NVQ & VRQ help please

[Lizkaz]

Oh my gosh, panic stations!!! My college sent me a form with my course details and a date for enrolment etc and it says I'm on the Level 2 VRQ in hairdressing. I applied for the NVQ which I thought I would be on, but apparently all the colleges are moving over to the VRQ instead of the NVQ.

But I've done some research and apparently employers won't employ someone with a VRQ, they only want people who have trained to NVQ standard. When I called the college to question this I was told not to be silly and they said what they'd said before.

Can anyone help please?

Hi I have been a hairdresser and worked within all aspects of training for many years. In college and training training providers as well as working closely with employers. VRQ is vocation related qualification. You do half of the assessments and are not a qualified hairdresser until you can spend time in a salon perfecting and building on the very basic skills you learn. Some of those skills are assessed on a block! Not a client. An NVQ teaches you far more skills and is recognised as a qualification by employers. Most employers have no idea what VRQs are. I have had level 3 VRQ trained 'hairdressers' who are unable to perform basic tasks. You need plenty of salon experience to become a hairdresser regardless of what qualification you attain. But a VRQ is deffinately not the same as an NVQ

 

[CFBS]

Apprenticeships award NVQs
College courses award VRQs

As with any training course it depends on the quality of teaching delivery.
I've seen brilliant and very employable vrq students and rubbish apprentices that wouldn't last a week.

So much depends on the learner's employability skills as well as where/how they studied.

If you are interviewing a newly qualified person then look at them as a whole not what the bit of paper says.
Trade test and trial periods essential to get the right person.

 

[AcidPerm]

You do half of the assessments and are not a qualified hairdresser until you can spend time in a salon perfecting and building on the very basic skills you learn. Some of those skills are assessed on a block! Not a client. ..

Sorry, but that is a total generalisation and can give quite the wrong impression.
Although some colleges teaching the VRQ's will allow some assessments on a block, in my college, the only assessments allowed to be performed on a block were for the perming & advanced perming units as they couldn't get enough perm clients in the college salon. Not everyone chose the perming units.

As in all things, there are good and mediocre salon owners, hairdressers, tutors and students out there. Holding a VRQ or an NVQ qualification tells you they have successfully completed the course but it doesn't tell you anything else about the person.

Someone with a VRQ could be the next British Hairdresser of the Year. It would be a shame if they had been written off just because they didn't choose the Apprenticeship route...

 

[CFBS]

Sorry, but that is a total generalisation and can give quite the wrong impression.
Although some colleges teaching the VRQ's will allow some assessments on a block, in my college, the only assessments allowed to be performed on a block were for the perming & advanced perming units as they couldn't get enough perm clients in the college salon. Not everyone chose the perming units.

As in all things, there are good and mediocre salon owners, hairdressers, tutors and students out there. Holding a VRQ or an NVQ qualification tells you they have successfully completed the course but it doesn't tell you anything else about the person.

Someone with a VRQ could be the next British Hairdresser of the Year. It would be a shame if they had been written off just because they didn't choose the Apprenticeship route...

Spot on! ... absolutely agree!

 

[Bella93xox]

Really shocked by this post. I qualified with a vrq and worked in a salon then went mobile. Never had an issue getting a job in a salon? And I really think it's down to the individual what you put in is what you get out. The quality of your work is a reflection of your skills and your passion. And isn't that ultimately what it's all about?

 

[Bella93xox]

(And I also love my pink scissors) lol

 

[Silverclarity]

well I'm giving up now. just finished the level 2 vrq. I also thought I would be doing an an NVQ. I previously gained a level 2 NVQ in barbering. I'm a mature person so need a paying job. I was shocked when I contacted a salon today to be told I would have to do an NVQ Level 2 as the vrq is not recognised by any salon. It's not practical for me to go back to college for another year and do the level 3 so I shall just give up and go back to my own profession. All of my assessments well done on clients as we were never told we could do them on the block. Very disappointed and annoyed as I was not informed I was doing a vrq until half way through the course. I was not told the difference between the two courses either so assumed both were industry standard. Already difficult for an older person I now feel I've wasted time energy and money. The only reason I did the ladies hairdressing was because after passing the barbering no one would give me a chance because I was older. I'm a very creative person and used to be a press photographer. I'm now a barber and a hairdresser but nobody will employ me because I'm older. What a sad screwed up world we live in. I have a wealth of knowledge and skills behind me but employers are so narrow minded and blinkered.

Hi I teach and assess on both qualifications. The delivery and structure is more or less the same depending on what option units are chosen so you will learn the basics regardless which one you do. The main difference is NVQ is more for apprentices, has a lot more assessments to complete than the vrq so can take up to 2 years. Vrq is completed in a year and as someone else posted you don't need to get 100% in the theory exams, it's something like 60%! You would def need to progress to vrq 3 to work as a stylist in a salon as it covers more creative colour, cutting, bridal, men's, colour correction - again different centres pick different unit routes but these are the ones ours covers. You would not be any where near ready to go on the floor after just doing the vrq 2 as you wouldn't have had enough client contact yet. For example you only need to do 3 haircuts compared to 7 on the NVQ! NVQ must be paying clients, vrq you can also be assessed on peers, family but no blocks at all except for perming if there is a lack of models. All assessments must be timed but there is a little more flexibility with times on the vrq. I have had really talented students come through the vrq but also ones who just scrape a pass doing the bare minimum. It's up to you how much you get out of it but if you want to learn and are committed to your training, there's no reason you can't do as well on a vrq then an NVQ. I would recommend you find a placement or a saturday job in a salon somewhere on your non college days as it will benefit you no end. The majority of our students that found regular placements had no problem finding a job when they qualified and many were kept on by their placements but the ones who weren't really that bothered about work experience are the ones still without a job now! Good luck, it's a fantastic industry to work in with lots of different career routes to progress into and hairdressers are amongst the happiest in their jobs according to some research!



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