Junior/Apprentice/NVQ/VRQ Nightmare

[fayevix]

So... I opened my salon in January and have a trainee who comes in on Fridays unpaid as part of her placement, from March.

When she came to me, she couldn't do anything, by that I mean, she didnt know how to answer the phone, sweep the floor, make tea, shampoo, anything.

She was put straight onto Level2 from school, but college are now calling it a VRQ??

It's now August and she can shampoo, and do most of the general housekeeping skills, weve been doing training afternoons (blow drying etc) and she isnt one bit interested, she has passed her VRQ (and I really dont know how) she can't even manage do a basic colour application.... how are kids to pass a course or... move on the the next subject without passing the previous one to a suitable standard.

What im meaning is... how can she be marked off and qualified to do a colour is she doesn't know her basic steps, consultation, contra-indications, how to put the colour on, or..... even how to mix the colour.

How can you move on to colouring if you cant do a blow dry?

I really dont understand how colleges let these girls pass the courses, apparently she didnt have to go on to VRQ Level 3 in September as she was qualified.

Said trainee has now walked out as I confronted her about being 1hr1/2 late on friday morning, im trying to run a business and dont mean to sound hard, but surely the whole point in going to college is to learn??

 

[ryanhiggs]

Vrq's arn't the same as an nvq, a vrq is only a junior qualification. A person would have to do vrq level 3 just to move onto nvq level 2. If she thinks she's a qualified hairdresser then she's very wrong.

 

[soosh]

Oh dear!
That's a bit of a nightmare to have such an employee!
Are u paying her or she's coming to your salon for free?
I don't want to be mean, but she sounds like a waste of space/time to me.
Doing my first level at college... I was shocked to see that people who don't know how to shampoo hair ( and don't even care if they soak u), will get the same qualification as me. Now they've made this 'merit pass distinction', but even so...I don't feel v proud to know that I had a distinction, when there is no real competition. Basicaly, the college will pass everybody in order to keep their prestige high. There've been cases with some girls deciding to give up the course because they thought it's too much hard work (lol, they should see the life from outside those doors), and the teachers talked them through to stay. And all they did untill the end of the year was to keep an eye on the clock, moan about the difficulty of the tasks and want to go home. They've ticked all the marks in the end for all the units. Funny, no?
I believe she must be young and unskilled, but without the desire to learn you don't succeed much in life. It's a shame only that she's taking some of your time and a place for somebody else who wants to be there in that salon!
She was late 1.30 min?oh boy....and she walked out? will she still find her place back? I think this girl doesn't realise how competitive it is to get a job in a salon as a junior...and with all the respect, but u sound lovely to me! An employer who's concerned about their employees and opens a thread to be more informed should receive more appreciation!

 

[lauren-ox]

I dont know the difference between those courses and nvq's however.. What i can tell you is i totally agree!! A few girls i was friends with at highschool went onto college to do nvq level 2 then level 3 beauty therapy, and are now fully qualified and have been for about a year or so now, whether they've managed to get jobs or not is a different story because if i was a salon manager i would certainly not be hiring them.. I might sound harsh but they couldnt even do a basic manicure with just 1 colour LET ALONE FRENCH!! Its ashame though because at the end of the day there teachers have passed them and gave them these qualifications however, once entering a beauty salon and being asked to demonstrate a few things before they get the job, there just going to be told they need more 'practice'. It really is awfull how leanient these colleges are with the pass rates and then these girls go to look for jobs but simply cant find one because there skills are just not up to scratch, yet they have these qualifications..

Although.. I must tell you, i went into a beauty salon for a spray tan and my god, the results i had were just AWFULL!! The girl told me she had just finished college and this was her first real job in a salon.. when doing my tan she sprayed the solution so close to my skin it was just dripping down my body like a shower! I was just so confused and embarassed of what i looked like i just paid the money and ran straight to my car and washed it straight off at home!! The funny thing is she acted as if she had done a great job, she didnt look in the slightest bit worried or as if she knew she had done it wrong. I really regret not complaining to the manager but at the time i was just mortified. I cant believe they hired her, she was totally useless and i dread to think what other treatments shes "qualified" in..

 

[fayevix]

Vrq's arn't the same as an nvq, a vrq is only a junior qualification. A person would have to do vrq level 3 just to move onto nvq level 2. If she thinks she's a qualified hairdresser then she's very wrong.

I know, I tried to explain this to her, and she thinks she will just be qualified, and doesn't realise al the hard work she has to put in and the hard work I have done to help her.

Up until July she was great, shes been having a few problems at home, and I' been turning a blind eye, but she's just getting worse, and I dont want to sound insensitive, but it cant carry on.

So after VRQ Level 2, you would still need to go and do NVQ Level 2?
I asked college about this and they said she will be fine with VRQ Level 2.

Why did colleges have to change this?
Its all a bit confusing to me

 

[emmamb]

When I did my nvq the vrq had just started at hull college and basically my tutor wasn't happy about it and said it was just 'bums on seats' on vrq they weren't able to mix colour or do a consultation-the nvq students did this for them so basically they were glorified Saturday girls. They could also do assessments on tuition heads instead of on clients xx

 

[emmamb]

The vrq was like an entry course for the nvq x

 

[andrea27]

I think it depends a lot on the college you go to. In my college not everyone passed, you had to be competent. I knew how to do all the treatments, however it was clear that I need to practise them and improve in them.
You obviously can't expect anyone to be perfect in their treaments after college.
But your junior is a different case. It's quite shocking to be honest. I feel very sad about these colleges letting students pass that obviously can't do much.
Get a new trainee, who has basic skills and is willing to learn. There are so many out there.

 

[sofia.xo]

I have just completed the VRQ L2 and go on to NVQ l2 after, it's just like an entry thing Altho we did everything including consultations mixing colours just at a basic level, tutors however passed students on a high level even if they needed loads of assistance and pretty much messed it up which is stupid :/, I have now just started an apprenticeship and my employer and half the staff didnt even know what the VRQ was, what it was for and what we got out of it. Apparently it's just a way of colleges getting more money!

 

[fayevix]

Thanks for all your replys.

Iv tried to do as much as I can for this girl, but, its a total nightmare.

The girls/lads going to college now, I think half of them expect you do a course and in 12 weeks, thats it.... you are a qualified hairdresser.

It's not a bit of wonder people dont like to take on trainees when it causes this much hassle, and there is actually girls/lads out there that want to learn and do well.

When I went back to college last year to do a nails course, I was treat like an idiot until the tutor realised I had my own salon, then it all changed.
She said there was no way she would let anyone fail as she got money for everyone who passed the course, like a commission.

Thant's probablly all they want. Money, Im in this industry because I love it, you can never learn to much, Im always learning, all thought the money isnt bad i do it because I enjoy what I do, the same as half of us on here x x

 

[missreid]

I started a post on this as well, my friend is a hairdressing tutor and says she has to pass them or the college will sack her. I think it's disgusting! Some people have the interest to do the course and some just think it's an easy way to get their EMA. It really winds me up because then as employers we have to retrain and isn't that what college lecturers get paid for?x

 

[fayevix]

I started a post on this as well, my friend is a hairdressing tutor and says she has to pass them or the college will sack her. I think it's disgusting! Some people have the interest to do the course and some just think it's an easy way to get their EMA. It really winds me up because then as employers we have to retrain and isn't that what college lecturers get paid for?x

I think we should all make a stand, its disgusting, I'm thinking about finding out more about this, and seeing what we can do, we cant all be wrong!! x

 

[missreid]

I think we should all make a stand, its disgusting, I'm thinking about finding out more about this, and seeing what we can do, we cant all be wrong!! x

Yeah, I'll be right behind you. I love hairdressing and it really riles me that lazy colleges are breeding sub-standard hairdressers. Really got a bee in my bonnet now! Ha!!x

 

[fayevix]

Yeah, I'll be right behind you. I love hairdressing and it really riles me that lazy colleges are breeding sub-standard hairdressers. Really got a bee in my bonnet now! Ha!!x

Me too, are you on facebook, I think I may start a group
I feel rather strongly about this, I feel like such a "geek" lol x x

 

[missreid]

Yeah I'm on Facebook, Tulip Hair! Let me know and I'll join. My boyfriend thinks I'm a geek for being on here all the time esp on my day off!x

 

[fayevix]

Yeah I'm on Facebook, Tulip Hair! Let me know and I'll join. My boyfriend thinks I'm a geek for being on here all the time esp on my day off!x

Ill have a nose for you now, oh mine too, yet he's on the Honda Civic Forum, Loser x