assesments. and make sure this salon will keep you on once qualifed. if you want to do an apprentiship, and age concerns the saon owner just tell them your dedicated to becoming a hairdresser and the money is not an issue.

or

full time college course, but get a salon job as a junior for days your not at college.

and as for funding, i got a bursery of about £250 a month from the college, for my full time course and i 20 when i started, so u should get some sort of funding.

hope this helps! x

 

[blonde_hana]

thanks for the advice, yeah i read a few threads on here saying it was difficult to get a job after leaving college. my mum's hairdresser friend recommends applying as a junior in a good salon, they are just very difficult to find but i'll keep trying.
i have an interview with dundee college in a couple of weeks, so i'm just keeping my options open.

thanks again hope everything goes well for you

x

 

[spikeyfaerie]

I'm now 29 and did my level 2 SVQ at Cardonald College last year, now back doing my NC Level 6 (sort of equivalent to SVQ 3). I get bursary and travel expenses even though I'm married (it's means tested so it's less than it was last year when we were just living together).

If you are unsure what you will be entitled to ask the Finance people at the colleges, it's their job to know these things.

 

[NeelieGel]

doesn't say a lot for the salon owner does it, if they insist you aren't good enough to employ after having you there for a while. Surely if you go to college and then to the salon one day a week they have some input into your training? Or did they just use you to make the coffee?

this does make me cross. Salon owners that want juniors but can't be bothered to train them in house.

My boss that I did my training with was fantastic and so enthusiastic about sharing his skills. We did two model nights a week and he was always chasing us up to stand and observe in between doing shampoos or any of the other stuff he got us doing. Observations and models is such a major part of training. I am intrigued though. If you do college four days a week and a salon one day a week what input to your training do the salon have?

 

[Sammi74]

well if you're under 25 you should get your course fees paid for i would ask about that at college. Also I am 36 and started hairdressing nvq 1/2 two years ago part time at college, i volunteered a day a week in a salon as it was the only was i could get a bit of experience and meet the requirements of college. (you had to have a placement). I worked alongside some juniors (which came and went like a conveyor) in my 18 months at the salon, i was telling them what i was doing at college and they couldnt believe the hands on experience I was getting and seem to overtake them in practical assesments and theory. They were really frustrated as the salon owner would say the salon was too busy for them to attend their one day a week at college and it would be weeks on end before they went, and got left behind.

I hope you manage to get an apprenticeship or whatever it is you need to do your nvq and it works out well for you x