Mrs.Clooney
Positive Geek
I am posting this on my daughter's behalf. This is long so please bear with me whilst I explain.
My eldest daughter is now 18 and has been excited about becoming a hairdresser. With 7 GCSE's (including Math, English and Science) successfully under her belt she left school at 17 after repeating a year due to illness and joined our local state funded college on NVQ Level 1 for the first year and progressing to level 2 second year. This was the only college option as they changed their course and she had to begin at level 1 which compulsorily included basic facials mani/pedi for which she had less interest.
She had tried to apply for apprenticeships, but with the economic downturn and struggling salons, the jobs were few and far between. It also became apparent that salons were not willing to take her on for 2 reasons: she will be 19 in January, hence they will have to pay her minimum wage and they tend to want 16 year olds so they can 'mold them from scratch'. Is this not discrimination?
At college she was only doing 15 and 1/2 hours per week. Classes were large and most students not really *rsed about being there, so lessons were slow and disruptive. The college gets funded for bums on seats so they are reluctant to get rid of disinterested, disruptive students. She was given no theory and became frustrated.
She then managed to enroll in a new college which came recommended and which takes students based on them finding an apprenticeship although she achieves NVQ L1 & 2 in one year. Her first salon let her go after 3 weeks due to financial restraints although they assured her she was hard working. Then she helped out at another salon to cover staff leave. Again she got very good feedback and she got to do a couple of blowdries and was praised for her work. This was followed by a trial day at another salon who again gave her very positive feedback but took on a 16 year old instead (the reason being that they wanted somebody they could train their way. Last week, she trialed at another salon with, yet again, very good feedback as well as been told that she was right for the salon. However on Monday, the manager told her that they did not have a place for her and could not take her on!?!
These are the salons where she has managed to get trials. I have not mentioned the ones where she has personally handed in her CV or been interviewed. She even filled out an online application for a large London chain and without even meeting her, they said 'sorry, but we cannot consider your application'. She has had her CV looked over by a person who is trained at helping people find jobs including another administrator for hairdressing employment and we were told that her CV was spot on.
So, understandably now she is gutted and feeling self concious and low. Her dad and I have always been of the mind set that life comes with it's knocks and bumps, but you pick yourself up and dust yourself down and move forward. However, even we are now very despondent for her. We have seen how hard she has worked and tried and persevered and even we are becoming weary of what seems like a somewhat 'fickle' industry.
Please can you advise, suggest, comment. Is this just a huge glitch? Is it usually this tough for a trainee? Are we missing something? Anything please?
Thank you.
My eldest daughter is now 18 and has been excited about becoming a hairdresser. With 7 GCSE's (including Math, English and Science) successfully under her belt she left school at 17 after repeating a year due to illness and joined our local state funded college on NVQ Level 1 for the first year and progressing to level 2 second year. This was the only college option as they changed their course and she had to begin at level 1 which compulsorily included basic facials mani/pedi for which she had less interest.
She had tried to apply for apprenticeships, but with the economic downturn and struggling salons, the jobs were few and far between. It also became apparent that salons were not willing to take her on for 2 reasons: she will be 19 in January, hence they will have to pay her minimum wage and they tend to want 16 year olds so they can 'mold them from scratch'. Is this not discrimination?
At college she was only doing 15 and 1/2 hours per week. Classes were large and most students not really *rsed about being there, so lessons were slow and disruptive. The college gets funded for bums on seats so they are reluctant to get rid of disinterested, disruptive students. She was given no theory and became frustrated.
She then managed to enroll in a new college which came recommended and which takes students based on them finding an apprenticeship although she achieves NVQ L1 & 2 in one year. Her first salon let her go after 3 weeks due to financial restraints although they assured her she was hard working. Then she helped out at another salon to cover staff leave. Again she got very good feedback and she got to do a couple of blowdries and was praised for her work. This was followed by a trial day at another salon who again gave her very positive feedback but took on a 16 year old instead (the reason being that they wanted somebody they could train their way. Last week, she trialed at another salon with, yet again, very good feedback as well as been told that she was right for the salon. However on Monday, the manager told her that they did not have a place for her and could not take her on!?!
These are the salons where she has managed to get trials. I have not mentioned the ones where she has personally handed in her CV or been interviewed. She even filled out an online application for a large London chain and without even meeting her, they said 'sorry, but we cannot consider your application'. She has had her CV looked over by a person who is trained at helping people find jobs including another administrator for hairdressing employment and we were told that her CV was spot on.
So, understandably now she is gutted and feeling self concious and low. Her dad and I have always been of the mind set that life comes with it's knocks and bumps, but you pick yourself up and dust yourself down and move forward. However, even we are now very despondent for her. We have seen how hard she has worked and tried and persevered and even we are becoming weary of what seems like a somewhat 'fickle' industry.
Please can you advise, suggest, comment. Is this just a huge glitch? Is it usually this tough for a trainee? Are we missing something? Anything please?
Thank you.