Forma issue 13 by HITO

THE AWARDS ISSUE

2013 INDUSTRY AWARDS

INTERVIEW WITH SHARON BLAIN

APPRENTICES AT NZ FASHION WEEK

MANAGING YOUR FINANCES

contact NATIONAL OFFICE PO Box 11 764 Wellington 6142 Phone (04) 499 1180

NORTHERN Phone (09) 579 4844 Mobile (027) 470 0169

AUCKLAND Phone (09) 579 4844 Mobile (027) 443 2401

MIDLAND Phone (09) 579 4844 Mobile (027) 480 6550

MID-CENTRAL Phone (04) 499 5150 Mobile (027) 470 0170

CENTRAL Phone (04) 499 5150 Mobile (027) 445 5758

NORTHERN SOUTH Phone (03) 338 5376 Mobile (027) 483 2405

SOUTHERN SOUTH Phone (03) 338 5376 Mobile (027) 470 0171

another successful year at the industry awards Aucklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s War Memorial Museum bustled with excitement on 20 October as we kicked off the annual Industry Awards. Hosted by HITO, Kitomba, and NZARH, the awards celebrate excellence in the hairdressing industry.

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The best in the industry turned up for the prestigious evening, from leading business owners, tutors and trainers to apprentices, stylists and supporters. Guests were entertained by ukulele players, Dee-licious dance group (a clear favourite with their humour-filled dance routines), and the Tall Poppies band. The Kiwiana theme was enjoyed by all, with many guests dressing to match in New Zealand made and themed clothing.

ana Dave, three time winner of NZ Hairdresser of the Year and owner of BLAZE Salon in Auckland, hosted the event. Former NZARH/Kitomba award winner (and HITO Board member) Belinda Robb, 2012 Apprentice of the Year Marianna Brown, and 2012 Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship recipient Kaleb Pritchard were the comperes for the evening.

Courtney Jackson from Be Ba Bo in New Plymouth was named Runner-Up for the award. HITO’s Training Salon of the Year, Tutor of the Year and Trainer of the Year winners were also announced, along with the recipient of the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship. This year Julieanne Hartshorne from Hi-Tek Hair Studio in Christchurch received the scholarship which was set up in memory of Jasmine McBeth. Jasmine was a determined, driven and passionate young apprentice (who previously won Apprentice of the Year) who passed away from cancer in 2007.

Erica Cumming, HITO CEO, said “It was wonderful to see the support and enthusiasm for the awards and award winners from all attendees. From new apprentices to experienced industry professionals, the awards celebrated their successes in business and training. This was truly an opportunity for the best in our industry to shine”.

This year was also a remarkable success for our Training Salon of the Year, Reds Hairdressing in Wellington. This is the second time Reds has won the award. Diana Beaufort, owner of Reds, feels that they have certainly grown as a salon since last winning and that receiving the award this year has validated all their hard work over the last five years.

Tom Murphy, Kitomba CEO, agreed, saying “Tonight is unique – it’s a time when we can all celebrate the hair industry’s leaders of today, along with its leaders of tomorrow, at one glittering event”. As always, the HITO Apprentice of the Year award saw some fierce competition. This year the award was taken home by Laura Williams from Jan Waite in Mount Eden, Auckland. Laura is probably a familiar face to many people: she is an excellent ambassador for HITO, and the face of our Make it Hair Campaign. This is Laura’s third year entering the award, and after those years of hard work and dedication, her efforts paid off. She was overjoyed to win the award, thanking everyone who has supported her and encouraging her fellow finalists to “never give up” because it could be them winning the award next year.

The Kitomba/NZARH award winners were also announced, with H&B Hair Art and Beauty taking away the overall Kitomba/ NZARH New Zealand Salon of the Year Award. We would like to congratulate each winner on their outstanding commitment to training. It is exciting and encouraging to see apprentices, trainers, salon owners, tutors and stylists being recognised for the hard work and effort they continuously put in. You can read more about each of these winners in this issue of Forma.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS FOR THE EVENT: A SHARPER BLADE, CHILLIEBIZ, DATELINE, DE LORENZO, GOLDWELL, KJ SCISSORS, SCHWARZKOPF, AND SHOCK CONSULT.

OUR WINNERS HITO APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

HITO TUTOR OF THE YEAR

Winner:

Laura Williams Jan Waite Hairdressing

Winner:

Donna Bowman Southern Institute of Technology

Runner-up:

Courtney Jackson Be Ba Bo

Finalist:

Alta Koegelenberg Waikato School of Hairdressing

Finalist:

Fiona Smith Western Institute of Technology

HITO REGIONAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR Northern Region:

Kelly Clark Rodney Wayne Whangaparaoa

Auckland Region:

Laura Williams Jan Waite Hairdressing

Winner:

Grant Bettjeman Bettjemans

Midland Region:

Amanda Pugh Hair Affair

Finalist:

Yvonne Jenkinson Decadence of London

Mid-Central Region:

Courtney Jackson Be Ba Bo

Central Region:

Renee Edgarton Promises Hair Design

HITO TRAINER OF THE YEAR

HITO TRAINING SALON OF THE YEAR

Northern-South Region: Nadine Gratton Ursula Harris

Winner:

Reds Hairdressing

Finalist:

Bettjemans

Finalist:

Mane Salon

HITO HAIRDRESSER IN TRAINING PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Southern-South Region: Nicole Clark D’Or

JASMINE MCBETH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Judges Choice:

Recipient:

Julieanne Hartshorne Hi-Tek Hair Studio

People’s Choice:

Shannen Moffitt Allure Hair Studio

Finalist:

Lisa Gill Elise Hair Design

Facebook Choice:

Abbie Harvey Charlotte Dawn

Finalist:

Sydonie Lockwood Image Hair

Zoe Loveridge The Hairdressing College

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COURTNEY JACKSON AND LAURA WILLIAMS

THE INDUSTRY AWARDS

DEE LICIOUS PERFORMING

DONNA BOWMAN AND ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO)

GUESTS LOOKING AT PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION IMAGES

GUESTS DANCING

TABLE SETTINGS

meet the winners The HITO awards are given out each year to people who go above and beyond the norm in their area, whether that is as a tutor, an apprentice, a trainer or a salon. Congratulations to the 2013 winners!

LAURA WILLIAMS, APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

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HITO APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

LAURA WILLAMS RECEIVING HER AWARD

OVERALL WINNER: LAURA WILLIAMS

“When they called out my name I felt a huge sense of relief. I had an ‘oh my god, finally’ moment in my head and then I felt happiness and excitement. It was amazing to have the Jan Waite Hairdressing team around me supporting me as well as my family”.

Jan Waite Hairdressing Laura took home the title of 2013 HITO Apprentice of the Year in October, and she could not be more thrilled with the win. In the final year of her apprenticeship, Laura is excited to finish her training on such a high note.

Laura’s passion for hairdressing began when she started an after school job at a salon. She fell in love with the craft, and soon decided to become an apprentice. She says it is difficult to pick her favourite thing about hairdressing - she loves everything.

“HITO have given me an amazing opportunity to be looked at by other apprentices current and new, and the ability to show them you can achieve anything in this career even when you’re just starting out. I know that I will have this title with me forever and it is now ticked off my bucket list,” Laura says. “This has been the icing on the cake for me this year, qualifying and winning this award. I know I am becoming a great hairdresser and I’m glad that I get to share my success with other people in my industry and hopefully inspire them as well.”

Laura has some advice for apprentices wanting to win the award themselves: “My advice would be: make sure you are prepared. Spend time on your application answering the questions and fully explain the answer. You have to believe you’re good enough – make sure not to short change yourself when you’re answering the questions. Also never give up: for me this is the biggest piece of advice to give, this was my third time being a regional winner and you just have to believe that you are good enough and come back even more determined next year - it will pay off. If you work hard and surround yourself with inspiring people you can achieve anything!”

Laura has entered Apprentice of the Year a number of times in the past, and has been named the Auckland Regional Winner for the last three years. For Laura, to finally win the overall award is a dream come true.

WORK BY LAURA WILLIAMS

WORK BY COURTNEY JACKSON

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APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR REGIONAL WINNERS NORTHERN REGIONAL WINNER: KELLY CLARK Rodney Wayne Whangaparaoa Kelly, who is in the second year of her apprenticeship at Rodney Wayne in Whangaparaoa, says it is “amazing” to be named the Northern Regional Winner for Apprentice of the Year. “I never thought I’d get that call!” Kelly works hard at her apprenticeship, always coming into work with a positive attitude, ready to put 100% into everything she does. She thinks this must have stood out to the judges. She was inspired to start a career in hairdressing by her Aunt’s hair and beauty work with the Royal London Shakespeare Company. Kelly started off by doing Gateway through her high school, then moved into an apprenticeship and has not looked back.

ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO) AND COURTNEY JACKSON

ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO) AND KELLY CLARK

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP AND MID-CENTRAL REGIONAL WINNER: COURTNEY JACKSON Be Ba Bo Courtney, a second year apprentice at Be Ba Bo Hair Studio in New Plymouth, was tremendously excited to be both the Mid-Central Regional Winner and Runner-up for the overall Apprentice of the Year title. “It’s an amazing feeling,” she says. “I feel like all my hard work has paid off.” Courtney loves to be creative, and it is this passion that led her to begin training as a hairdresser. She enjoys expressing her creativity through entering competitions. Courtney believes it is her determined attitude, her passion, her outgoing nature, and the hard work she has put in that has helped her succeed in her hairdressing career so far.

CENTRAL REGIONAL WINNER: RENEE EDGARTON Promises Hair Design Renee was stunned when she heard she was the Central Regional Winner for Apprentice of the Year. Halfway through her apprenticeship at Promises Hair Design in Upper Hutt, Renee says she puts her “heart and soul” into hairdressing. She loves absolutely everything about her career, especially the fact that she can be creative. Renee was inspired to enter the hairdressing industry by her mother, who is also a hairdresser. She is determined to continue succeeding and says she will “keep fighting until [she’s] on top”.

ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO) AND RENEE EDGARTON ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO) AND AMANDA PUGH

MIDLAND REGIONAL WINNER: AMANDA PUGH Hair Affair In the final year of her apprenticeship at Hair Affair in Putaruru, Amanda says it feels “fantastic” to be named the Midland Regional Winner. Amanda has wanted to be a hairdresser ever since she was a child (she remembers always changing her hair, even at nine years old) and she is enjoying everything about her apprenticeship. Amanda loves the idea of being able to talk to people in her job, and she always “puts 120% effort into her apprenticeship”.

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REGIONAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR WINNERS

SOUTHERN-SOUTH REGIONAL WINNER: NICOLE CLARK D’Or Nicole is extremely excited to be the Southern-South Regional Winner for Apprentice of the Year. She says she has always wanted to be a hairdresser, even though she was told by some to go to University instead. It was after a bad experience at a salon that Nicole decided to pursue her dream and go after a career in hair because she knew that she could do better. Now in the second year of her apprenticeship at D’Or Hair Design in Arrowtown, Nicole says she loves absolutely everything about her chosen career.

NICOLE CLARK AND ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO) NADINE GRATTON AND ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO)

NORTHERN-SOUTH REGIONAL WINNER: NADINE GRATTON Ursula Harris Nadine is a third year apprentice at Ursula Harris Hair Design in Nelson. She was over the moon when she found out she was the Northern-South Regional Apprentice of the Year winner. “It’s fantastic to put in so much work and then find out it’s gotten somewhere,” she says. Having always been involved in the hairdressing industry, Nadine says becoming an apprentice was the next logical step for her career. Her favourite part of hairdressing is interacting with clients and making them feel valued, although, she says, she’s never come across an aspect of hairdressing that she did not enjoy.

JASMINE MCBETH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

JULIEANNE HARTSHORNE AND ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO)

RECIPIENT: JULIEANNE HARTSHORNE

It has not been an easy path for Julieanne though, who took a ten year hiatus from hairdressing to care for her parents and have her own children. When she came back to the industry she worked hard to complete all her remaining units in just three months, which is no easy feat.

Hi-Tek Hair Studio Julieanne, a recently qualified stylist at Hi-Tek Hair Studio in Christchurch, is thrilled to be the 2013 recipient of the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship.

“It means so much to me to receive this very special award. It shows me that my hard work is being noticed and sometimes when you feel you’re working so hard and nobody notices just how much effort you put in there`s always at least one person that has noticed. This is what keeps you going and keeps your spirit high to achieve the next goals in your life. Since winning I have signed up to my business qualification with HITO – my journey has only just begun”

“I couldn’t believe it; I think I went into a bit of shock! My legs were like jelly and I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. I knew I was one of the three finalists but honestly I never thought I would have won this great award with such a great opportunity. It still doesn’t feel real to me. I am totally honoured and so thankful to have this amazing award in remembrance of such an inspirational, driven, courageous, beautiful young lady. Thank you so much to the McBeth family for helping others to achieve their dreams and goals in life.”

She has completed her finals now and is looking into the next steps to expand her skills and offer a wider range of services to her clientele.

Although she had not planned on becoming a hairdresser, it was after being given the opportunity to help out at a salon that Julieanne fell in love with the trade. She really enjoys working one-on-one with clients and seeing how happy she can make them.

In the future, Julieanne sees herself supporting upcoming apprentices to achieve their dreams too.

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TRAINING SALON OF THE YEAR WINNER

TRAINER OF THE YEAR

GRANT BETTJEMAN (CENTRE) (TRAINER OF THE YEAR) WITH LORETTA THOMPSON (AUCKLAND SALES AND LIAISON MANAGER) AND ERICA CUMMING (HITO CEO)

REDS HAIRDRESSING

WINNER: REDS HAIRDRESSING

WINNER: GRANT BETTJEMAN

Director Diana Beaufort and the team at Reds Hairdressing were delighted to take home the prestigious title of HITO Training Salon of the Year.

Bettjemans

“It’s amazing, I’m still so excited,” says Diana.

“It’s always a thrill to be recognised for excellence in front of your peers for something you do automatically. I was in good company with my fellow finalist and the room was full of the best industry trainers in NZ both past and present. I was pleased that three of our apprentices were at the awards and saw the glamorous award side of our industry first hand,” Grant says.

Grant Bettjeman, co-owner and trainer at Bettjemans in Auckland, is thrilled to be the 2013 HITO Trainer of the Year.

This is the second time the Porirua based salon has won the award. Diana says the team has grown a lot since their last win and she’s thrilled to see their progress and hard work recognised once again. “We were up against two amazing salons that I really aspire to be like, so I was not expecting to win,” she says.

Apprenticeship training is extremely important at Bettjemans; the team know that employees do not grow without training. Clearly, the training that is being done is paying off! Bettjeman’s apprentices have been doing well at the NZARH competitions, and some were named Regional Finalists for HITO’s Apprentice of the Year award.

Unfortunately Diana was unable to attend the awards evening as she was in Australia, so her girls represented Reds and accepted the award on her behalf. “I was gutted I couldn’t be there, but it was so exciting getting the text message that we had won. We broke out the champagne on the South Bank of Melbourne! It was really good for the girls to be part of it and experience the win themselves as well. Seeing firsthand the validation of our work has helped them to be even more engaged… they did me proud.”

Grant loves seeing his apprentices winning competitions, becoming competent and confident in front of clients, and going on to be accomplished young hairdressers. “Winning the award was confirmation that we here at Bettjemans are training well and are committed to turning out confident well skilled qualified hairdressers. The five trainees we do have feel encouraged that they are indeed in a good training environment.”

TUTOR OF THE YEAR

DONNA BOWMAN (CENTRE) (TUTOR OF THE YEAR) WITH HITO STAFF FIONA T (LEFT) AND CATHY F (RIGHT)

WINNER: DONNA BOWMAN

“What could be better than to have a whole classroom of students to nurture, and pass on my knowledge and skills to?” she says.

Southern Institute of Technology

Donna hopes that winning the award will give her the opportunity to help other educators. She also hopes to continue her own education, learning from others in the industry and giving back to them in turn.

Southern Institute of Technology tutor Donna is the 2013 HITO Tutor of the Year. Donna is blown away by her win, having been extremely proud and humbled to just be named among the award’s finalists.

For those who plan to enter next year, Donna has some advice, “Put your name forward, and give it a go! Start thinking of filling in the application early next year. I wasn’t looking forward to filling in the application, but when I made a start and broke up the questions and started a draft it gave me a chance to reflect on my teaching practices and results. I got letters of support from apprentices, students, salon owners, colleagues and when I received them I felt very humble and no matter what happened with my application I was so happy that people thought I was doing a sterling job and I will treasure these letters always!”

“It is great to be recognised for doing well at educating our future hairdressers. I have been overwhelmed with emails, cards, Facebook messages and phone calls from students, apprentices, tutors, local hairdressing industry, family and friends and colleagues throughout New Zealand and even three of my former students who are now living in Australia.” Donna loves the hairdressing industry and has been passionate about education ever since she first started training apprentices in a salon.

“What could be better than to have a whole classroom of students to nurture, and pass on my knowledge and skills to?"

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2013 INDUSTRY AWARDS SPONSORS E

DE LORENZO

very year, companies such as De Lorenzo, Schwarzkopf, Dateline and many more generously agree to sponsor the Industry Awards.

De Lorenzo are sponsors for the HITO Trainer of the Year. They provide the winning trainer with a De Lorenzo product basket, including a wide range of top quality products.

Each of our sponsors provides products, tools, and business advice to our Award winners. Their names will no doubt be familiar to past awards winners, who were extremely grateful for the products and support provided.

GOLDWELL Goldwell are the sponsors for the Regional Apprentice of the Year.

HITO would like to thank our sponsors for 2013. They are a key part of the awards, and we hope to maintain their support well into the future.

They provide a Goldwell product basket for every Regional Apprentice of the Year. Each Goldwell product basket is valued at $500.

A SHARPER BLADE

KJ SCISSORS

A Sharper Blade are the sponsors for the HITO Hairdresser in Training Photographic Competition. They sponsor all three awards given as part of this competition, with a total value of $970.00.

KJ Scissors are the sponsor for the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship. KJ Scissors provide a pair of their scissors to the recipient of the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship.

CHILLIEBIZ SCHWARZKOPF

Chilliebiz are sponsors for the HITO Training Salon of the Year.

Schwarzkopf are the sponsors for the HITO Tutor of the Year Award.

Chilliebiz provide one yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red membership on the Chilliebiz website for the winning salon. This includes an extensive profile and a variety of other marketing and support features.

They provide the winning tutor with a Schwarzkopf gift basket.

DATELINE

SHOCK CONSULT

Dateline are sponsors for the National Apprentice of the Year.

Shock Consult are sponsors for the HITO Training Salon of the Year.

Dateline provide a prize pack (valued at $500) all packed into a great Hipster Trolley Bag.

Shock Consult provide a training package to the value of $1900 including high performance salon coaching sessions and help to establish a 6 month business plan.

HITO would like to thank our sponsors for 2013. They are a key part of the awards, and we hope to maintain their support well into the future. 14

HITO’s Regional Apprentice of the Year winners are off to Boot Camp.

RENEE EDGARTON AOTY CENTRAL REGIONAL WINNER

COURTNEY JACKSON AOTY MID-CENTRAL REGIONAL WINNER

AMANDA PUGH AOTY MIDLAND REGIONAL WINNER

LAURA WILLIAMS AOTY AUCKLAND REGIONAL WINNER

KELLY CLARK AOTY NORTHERN REGIONAL WINNER

APPRENTICE BOOT CAMP

NADINE GRATTON AOTY NORTHERN-SOUTH REGIONAL WINNER

NICOLE CLARK AOTY SOUTHERN-SOUTH REGIONAL WINNER

MANA DAVE

n February 2014, seven people are getting the chance of a lifetime: a boot camp hosted by Mana Dave and other key industry people.

opportunities they have as a hairdresser – successful stylist, salon owner, platform artist, tutor, editorial stylist and more. They will look at setting their own career goals, and how they can reach them, whatever they may be.

Kelly Clark, Laura Williams, Amanda Pugh, Courtney Jackson, Renee Edgarton, Nadine Gratton, and Nicole Clark will head to Auckland on 8 February 2013. They will be spending two nights together in an apartment, getting to know and learn from each other.

HITO is organising the Boot Camp with the help of some high profile industry people including Mana Dave, three time winner of New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year, who will lead the Boot Camp. The L’Oreal team will support him and the event will take place at the L’Oreal Academy in Auckland. L’Oreal will also present on social media and the importance of technology to the modern hairdresser. Other key industry people will also be involved, helping the attendees become the best they can be.

These young people all have one thing in common: in 2013, each won HITO Regional Apprentice of the Year for their region. Laura Williams also won the overall Apprentice of the Year award, with Courtney Jackson as runner-up.

The winners are excited to attend Boot Camp. All seven eagerly agreed to attend, and are impatiently awaiting the event. They had no idea that they would have this opportunity when they entered for the Apprentice of the Year awards. They have worked with HITO over the last few months to make sure this event can happen for them.

To win this award, these apprentices had to demonstrate “all round achievement”. Each had to submit an application detailing their achievements, their goals, and their skills and qualities as an apprentice and a person. From over 50 applications, these seven were selected by the judges as the top apprentices in their regions.

Keep an eye out in February for updates from the Boot Camp – the attendees will be posting to Instagram during the event. We’ll also keep Facebook and other social media updated.

They will hold their titles for one year. Each apprentice also received prize packs from sponsors Goldwell and Dateline (Dateline sponsored Laura’s win as the overall Apprentice of the Year), and, of course, the opportunity to attend Boot Camp with renowned stylist Mana Dave.

HITO looks forward to offering this opportunity to the future hairdressing stars. We aim to offer this fantastic opportunity again next year. So, if you want it to be you, make sure to apply for our Apprentice of the Year award for 2014.

At Boot Camp, the apprentices will experience a variety of activities. They will learn from experienced stylists and professionals about how to achieve their career goals, how to develop their ‘brand’, and they will learn about the

Take a look at the next issue of Forma for updates on how it went, profiles of the attendees, and more.

the art of education We talk to Sharon Blain about her hairdressing and education success.

WORK BY SHARON BLAIN

SHARON BLAIN TEACHING

If you're a hairdresser, there’s an excellent chance you've heard of Sharon Blain. With 47 years’ experience in the industry, Sharon is a leading authority on all things hairdressing and all things education. We asked her about her journey as a hairdresser, her education tips, and her advice for other hairdressers looking to succeed in the industry.

haron Blain always knew she wanted to be a hairdresser. Her dedication to this dream was so strong that she left school early, taking up her apprenticeship at the age of fourteen. It has been 47 years since then, and she has not once looked back. And no wonder: in her years in the industry, Sharon has collected many hairdressing titles, had photographic work in publications across the world, and started an internationally renowned education business.

Sharon travelled to Vidal Sassoon in London, studying there for a month each time she visited. Sharon has continued to follow Vidal Sassoon’s work and admires what they continue to do in the industry.

But her journey was not always easy. Sharon started her career when TAFE (the Australian version of a Polytechnic) training was not available to apprentices – instead, all training was done in the salon by the senior staff members. Unfortunately, Sharon’s boss did not provide any training, so it was up to Sharon to educate herself.

Sharon also had the opportunity to train with Vidal Sassoon colourist Annie Humphreys (currently International Director of Colour and Technical Research at Vidal Sassoon) – a week of learning Sharon says she will never forget.

“I believe the technical brilliance behind the Sassoon style of cutting is what everyone needs to be successful today,” Sharon says.

“I did a week of intensive creative colouring with Annie Humphreys,” Sharon says. “This was essential at the time because I was on the floor as a colourist/stylist with a huge team of staff to train”.

Undeterred, Sharon set about organising her own training. She has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in herself and others and says this investment has made her and her company so incredibly successful.

And this training, with her other experiences at Vidal Sassoon, still helps her today. Although she no longer does colour work, Sharon’s time with Annie Humphreys allows Sharon to give brilliant direction on what colour work she wants on her models

Since the beginning of her apprenticeship Sharon has trained with top trainers across the world. For many years at a time,

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“Seeing the most unskilled student create fantastic looks, observing their growth and seeing their confidence grow makes me feel I have done a good job.” provides her famous Boot Camp worldwide, teaching leading platform educators, top Hollywood stylists, and many more of the best in the business. She also offers educational resources – books, DVDs, and more – that allow trainees everywhere to benefit from her knowledge and experience.

today. Her cutting training (something Vidal Sassoon specialises in) also taught her to be precise, to blow dry to a high standard, and to take face shapes and suitability of hairstyle into account. These are skills Sharon (and indeed any hairdresser) can employ throughout their career. Sharon says it is the clean parting, and the precise and technical nature of the Sassoon style in particular that have stayed with her today.

Sharon’s dedication to training has been lifelong, but it was her work as a platform educator that eventually inspired her to start her own company. Although Sharon loved working as an educator for various product companies, she realised that a product company limited her when it came to delivering her own content. Sharon wanted to teach internationally and develop her own courses, but this was not easy to do with a product company. So Sharon started her own company, and it’s been going strong since then.

Sharon also had the opportunity to train with Ann and Gary Bray, two of the top competition trainers in the world. Ann and Gary have a long history of competition wins, Ann herself having won more than 200 competition titles. They were also key members of the Pivot Point team, working closely with Pivot Point founder Leo Passage for many years. The skills Sharon learned from Ann and Gary kick-started her successful competition career in the 1990’s.

One of Sharon’s goals was to offer training around long hair work. She noticed there was a gap in the market – educators were delivering cutting and colouring classes, but no one was delivering client based long hair classes. What long hair education there was available was session focused, not client focused.

“The skills I learned from [Ann and Gary] have inspired my success,” Sharon says. “I always say the skills taught in my classes today come from my competition experience”. And that experience is vast, including coaching the Australian team for the World Cup in Tokyo (at which they won Oceanic Region of the World) and representing Australia five times internationally. Sharon also won IHS National Hairdresser of the Year and placed 7th in the European Hairdressing Championships. In 1995, Sharon was admitted to the Hair Expo Hall of Fame, acknowledging her many achievements in, and contributions to, the industry. She has also won a series of education and business awards over the last ten years, including Hair Expo Educator of the Year 2009-2011, the Global Salon Business Award in 2006, and many, many more.

For Sharon, practical, client focused skills are extremely important. Although Sharon teaches many of the world’s top industry people, she also teaches trainees at many other skill levels. Sharon knows these trainees need skills that are widely applicable, and she aims to teach these skills in all her classes. She wants them to learn styles they can apply throughout their career, much the same way Sharon has learned widely applicable and long-lasting skills from those who trained her. It is this that makes her job so rewarding, Sharon says. And Sharon hopes to see these successes continue far into the future. In 2014, Sharon plans to develop two new DVDs, continuing to provide easily accessible education to trainees around the world. She also plans to continue her focus on long hair, developing new products and accessories to help simplify dressing long hair for all hairdressers. Finally, Sharon plans to continue to develop the Sharon Blain Art of Education brand, eventually becoming recognised as the leader in long hair education across the globe.

This competition experience has influenced her career to this day. It taught her how to make a hair style sleek, clean, and polished – presentation being key in competition work. It also helped her develop an eye for balance and design. Both are skills that have enhanced Sharon’s success and that of her students. The success of her trainees is of paramount importance. Sharon spends hundreds of hours and dollars on providing the best training for her employees, her trainees, and, of course, herself. She allows a minimum of five hours on top of her already hectic schedule to develop her ideas and perfect her techniques. She puts her employees through a weekly training programme.

For Sharon, patience and empathy have been key to her success, and she says developing these skills is vital in gaining respect as an educator. It is also vital to be approachable and down-to-earth – this makes it easier for your trainees to approach you. And for those of you who want the same success in your career, Sharon has some advice.

“Growing is vital, and training boosts motivation and confidence,” Sharon says. “I believe it is my duty to continue to grow the best hairdressers in the industry. It is my name and reputation that my apprentices have, and I want to produce the best I can”.

“Practice, practice, practice – you must be a master of your craft before you can educate another,” Sharon says. “Invest in yourself and enter awards to gain credibility within in the industry. And never stop learning. Be prepared to reinvent yourself and continue to change”.

And Sharon is more than able to do this, providing training classes all over the world with her company, Sharon Blain Education. She

THIS PAGE: WORK BY SHARON BLAIN

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"I believe it is my duty to continue to grow the best hairdressers in the industry. It is my name and reputation that my apprentices have, and I want to produce the best I can”.

SHARON’S TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESS

to rebook. Education classes are no different from our salon clients - we want them to come back, so you do whatever it takes to do this.

BE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS Continue to develop your personal skills and platform presentation skills and those of your trainees.

MAKE SURE YOU TEACH LOOKS THAT ARE USABLE BACK IN THE SALONS

Never stop learning, continue to learn new skills and be current with everything you teach. If you want to be a top educator seek out courses in public speaking and self-development classes to boost your confidence. Seek out qualifications in the area you specialise in.

Students want to attend a class where they can learn new techniques that allow them to grow their skills. Students have a small budget to use on skill development. As an educator you are responsible for delivering a programme that is capable of doing this. No one wants to pay good money to see crazy mad styles that are useless and unsuitable for their client base.

UNDER PROMISE BUT ALWAYS OVER DELIVER

KEEP AHEAD OF THE FASHION AND STAY CURRENT

I love it when my students say my course was even better than expected. It is all the little ideas, tips and tricks that make the course outstanding.

Allow ten hours each week to research current hair and fashion looks. I like to have a tripod and head ready to practice new ideas and work on new looks. I follow Pinterest for new ideas and look at the latest runway hair to help me observe trends and new directions.

I always set out to challenge myself to make sure every student is motivated, confident and excited by their learning. I want them to tell others how great the class was and that they want

Sharon Blain is coming to New Zealand! GET THE CHANCE TO TRAIN WITH SHARON HERSELF AT HER 2014 NEW ZEALAND MASTERCLASS. COURSE : 2 DAY MASTERCLASS NZ DESCRIPTION

JOIN SHARON BLAIN FOR TWO ACTION PACKED DAYS STYLING LONG HAIR. FEATURING A MIX OF GLAMOUR AND RETRO, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE MOST CURRENT TRENDS, INCLUDE BRAIDING, WAVES, TEXTURE SETTING, SEWING, STUNNING CURLS, UP AND DOWN HAIR AND MUCH MORE. THIS EXCITING INTENSIVE HANDS-ON WORKSHOP WILL GIVE YOU A HOST OF CREATIVE IDEAS TO TAKE YOUR LONG HAIRDRESSING IN NEW DIRECTIONS. DATE: SUNDAY 30 - MONDAY 31 MARCH 2014 | LOCATION: GOLDWELL STUDIOS, AUCKLAND | COST: $880 INC. GST BOOKINGS: WWW.SHARONBLAIN.COM

SHARON’S TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESS

always be down-to-earth & have integrity Do not develop a ‘diva' attitude. This does not endear you to others. Always be believable and approachable.

THIS PAGE: WORK BY SHARON BLAIN

FIND OUT WHY A CAREER IN HAIRDRESSING STARTS WITH A HITO APPRENTICESHIP

PHONE 04 499 1180 EMAIL ENQUIRIES@HITO.ORG.NZ WEB WWW.HITO.ORG.NZ

keeping your top performers engaged As an employer, who should get your attention?

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Often it’s the problem staff members that employers spend the most time dealing with. Trying to manage poor attendance or productivity, dealing with complaints etc. all take time away from those who are your business best resources – your top performers

he lifeblood of every business is its employees. Given this critical fact, you may assume every business has a detailed plan, and solid processes in place to ensure employees are engaged. Unfortunately, this is generally not the case. Many companies continue to assume that if they offer a good service and if customers continue to buy those products or services, then employees should be happy.

BENEFITS OF ENGAGED EMPLOYEES:

Employers typically do just enough to ensure the majority of employees don’t leave; they train just enough, they offer just enough benefits, and they give just enough positive reinforcement. Is this the right way to approach employee loyalty?

1. Improved productivity 2. More customer-focused 3. Improved safety 4. Reduced voluntary separations

Consider these two startling facts:

5. Improved morale/attitude

• Each year the average company loses 20-50% of its employee base – Bain & Company

6. Reduced sick days 7. Reduced involuntary separations

• Replacing a lost employee costs 150% of that person’s annual salary – Columbia University Because the cost of replacing employees is so high, and the fact that so many continue to leave, businesses who effectively manage employee engagement can turn these facts around, making these burdens a strength. They can generate increased productivity, happier employees who willingly promote the business, and eventually, greater profits and other positive business outcomes.

YOU CAN MANAGE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Employee engagement can be improved by aligning the goals of the business with the goals of the individual. Employee motivation should be associated with traditional rewards, such as pay and compensation, but also with emotional rewards such as personal growth, working for a common cause, being part of a highperformance team, and being recognized for achievements.

As an employer, you need to understand why your employees are emotionally connected to your business – and it’s generally much more than salaries, training, or benefits. Research shows that emotionally connected employees are the best employees because they are engaged and productive, and they feel validated and appreciated.

You can make dramatic improvements in your employee engagement Through management of engagement, you can increase the loyalty of employees. But how? You need to know what drives engagement. Why are employees emotionally connected to you?

Ultimately, with engaged employees, everyone wins.

There are four main areas of emphasis which are critical to understanding why employees are emotionally connected to a business. They are:

ENGAGED EMPLOYEES ARE THE BEST EMPLOYEES An engaged employee is a person who is enthusiastic about their work. Improving employee engagement directly impacts measurable business outcomes. Employees who are committed to success, emotionally attached, and socially involved with a company demonstrate qualities that business managers' thirst to have. Engaged employees are more productive at work, take less sick days and exhibit other favourable behaviour, promote the business to others and show their happiness to customers. In short, engaged employees are the best employees.

1. being helpful 2. feeling competent and improved 3. feeling accepted and 4. feeling respected. So what specific techniques can you use to improve them?

PRINCIPLE: START BY MEASURING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

THE LIKERT SCALE A Likert scale (pronounced 'lick-urt') is a type of psychometric response scale often used in questionnaires, and is the most widely used scale in survey research.

The process of measuring employee engagement can range from extremely simple to highly complex. Measuring your employee’s passion about work and the work environment can be as simple as issuing a survey with a few questions around the ideas of:

I will look for another job in the next 12 months 1. Strongly disagree 2. Disagree

• Job satisfaction

3. Neither agree nor disagree

• Productivity

4. Agree 5. Strongly agree

• Quality of peers • Likelihood to change jobs • Likelihood to recommend salon/spa products or services

ACTION 2. GATHER COMPLIMENTS

• Likelihood to recommend as a great place to work

Gathering compliments, as well as concerns, will help you find out if your actions are beneficial and offer a lasting benefit to your employees. Consider the following anonymous compliment and complaint printed word for word from a Banking employee survey:

• Satisfaction with pay & benefits

ACTION 1. USE A LIKERT SCALE Using a scale of agreement (or Likert Scale), your survey can measure your employee engagement. Collecting other open-ended comments along with the raw numbers can help identify inexpensive opportunities to make employees happy.

“My manager is very proactive in discussing my abilities and goals with me and we arrive at a goal together; one that is realistic and achievable.”

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“It bothers me that our customers get better benefits with their accounts than we do as employees. Everybody makes a mistake once in a while with their accounts; it’s unbelievable that an employee gets two overdraft reversals in a lifetime.”

By investing in career advancement and opportunities to improve skills through training, employers can improve their employee engagement. An employee who is feeling confident and improved by the business actively promotes the business to clients and other potential employees.

These two feedback items helped a business confirm the effectiveness of its management programme and work on morale boosters for its employees.

Make sure there are no major training gaps in your organisation. Training should be up-to-date. Make sure employees know about training opportunities. Some larger or more sophisticated organisations have a Learning Management System in place to measure training and results.

ACTION 5. CLOSE THE TRAINING GAPS

PRINCIPLE: PROMOTE AND MANAGE “BEING HELPFUL”

ACTION 6. MENTORING PROGRAM Train and encourage experienced employees to be mentors. A mentoring program can facilitate dynamic skill growth throughout your business. Informal learning can be as influential as formal learning programs.

Employees want to feel that they are making a positive contribution. An apathetic employee just works for pay, but an engaged employee perceives their job as important. Being helpful means that employees feel like they are making a difference, no matter what role they play in the business.

PRINCIPLE: HELP EMPLOYEES FEEL ACCEPTED

‘Being helpful’ means that employees can take pride in delivering outstanding quality, service, and value to clients. It means that employees feel empowered to solve client problems. To increase ‘being helpful’ in your business, try these two actions:

Employees must be accepted as contributors by their peers at work. Teams may encourage a challenging but supportive environment. Organisational behaviourists of the past recommended that reducing stress at work improves engagement.

ACTION 3. HELP EMPLOYEES SEE THE BIG PICTURE Help your employees to see the big picture, how they contribute to a functioning whole.

New research says that stressful environments can be healthy, provided that employees are passionate about what they do.

A ‘chain of clients’ exists from the bottom of the business up to the top. Where receptionists welcome a client, stylists must service the client, supervisors/trainers/managers must serve and empower, and so on up to the business owner or governance board.

Strong, loyal teams provide one level of acceptance. Adequate benefits programmes enable employees to feel accepted, not expendable. Employees who become more engaged through increased acceptance tend to share common bonds and beliefs about your business goals.

ACTION 4. USE SECRET SHOPPERS

ACTION 7. PROMOTE TEAM BUILDING

Use secret shoppers not just to grade the client’s service but also to measure frontline processes. Is the client’s experience a simple and well supported one? Chances are your secret shoppers can find process gaps that your employees know how to solve. By empowering employees to provide first-class service they feel like they are being helpful.

Encourage team building activities in your employees. Some managers/employers see the team building as a pointless waste of time. However, there are benefits to creating trust and acceptance among colleagues. Team building activities don’t have to be expensive. Inexpensive ideas for trust building activities are available through a simple web search.

ACTION 8. BUILD A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE ADDRESSING PAY COMPLAINTS

PRINCIPLE: YOUR EMPLOYEES MUST FEEL CONFIDENT AND IMPROVED

Sometimes dissatisfaction with wages merits investigation. But often, dissatisfaction with wages and benefits masks problems that relate back to acceptance by a team or manager/ employer. Often employees voice any problem in terms of a pay issue. Employees may need appropriate coping skills, problem-solving skills, knowledge or technical skill gaps, tactics for handling difficult situations, or help expressing their own personal feelings.

Employees want to feel like they can do their assigned job confidently. They want a secure future and to feel that they are progressing in their own personal life goals. It is surprising that often businesses slash training budgets to save costs, not realising that both the client’s service and staff morale suffer from inadequate training.

PRINCIPLE: EMPLOYEES WANT TO FEEL RESPECTED

management. Poor managers bring down the morale of employees, which in turn spills over to the engagement level of customers and ultimately reflects poorly in your profits.

“Employees don’t leave their job, they leave their manager” is the mantra heard for many years in Human Resources circles. To feel respected, employees should feel like the company regards them as an important asset. Employees should feel like their manager has realistic expectations about what they can achieve. And, managers must be fair and evenhanded.

ACTION 11. RECOGNISE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS Recognition from a supervisor, manager or employer makes a meaningful, engaging difference in employee morale, especially when that recognition comes from someone one or two levels “above” the employee.

Nothing makes employees angrier than seeing a peer receive special treatment when they have broken the rules or have not been performing. Managers have the unique role of enforcing rules or policies while at the same time removing barriers and excuses for employee performance.

LET TECHNOLOGY HELP YOU MANAGE ENGAGEMENT Use technology to help you understand the heart and mind of your employees.

ACTION 9. DON’T BE AFRAID TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH

Don’t try to figure it all out in a single annual survey, or through a feedback email link you send out once in a blue moon. You need to collect feedback often, and in all possible collection points, both solicited and unsolicited. Then you need to genuinely listen and respond to what is submitted. This creates a win-win relationship.

Respect your employees through degrees of transparency. Communicate how your business is actually doing monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. Give your employees confidence in the future and information to understand shifts in rules or policies.

A word of caution: most employees are sceptical of any feedback system that is offered by their business. They fear their submissions will not be confidential, so they don’t submit truthful information, or they don’t submit anything at all. Anonymity is vital in any formal feedback process to get a straight answer. Sometimes anonymity is just not feasible when there are only

ACTION 10. RETRAIN OR GET RID OF BAD MANAGERS A bad manager can pollute your business. Your most talented employees will be the first ones to leave in the face of poor

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two employees – in that case, be aware that you may not get the whole or even part of the whole truth. Use a mixture of feedback over time.

presentations, lead meetings or take part in training. Encourage them to make connections with other high performers in your industry and to work on projects/campaigns together--and then invite them to present the results to your team.

UNDERSTAND THE ‘HEART AND MIND’ OF EMPLOYEES

3. PROVIDE THEM WITH MENTORS Your top employees will benefit (and be further engaged in their organisation and in their work) from being assigned to a mentor who can help provide advice, career guidance and connections to others in their network. But it shouldn't be just any mentor--find senior employees who have a real knack for engaging with younger people, while giving them the advice and support they need.

To know the heart and mind of employees, you should ask them questions that draw out truthful answers to the four topics we just discussed: being helpful, feeling confident and improved, feeling accepted and feeling respected. You should ask these questions regularly, and you will bring to life the employee engagement level at your business.

4. MAKE THEM RESPONSIBLE AND THEN REWARD THEM

You will truly know what makes them emotionally connected to your business, spot trends, and become empowered to be proactive instead of reactive. Happy clients will follow, which will then lead to increased profits and other positive business outcomes.

The stronger the employee, the more they will thrive on being challenged by work. While they may occasionally make mistakes-or even fail--don't hesitate to delegate prestigious tasks to your high performers. Put them in charge of a marketing campaign, assign them to a leadership roles, or have them start a new venture in an entirely new area of your business. And, when they perform well, don't forget to reward them for their hard work.

Start working right away because what is crucial is that you start! Having highly engaged employees is one of the most worthy goals any business can seek.

5. CREATE CLEAR PATHWAYS FOR GROWTH It's essential to make it clear to your top employees that they will have opportunities for advancement. If they don't see a future with your organisation, or if they think that they will have to wait too long to advance, then they will look for opportunities outside your company. Set aside time to chart out a career plan, with clear milestones, training and assessments along the way. Expose them to a broad and varied range of assignments so they will have the exposure they need to become effective executives.

KEEPING YOUR TOP PERFORMERS LOYAL High-performing employees are your most important asset. Here's how to keep them around for the long term. It's no secret that some employees perform better than others. And while it takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round, high performers are every company's most valuable resource. These are the employees who bring the greatest value to your business and to your customers. It pays to do whatever you can to keep them happy, engaged and with your company for the long run.

It's never a good time to lose a great employee. Make a point of identifying your high-performing employees, and then actively take steps to ensure you retain them.

TURNOVER IN TOUGH TIMES

Here are five steps that will keep your high performers from looking elsewhere.

When the economy is slow and unemployment rates are high, it’s easy to think your employees will happily stay put in their current jobs. But that is a dangerous assumption. Research shows that voluntary turnover rates increase as consumer confidence builds. This means, as a manager, you need to figure out ways to retain your top performers, even if your company is still in a slump.

1. KEEP THEM ENTERTAINED One reason these employees excel is that they are smart, active and curious. They are always looking for something new and entertaining to do. Satisfy that need by providing them with a constant stream of interesting assignments and projects. Need some new ideas on how to cut costs in your shipping operation while making it greener? Or looking for new ways to promote your services via social media? Offer your high performers the assignment.

There is no doubt that as a manager, the pressure is on. The largest predictor of whether someone will stay with a business is their satisfaction with their immediate boss. Your employees are likely looking to you for inspiration and guidance during these tough times, and you may have little, or nothing, to offer them in terms of advancement or compensation. Fortunately you have many other levers available to you that can motivate your stars and keep them happy. Relying on

2. GIVE THEM VISIBILITY Everyone wants to be recognised when they do something good for their organisations, and your best employees are no different. Provide them the visibility they crave by inviting them to give

MANAGE ANXIETIES AND FRUSTRATION

those other levers may cost you and your business nothing, but often they have huge value to your stars.

When salaries are frozen or profits are down it is inevitable that some top performers will become frustrated and anxious over their future. Your role as a manager is to respond to these frustrations. When faced with a discouraged star, consider using yourself as a role model. Share your reasons why you are staying around. If possible, create more of those types of opportunities for your star.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY As a manager, your role is to figure out which of those benefits matter most to your people. Making use of low-cost levers is a great way to show your stars that you appreciate them, value their work, and are invested in their careers. Find the levers where the value to the individual is greater than the cost to the company. Here are some of the tools you might rely on when budgets are tight.

OVER-COMMUNICATE Open communication with your stars is critical. In fact, in tough times, managers/employers should over-communicate to help alleviate fear and anxiety. Be transparent about the business situation and outlook for the future. The more you share information, the more buy-in you have.

1. Praise for quality work. This is one of the most inexpensive, and unfortunately, underused levers available to managers. Conger says, “There is a praise deficit in almost all companies.” Yet praise can go a long way in demonstrating to your top performers how much you value them. Be sure to express gratitude for work that is above and beyond normal standards. Be specific and be sure that your praise is tied to a legitimate accomplishment.

But be careful not to make promises you cannot keep. People have extremely long memories. Be specific and explicit about why the star is needed at the organisation. Describe the pathway to the future in a realistic way and be candid about the challenges ahead.

2. Challenging projects and assignments. To keep your top performer engaged, provide her with the opportunity to work on a new project or tasks that builds skills and gives the employee a chance to shine. This might be a team project that brings your star together with other stars from different salons or businesses or this might be a solo project that demonstrates your confidence in their ability.

CULTURE MATTERS MORE THAN EVER A strong culture is instrumental in retaining stars. Businesses should focus on building a strong culture so that top performers feel compelled to stay even if the business is struggling. Consider programmes that reduce stress and engage employees to focus on work. Everything from a free coffee to ensuring that work content is interesting and challenging. Open communication with all employees helps eliminate the “fear factor”.

Be careful when assigning these kinds of projects. No one wants to hear that in lieu better pay they are receiving more work – that is not going to go down well! Ensure they understand that this is a vote of confidence and an opportunity for them to build additional skills, not a way to overburden them.

In a small business, you can influence or direct your culture. Your actions and interactions with your top performers contribute to that culture.

3. Development opportunities. Many managers neglect to use this lever because learning and development budgets are being cut or non-existent. However, there are many inexpensive or free ways to develop skills. You can also find your star a mentor that is more senior in the business or in your industry and perhaps shares a similar background. You can also contribute to the development of others by asking your star to teach a skill that they are particularly adept at. If they are known for closing sales on products or negotiating favourable deals with product companies, ask them to design and lead a negotiation session for other sales people. This will allow them to serve as a role model while deepening their expertise in the area.

PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER DO: 1. Find out what benefits matter most to your employees 2. Communicate more than you think you need to 3. Be realistic about people’s anxieties and frustrations

DON’T: 1. Forget that satisfaction with an immediate boss factors heavily into people’s decisions to stay with a company

4. Non-monetary perks. There are also a whole host of perks that cost little or nothing for you to provide, such as flexibility, better work/life balance, or more autonomy. Businesses tend to become more controlling in tough times, and it’s vital to counter that tendency. Ask your stars what matters most to them. If your star has a young family, find ways to be more flexible with working hours. If they want to take additional training, give them time off to do so. More often than not these perks leads to the right set of behaviours.

2. Assume that a bad economy guarantees that your star employees will not leave 3. Think that money is your only tool to motivate your employees.

MODEL: ASHLEIGH VERMAAK

MODEL: BRITTANY ARTHUR

see your work in print

JOCELYN VAN BEYERE, SASSY HAIR

MODEL: GEORGIE MALCOLM

SEE YOUR WORK IN PRINT Name: Jocelyn van Beyere Salon: Sassy Hair Name of models: Ashleigh Vermaak, Georgie Malcolm and Brittany Arthur Name of photographer: Jonny Knopp WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW A HAIRDRESSING APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAY? Being a creative person who loves working one-on-one with people, I decided to combine the two and get the best out of both. I wanted every day of my life to be different, and hairdressing gives me just that.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN APPRENTICE? Constantly learning and discovering new techniques and perfecting different styles. I enjoy growing with my clientele, and constantly being able to offer them more. I find hands-on practical work, combined with theory, is a well-balanced way to learn for a practical person.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF DOING FASHION OR PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK? My favourite part would be stretching my creativity to its full potential without meeting anyone’s expectations except my own. To see all your hard work in print is like seeing the creative side of your personality displayed on paper.

WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR YOUR CAREER IN HAIRDRESSING? To build a strong, faithful clientele. One where I not only meet their hairdressing needs, but their needs of a more personal nature. Where I can journey with them and offer my support and a gentle listening ear.

WHO INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR HAIRDRESSING CAREER, AND WHY DO THEY INSPIRE YOU?

MODEL: GEORGIE MALCOLM

Patrick Cameron is a great inspiration. The way he portrays his passion for long hair and the ease with which he works are things I aspire to. Megan Jamieson, one of my off-job training tutors, is also an inspiration as she has shown me how to relax in my work, and let your natural ability take over.

HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE THIS LOOK? My styles involved a great deal of back-combing, braiding, bobby pins and, most importantly, hairspray.

WHAT PRODUCTS DID YOU USE? WHAT WAS THIS PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK FOR?

I enjoy working with Schwarzkopf products, so I worked mainly with Silhouette ‘Flexible Hold’ Hairspray, Osis ‘Dust It’ and Osis ‘Thrill’ Fibre Gum.

To see what I could accomplish, what my ideas could come together as, and just how much I have grown over the time I have been hairdressing.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION?

• Support throughout my training – Dorothy Emmerson

I researched Grecian hairstyles, and that played a part in the inspiration for my work, tied in with the theme of my styles being natural and organic and letting simplicity be a key factor.

• Photographer – Jonny Knopp • Make-up Artist – Karen Shepard

SEE YOUR WORK IN PRINT Are you a HITO apprentice? This is your chance to have your work published in an issue of Forma Magazine. If you have photographic work that you are proud of, we want to know. Give HITO a call on (04) 499 1180 or email enquiries@hito.org.nz to find out how to send your photographs in and have the opportunity to be published in Forma.

REDS HAIRDRESSING AND THEIR SPONSORS RENEE FROM CHILLIEBIZ (IN PINK) AND MALCOLM GIBBONS FROM SHOCK CONSULT

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME – MOST OF THE TIME! Malcolm Gibbons, owner of Shock Consult and experienced business consultant, shares his top business advice on making the most of your time

So get up early, make yourself your favourite morning drink (mine’s a really nice quality cup of percolated coffee) and sit somewhere quiet with a notepad and reflect on your wants and needs. Then make some notes on how you will change what you are doing to bring you closer to achieving your wants and needs. The next morning you should reflect on yesterday and look at how you could have arranged and done things differently to free up some of your time. This morning time should be time when people around you bother you less, (they are still in bed) and you get some time alone to think and create ideas.

our salon needs your time, and so do your spouse, partner, children, friends, clients, team, and just about anyone else you can think of. And of course you also need some time for you to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy. But you, like all of us, have only 24 hours a day and have limited time for everyone. So how do you manage this? You cannot change time - the only thing you can change is you and your way of managing time. Here are some ideas and smart ways to manage your time more efficiently. Using these ideas will mean you can dedicate some quality time to your salon business to make it more successful. Every aspect of running your salon needs your time and attention, and not managing your time properly will and probably does cost you a lot of money. Every day you lose time, you get further and further behind – resulting in more lost opportunity and profit.

TIME MANAGEMENT QUALITIES TO DEVELOP: SET PRIORITIES Create some time to think about your business and which areas, in your opinion, need more attention. You can also discuss it with a mentor or coach to help you set these priorities. Ideally write them down in your diary or make a list and put it somewhere where you can see and access it conveniently. Whenever you look at it, you will be reminded of your priorities.

When was the last time you just sat down and figured out exactly what you want to achieve for your salon and you? Try setting your alarm half an hour earlier in the morning: this allows you to take some ‘you’ time to think with an open and fresh mind about your business.

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PREPARE A “TO DO” LIST

You can only do all this when you manage your time. If you have problems and cannot handle or organise yourself, there is no harm in discussing it with a professional. This will always help you, because without a proper time management process, you won’t be able to reach the high level of success you may desire.

In the morning quiet time, always prepare a “to do” list and try to keep it in front of you all the time. On your desk or even on your Smartphone is a good place for this. Make it a habit to complete the entire list. You can do this by organising yourself and not wasting your time. Remember to make it achievable, however there is nothing worse than piling your “to do” list high with tasks that you know you won’t complete in a day. My favourite thing to do on a Monday morning is to set 3 tasks to achieve this week. I write them down and then plan when and how I’ll do them (these are tasks over and above normal ‘work stuff’ and should be directly taking you closer to your goals).

A salon business needs the owners’ time in several areas including: Customers: Allocate time when you always interact with your clients and take their feedback on the team, décor, services and products. Team: Interact with them and keep an open door policy or maybe an open email policy. It is possible that, in their spare time, your team members may come and start discussing general topics, which can waste your time: be careful with this as this is a common time thief practice. I am not saying that you should ignore them, but set rules in place that allow you to be free to work uninterrupted and then discuss their ideas in your allocated time.

ORGANISE YOURSELF Use reminders or work plans to remember things you have to do any particular day – and do them when they’re scheduled. Do the unsavoury ones first… then they’re out of the way, leaving the more pleasant ones to be done later. (The first thing to do is to read the book Eat That Frog - 21 ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time by Brian Tracy – it contains some excellent advice on this subject).

Market updates: Assign time to keep yourself updated with what is happening in the market: What new trends are coming and which are leaving the market? Also keep yourself posted with new products.

SET GOALS AND STAY FOCUSSED

Social networks: Connect with market specialists – Facebook is awesome for this. Assign a time, at least once or maybe twice a week, to socialise with industry peers, specialists, suppliers and experts to know what is happening around the industry and what the upcoming developments are.

Set goals tied in with your vision. If you are focused, organised and determined, you will be able to meet (or exceed) your goals.

IDENTIFY THE OBSTACLES IN YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT

Answer complaints efficiently: As a daily routine, allow time to listen and review any client’s complaints that may have been made during their visits.

Keep your team or friends out of your way when it is time for business. Keep all the time thieves (you know who they are!) away from you during the hours you have allocated for completing the task list - you and your salon will benefit from doing this.

Many salon owners are time poor, and that’s because they struggle with managing the time available. Remember to plan, focus and also delegate so you can get the important things done quickly and efficiently, allowing yourself time to enjoy your salon and life outside it.

MAKE YOUR TIME PRODUCTIVE Learning new ways to make your time productive is crucial. For example, when chit chatting with your clients you can always, between your conversations, introduce a new product or service. In the same way, while meeting with the company reps you can discuss the talk of the town or what the market is up to. Just see how you can utilise your time gaining and sharing important information.

Malcolm Gibbons helps Hair & Beauty Salon Owners have better businesses every day - and says: "My Passion is people, my Enthusiasm is Business and my Mission is to assist salon owners in achieving the dream they had when first going into business".

TIME MANAGEMENT: TIPS TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY Do you find yourself as a business owner, manager, trainer, employer, superwoman overwhelmed by the number and complexity of things that you need to do each day?

s the day flies by, do you often feel as if you haven't paid enough attention to each task because other things keep landing on your desk, staff or clients interrupt you with questions or you can't get it all organised?

managing your time wisely can minimise stress and improve your quality of life. But how do you get back on track when organisational skills don't come naturally? To get started, choose one of these strategies, try it for two to four weeks and see if it helps. If it does, consider adding another one. If not, try a different one.

You probably know that managing your time effectively will help you get more done each day. But it has important health benefits, too. As an employer and business owner,

PLAN EACH DAY. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.

8. EVALUATE HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR TIME. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to figure out how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.

2. PRIORITISE YOUR TASKS. Time-consuming but relatively unimportant tasks can consume a lot of your day. Prioritising tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.

9. LIMIT DISTRACTIONS. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone and email (if you can).

3. SAY NO TO NONESSENTIAL TASKS. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work or tasks.

10. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP, EAT A HEALTHY DIET AND EXERCISE REGULARLY. A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.

4. DELEGATE. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else. 5. TAKE THE TIME YOU NEED TO DO A QUALITY JOB. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.

11. TAKE A TIME MANAGEMENT COURSE. Find out if a local community college, university or community education program runs one.

6. BREAK LARGE, TIME-CONSUMING TASKS INTO SMALLER TASKS. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.

12. TAKE A BREAK WHEN NEEDED. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organised. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches. Everyone needs to rest.

7. PRACTICE THE 10-MINUTE RULE. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.

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“If you strive to be the best and do everything possible to become that, then you will be successful.”

DORIEN VAN DEN BERG

Dorien is taking the hairdressing world by storm. Just five years ago she was HITO Central Apprentice of the Year; now, at the age of 25, she is a successful salon owner and Kitomba/NZARH Business Award winner.

orien’s Kapiti Coast salon Jomp Hair Design won Fudge Boutique Salon of the Year recently at the HITO/Kitomba/NZARH Industry Awards, and she was also a finalist for JustBookMe Best New Entrant.

week their results are placed on the back room board. I set incentives and reward them for hitting targets.” Dorien also organises regular staff meetings and individual performance reviews to go over the results and provide feedback. This way all her staff know what she expects of them. The constructive feedback helps them learn and grow.

“I was completely overwhelmed!” Dorien says of the win. “I’m extremely excited and so grateful to receive this award. I have only been in business for just over two years, and I have put so much time and energy into building Jomp into what it is now. It feels amazing to gain recognition for all the hard work.”

“All my staff are focused, and I encourage them to take ownership of their roles within the team, so they are engaged in the salon and our culture,” she explains.

The Fudge Boutique Salon of the Year award is results driven. Judges weighed up performance figures relating to chemical services, profitability, rebooking, retail sales and more when deciding on the winner. Dorien says one-way she keeps these figures up is by setting individual targets for each of her stylists.

With such efficient systems in place, it is hard to believe that Dorien only took over the salon two years ago. She began working at what is now Jomp Hair Design shortly after completing her apprenticeship. She quickly made it clear to the then owner that she was committed to standing by her and helping see the salon grow. In return, Dorien’s boss invested in her, sending her on managerial courses and giving

“This is called benchmarking,” she explains. “Each team member has a target in place for them to meet and each

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: SARAH MILNE, SAMANTHA BELL, DORIEN VAN DEN BERG, JANELLE HARLEN, HOPE HOWCHOW

“A qualification is so important… It shows you are serious about your chosen career, that you are proud of it and have taken the time and effort to achieve it.”

DORIEN AT WORK

“I care a lot about my apprentices. I strive to cherish them and nurture their journey to become extraordinary hairdressers! Watching them grow is so rewarding and I am proud of their achievements.”

training available. Her persistence paid off and finally she got an apprenticeship at a salon well known for their training. She worked hard, achieved her National Certificate and took every opportunity to learn and grow.

her some fantastic opportunities. Eventually, she asked Dorien if she would like to buy the business. “I jumped at the chance!” she says. “I felt ready for it since I had spent a lot of time and energy invested in the salon already – now it could be mine!”

“In my apprenticeship I learned the tools I needed to become a great hairdresser and I took ownership of my future in this industry. It is not just hairdressing; this is a career and a passion based job. If you put everything into it, you will receive amazing and rewarding results.”

“If you strive to be the best and do everything possible to become that, then you will be successful.” Feeling lucky to have the opportunity to own her own salon so early in her career, Dorien is determined to do everything to make the business a success.

Now the employer and trainer, Dorien loves using her knowledge and passion to train her own apprentices and give them the same inspiring experience she had. She enjoys “growing her own” team and has seen this create consistency in the salon, ensuring that all the staff at Jomp carry the salon’s reputation for excellence.

“I would do anything for my salon. Honestly it is the most worthwhile investment in every way,” she says. This inherent passion for her career and business is what drives Dorien to run Jomp with excellence every day.

“Passion, inspiration and ambition are my three favourite words! I am passionate about hairdressing, and I live for this industry. I intend to be the best and work hard, remain consistent and not become complacent. If you are the best at what you do, clients will come to you over anyone else. If you strive to be the best and do everything possible to become that, then you will be successful.”

If you want to have a rewarding career in hairdressing, Dorien says the most important thing you can do is to keep your passion for the industry. “Make sure you are excited and passionate about hairdressing. That ‘fire’ is essential in becoming great. Without it, you will never become amazing, no matter where you are trained.”

Dorien is also passionate about apprenticeship training and qualifications in the hairdressing industry. She knows from experience that it is training that leads to success and qualifications keep the industry professional.

“At the end of the day you are responsible for your own success,” says Dorien, “so make the most of the opportunities you have – and don’t forget to have fun!”

“A qualification is so important…It shows you are serious about your chosen career, that you are proud of it and have taken the time and effort to achieve it.”

“This is a really fun industry; remember that when you are sweeping floors and making coffees! We have all been there! Set goals and achieve them - no one else is to blame but you for how your career turns out. Age and experience don’t matter because if you train and learn and push yourself, you will succeed.”

When she was looking to start her own apprenticeship, Dorien sought out a salon that would be as passionate about training as she is. She handed her CV out to over 60 salons and even turned down job offers when there was no suitable

JASMINE MCBETH RECIPIENTS PAST AND PRESENT - MOANA RIDDELL, JULIEANNE HARTSHORNE, KALEB PRITCHARD, MARIANNA BROWN

HAYLEY MARTIN

RETURNING TO WORK AS AN APPRENTICE In hairdressing, like many other industries, it's not uncommon for employees to take a break from work. Many return to work, but this can be a challenge for employers and employees alike. We spoke with three apprentices who have returned to training after a break and asked them for their advice.

ayley Martin, Melissa Teller, and Julieanne Hartshorne are fully committed to the hairdressing industry. When we asked about their training, none of them could contain their enthusiasm, happily discussing their successes and their excitement. You would never know that all three had taken breaks as long as ten years, or that returning to work hasn’t always been easy.

also gave birth to two children, giving her added responsibilities outside the workplace. Julieanne decided to return to training in 2013. At first she struggled with finding a job that would give her and her family the support they needed. Julieanne eventually found her current job at Hi-Tek Hair Studio. Hi-Tek provided the financial and personal support she needed. Julieanne also received the Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship for 2013, giving her $3000 to put towards future training in the industry.

Hayley worked in the industry for some time before leaving to have a family. She first worked part-time, but decided to leave to focus on raising her children. But Hayley missed her work, and so she decided to return and complete her National Certificate.

Under New Zealand law, apprentices are entitled to no less than 80% of the minimum wage while they are training. This can be a struggle for an apprentice with a family to support. Budgeting is essential, as is seeking help wherever you can.

Returning to training was not without its challenges, of course. For Hayley, the biggest challenge was “getting back into study mode”.

Support in other areas is also essential for returning to work. For Melissa, having training support has been the most valuable thing. At first, she struggled a little with a lack of support from her classmates at Off Job Training, who were not welcoming. However, Melissa’s trainer in salon, Claire, provided more than enough support. Claire used to be a tutor at Premier, and Melissa says this has helped her understand the assessments.

“Young apprentices have often gone straight from school into studying, so it's easier for them,” Hayley says. “I hadn’t been in school for fifteen years, so re-training my brain on how to retain information was a challenge”. Hayley also finds being paid a training wage is challenging financially, especially with a family to support. However, she says completing her qualification will be worth it.

“Claire is an awesome trainer,” Melissa says. “She makes it easy to learn, and she has trained me to a high standard, which makes assessments easier”.

For Julieanne Hartshorne, money was also a concern in returning to hairdressing. Julieanne started her apprenticeship in 2002, but had to leave the industry to look after her parents when her father was in a serious crash. During her break, she

Other challenges when returning to work can include adjusting to the structure of a workplace and preserving a work-life balance.

HAYLEY MARTIN IN THE SALON

WORK BY HAYLEY MARTIN

MELISSA TELLER

Melissa Teller also feels more confident about her training. She says she is much more relaxed, and she also feels older and wiser. Some of our apprentices are paid more than the training wage, which is an advantage. Their employers agreed to provide this additional financial support, knowing the apprentices had families to look after and other commitments that younger apprentices might not necessarily have.

Adjusting to the work environment can be difficult, and getting back into good habits can be difficult. But it isn’t impossible. Knowing she would return to the industry eventually, Hayley made sure to keep up with her hairdressing knowledge and practice while she was at home. This has left her far better prepared to return to work than she otherwise might have been. Keeping a work-life balance was a serious concern for our apprentices, but they all agree that returning to work is worth it. For Melissa, it was important to think in the long term, and to gain a qualification that would mean she could support her family and make her children proud. The 30-hour a week requirement of an apprenticeship can also make adjusting work to fit family commitments easier. Working less than 40 hours is also recommended by Careers NZ as an excellent way to ease back into the workforce.

Although paying an apprentice more than average may put a strain on the salon at first, it often pays off. Older apprentices often finish their qualifications faster than the younger ones, allowing the salon to have a fully qualified stylist at a much faster rate. Julieanne Hartshorne, for example, completed her qualification within three months of returning to training. As she had some of Year 2, all of Year 3, and her finals to complete, this was an impressive feat.

Making sure employees maintain a healthy work-life balance is valuable to employers, too. Employees who have a good worklife balance are healthier and happier, and more fulfilled in all areas of their lives, according to Careers NZ. They are also more productive and more likely to stick with the business, according to the Department of Labour.

Despite the challenges, none of our apprentices regret the decision to return to the industry. All three encourage other people that are thinking about returning to the industry to “just go for it”. Hayley and Melissa are eager to complete their qualifications, and Julieanne has started her National Certificate in Business – she plans to run her own salon one day.

There are other advantages to older apprentices, both for the apprentice and for the business they work for. For Hayley, being older and more experienced makes her feel more confident in her abilities as she trains. She also enjoys the diversity of working with older and young apprentices and staff and says it's helpful to get different perspectives.

“Coming back was the best decision I’ve made for me and my family in a long time, and I don’t regret it one bit,” Julieanne says. “Shop around with your interviews and find the place that feels right for you. It's so essential to feel comfortable and happy in the workplace - not many of us can say that we love our place of work”.

Hayley also loves the opportunities she has to take part in fashion work, which she says were few and far between when she first joined the industry. Having access to various top quality products and far more advanced training is also an advantage of training now, Hayley says.

And Melissa couldn’t agree more. She advises anyone who wants to return to training to give it a go. “Just do it!” She says, “Who cares what anyone else thinks?”

HQ apprentices shine at hairdressing competitions 2013 has been a year of exciting success for apprentices at New Plymouth’s HQ Hairdressing Group, made up of three salons: HQ hair by Design, HQ Design Space, and HQ Studio.

DENBY EDWARDS - NZARH REGIONAL COMPETITION – DAY STYLE EVENT (NEWCOMER), THIRD PLACE

“I think that competition work pushes you out of your comfort zone."

DENBY EDWARDS - NZARH REGIONAL COMPETITION – NIGHT STYLE EVENT (NEWCOMER), SECOND PLACE

“

The whole journey of preparing for a competition pushes people right out of their comfort zone,” says Cheryl Findlay, owner of HQ Hair by Design. “It gives them a platform to do something new, learn cutting and colouring techniques, and most of all learn how to dress hair. We see our apprentices' skill bases grow tremendously with competing.”

in competitions this year. At the Regional NZARH Competition, Chiara placed first in the Junior Urban Day Style event, second in the Urban Colour event, and was named Taranaki Newcomer of the Year. She also entered the Jessie Roebuck competition and placed second in both the Fashion Set and Hair Up sections. Chiara has thoroughly enjoyed competing this year, mainly because she is able to express herself creatively. She can try things she would not normally do in the salon.

Denby Edwards recently completed the second year of her apprenticeship at HQ Hair by Design and she has enjoyed taking part in competitions this year. She says competing has helped her gain confidence in herself and her work.

“I would definitely recommend to all apprentices to consider entering competitions because of what you learn.”

In the Taranaki Regional NZARH Competition, Denby won second place in the Night Style event (Newcomer) and third in the Day Style event (Newcomer). She also took out first place in the blow wave category of the Jessie Roebuck competition and was placed at a local Session Hair/ Fashion Show competition.

“I think that competition work pushes you out of your comfort zone,” she says. “It allows you to create work that you wouldn't normally do day to day. Competitions challenge you to think outside the box and put your own twist on work that inspire you. There’s no limit to the creativity you can express!”

“At HQ, competitions are compulsory for apprentices, and at first it can be a little intimidating, but overall it’s a thrill,” Denby says. “I would definitely recommend to all apprentices to consider entering competitions because of what you learn. You have to learn good time management skills, how to think outside the box and how to let go of the stress and embrace your mistakes.”

Chiara says that doing competitions has helped develop her skill base, and she thinks all apprentices should get involved in this work. For salon owners Cheryl and Tanya, seeing their apprentices succeed in competitions is rewarding. “At the end of the day nothing beats the smiles from the team when they come off the floor at a competition and say, “yes, I did it!””

Chiara Whitmore is an apprentice from HQ Design Space (owned by Tanya Patene). She has also done exceptionally well

“Regardless of placing, they are all winners to us here at HQ.”

MANE SALON TEAM

TOP TRAINERS, TOP TIPS Some of New Zealand’s top trainers give their best suggestions for trainers and trainees.

Janine Simons also advises that teaching others what you’ve learned will help reinforce it, benefiting yourself and your trainee. Equally, they advise, trainees benefit from practising what they have learned. This reinforces the trainees’ knowledge, and it also allows the trainer to oversee the progress of the trainee, making corrections as needed. It is a cliché, but all four trainers stress the importance of practice. It is also, as Julie Depree (of Man Up Hair and Body) says, helpful to follow-up on your training, and evaluate its effectiveness. That way, trainees have the opportunity to contribute to their own training, and trainers can evaluate what is working and what they need to do differently.

s we head into the New Year, many of you may be thinking about organising training for your team in 2014. We asked four top trainers for their advice on training, why training is so vital to them, and the successes they’ve seen because of training. “Training is the backbone of what we do,” says Janine Simons of Mane Salon. “It is the future of our industry”. And Jan Waite (of Jan Waite Hairdressing) agrees, saying “Training is the future of our industry. Without training, we don’t have a profession”. For our four top trainers, quality training starts with them. All four trainers have achieved their National Certificate (or equivalent), and they have all continued to undertake professional development throughout their careers. Some of these courses include Train the Trainer and Cutting Clean by Go Coaching, which allowed them to better train others. They also collectively have experience all across the industry (fashion work, platform work, experience as assessors), giving them insight in all areas of hairdressing. To provide appropriate training, a trainer must have a solid training base to work from.

Maintaining excellent health is also beneficial, both for trainers and trainees. As Julie Depree advises, a healthy trainer will find it easier to teach and a healthy trainee will be more receptive to the lessons being given. Hairdressers and barbers are on their feet all day, so it is essential that trainers teach proper posture, correct use of equipment, and other methods of avoiding strain. Failing to do so will mean long-term health issues for staff, including back problems and strained joints.

There are plenty of advanced courses available to trainers, including HITO’s National Certificate in Advanced Cutting and National Certificate in Business. Our trainers would recommend taking advantage of them all. They would also recommend connecting with a stylist or trainer you admire, and asking if they would be happy to mentor you.

Another important piece of advice for both trainers and trainees is: keep a respectful attitude. For Aimee Packer of VIVO Hair Salon, maintaining a respectful attitude is necessary when training. This is important for all employees, from owner

“Training is the future of our industry. Without training, we don’t have a profession.”

JAN WAITE AND LAURA WILLIAMS

to apprentice. It is easier to teach by example. If the trainer is enthusiastic about training, then the apprentice will reflect that attitude. If trainers are having problems with trainee attitudes, it can be best to sit down with the trainee and discuss any issues.

say that seeing trainees’ eyes “light up” when they achieve something is a reward on its own. And there are definite benefits for the business too. For Aimee Packer, successful training gives her staff she can rely on. One of Aimee’s trainees now works alongside her as a stylist, one that Aimee can depend on for education and guidance. Properly trained trainees can provide support to senior members, and in turn help junior members of the team. This allows the salon to run smoothly and efficiently.

These problem-solving sessions can also be used to follow another key training point – setting goals.

SETTING GOALS All four of our top trainers recommend creating a long-term plan for both trainers and trainees as this helps keep everyone motivated and to “keep their eyes on the prize”. These goals should also be followed up on and reassessed to make sure every trainee is on track with their training and is learning at the right pace. However, Jan Waite also advises the trainer should keep an eye on the “big picture”, making sure that any goals set are in line with the overall goals of the business. The goals should also fit the long-term plan of the trainee for their career.

For Janine at Mane, seeing her team succeed is the best thing about training. She has been able to convince one of her team members to get her QbyE qualification, and she also loves watching her other team members gain competitive success. As a new and different training salon, Janine also enjoys seeing Mane’s methods recognised within the wider industry. The benefits of training are clear. Setting up a strong training plan leads to success for trainers, trainees, and salon alike. It can be a large investment at first, but it will pay off, leading to longterm success for all involved.

It is clear that following this advice gets results. Our four trainers have seen all their trainees succeed in the industry, whether that be as successful stylists in New Zealand or overseas. “They are all successful, as they are now contributing to our industry in more ways than they could've imagined,” Julie Depree says.

Want more information? Take a look at our summary of why training is crucial and what you can do develop it in your salon. We have also got articles on communication and creating 2014 training plans, which you can find in this issue of Forma.

Top training in their salons has meant personal success for the stylists and a sense of pride for the trainers. All four trainers

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

AIMEE PACKER

JULIE DEPREE

WHY IS TRAINING NECESSARY?

I. Training allows employees to be more independent, giving trainers and managers time to focus on more urgent or necessary tasks.

Training is essential in any work environment. It keeps employees happy and engaged, and keeps your business up-to-date. A. Staff who undergo training are more likely to stick with the business. To retain the best staff members, you need to provide training. This keeps staff members engaged in the business. If you value your employees, they will value your business.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR YOU AND YOUR TRAINEES? 1. Make sure you provide quality training for all your employees. This may mean spending more time and money, but it will be worth it. Investing in quality training at the beginning means less money lost over the long-term.

B. You will attract the best employees from the beginning. As Janine Simons says, “Our current generation are hungry for training and want to be accomplished fast, and we have to address that”. Providing training will attract the staff you want and encourage them to stay.

2. Provide the appropriate training for your employees. There is no point in training an employee if it won’t support the business, or that isn’t relevant to their job or the direction their career is headed.

C. You will retain staff for longer. This benefits the business because it means less time spent finding and training new staff. Productivity is increased.

3. Focus on a wide range of skills. Team members need the practical skills needed to perform their jobs, but they also need training in communication, sales, and other areas relevant to the salon.

D. Reduced costs. Less money is lost because of inefficiency or accident. Staff are also better able to increase profits through upselling products and services if they are properly trained.

4. Make sure everyone is committed to training. Trainers should always continue to educate themselves, and have an extensive experience in training. The employee is much more likely to be invested if the employer is invested.

E. Having a strong training programme/plan/strategy means you can afford to focus on hiring those with the attitudes you want, even if they don’t have the skills. You can then put them through your training programme, giving you all-round top quality staff.

5. Ask your employees what they want out of training. This will make your staff feel more engaged in the business, and make sure they are getting what they need. You can help their goals and needs align with those of the business. This is also a convenient way to solve any problems your staff have with their current training.

F. Training sets the quality standard, both in your salon and in the industry as a whole. As Julie Depree says “As a trainer it is my responsibility to ensure others aspire to, and uphold the highest of standards. This trade is still in its infancy despite being one of the oldest professions and we need to keep it relevant in the modern world.”

6. Make sure your salon is a pleasant environment to train in. This can mean investing money in equipment, in improving yourself as a trainer, or even dealing with any health and safety issues. Good health is essential as healthy people are more engaged and comfortable in their environment.

G. Ensure employee safety and health. Hairdressers are on their feet all day, so they need to be taught correct posture and other tips to make sure they don’t strain themselves too much. Hairdressing also involves work with chemicals and sharp objects and close contact with other people. Handling this correctly (by training your staff in how to do so) will mean everything flows smoothly for your staff and your customers.

7. Set goals and offer rewards. This can be motivating for trainers and trainees, and can also promote a healthy attitude towards training. 8. Celebrate training achievements.

H. You can address any weak points employees have. This will make your business perform better overall, and it will also give you the ability to recruit based on attitude and commitment. You can train your employees in particular skills later.

9. Ask others for help. As our trainers recommend, asking a stylist you admire to teach you will improve your skills. They can also provide training tips, which you can then pass on to your trainees.

TOP TIPS FOR NEW MANAGERS AND LEADERS Here are a few tips to avoid those common first time manager mistakes.

6. TALK TO YOUR TEAM

ou have been working hard. You are an expert, and everyone knows how skilled you are at your job. Now that historic day has come that the boss invites you into the office. You get the promotion you have been working for.

Every person on your team will have a slightly different idea of what your role should be and what you should be doing. Talk to your team and ﬁnd out what they expect from you and explain what you want from them.

Great news - right? You are now a boss/supervisor. You now have people reporting to you and your entire working life is now about to change forever.

7. LEAD BY EXAMPLE Whatever is in the company's code of conduct rules or policies, people will always learn what conduct is acceptable by your actions. You have to demonstrate the behaviour you want from your team. If you don't you will never be seen as a leader.

1. YOU ARE NOW BOTTOM OF A NEW LADDER Leadership needs an entirely different set of skills to the one you have now. Never think that promotion is the end of your learning journey it's only just beginning.

8. UNDERSTAND THE ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

2. REMEMBER IT'S NEVER ABOUT YOU

Every business has its own culture. It's essential to understand what it is. Each company has policies of varying severity. Get to grips with the feel of them so you don't accidentally come across as too tough or too soft.

The old attitude of believing that a team works to support the boss is outdated. The leader exists to ensure that his or her team has everything they need, direction, a shared vision, skills and resources.

9. BE PREPARED TO BE UNPOPULAR

3. ACCEPT THAT YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES.

There will be times the needs of the business will conflict with the needs of some individuals. Always explain your reasons, people may not agree, but they will respect you. Remember you can lead a team if people don't like you, but you cannot lead if they don't respect you.

Nobody has ever started a new job and never made any mistakes – that includes you. The big difference is that this time your mistakes are going to affect your team. Don't beat yourself up, just front up, apologise, learn from your mistakes and become a better leader.

10. DON'T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE

4. HIDE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS

The most common mistake that new managers make is trying to be someone else. Or trying to be the kind of person they think a manager should be. One of the reasons you got this job is because you are you. By all means, aim to be a better person but don't stray too far from who you genuinely are.

The days of moaning about the boss, or even worse moaning about colleagues, are over. You now represent the business so everything you say will be seen as a business statement regardless of its original purpose.

5. TALK TO YOUR BOSS Talk to him or her and find out their expectations of you. How they want to be updated? What their priorities are for the business? If you’re in a new business then you will have a new boss. Take time to build a strong relationship with them.

THE HITO HAIRDRESSER IN TRAINING PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2013 WINNERS ANNOUNCED ORIGINAL MANNEQUIN

As well as celebrating the best trainers, tutors, training salons, and apprentices, the 2013 Industry Awards also gave HITO the opportunity to celebrate the winners of our 2013 HITO Hairdresser in Training Photographic Competition.

very entrant was given a photograph of a hairstyle which they had to imitate to the best of their ability. Apprentices and full-time students from across the country entered the competition, and we had many high quality entries. There were three awards up for grabs: Facebook People’s Choice, Awards People’s Choice, and Judges Choice. The Facebook People’s Choice Award was won by Abbie Harvey of Charlotte Dawn. Abbie was chosen by fans of our Facebook page, who were asked to look at all the entries and then ‘like’ the one they thought was the best. Abbie was the clear winner, with nearly 200 more votes than the photograph in second place. “It feels great to win, knowing that I have so much support from work colleges, friends & family. It all means so much to me,” Abbie says. Her advice to anyone looking to enter next year would be “Make sure you have a plan. Practice your cut on another dolly first. Do not be afraid to think outside the box and add your own personal touch.” The Awards People’s choice was judged by guests at the 2013 Industry Awards. This year, this award went to Shannen Moffitt from Allure Hair Studio. This was the first competition Shannen had ever entered, and she was over the moon when she won. Shannen says the key to her win was lots of research (in hairdressing magazines and looking at last year’s images) and lots of planning.

ZOE LOVERIDGE – JUDGES CHOICE WINNER

national certificate in

business

Level 3

SHANNEN MOFFITT – AWARDS PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER

The Judges Choice Award went to Zoe Loveridge from the Hairdressing College. Zoe’s photograph was selected by a panel of industry judges as the image that best reproduced the original haircut. Zoe was thrilled, as she had only being cutting for six weeks before entering the competition. Her advice to anyone who wants to enter would be to think outside the box. Thank you to our sponsor, A Sharper Blade, who provided fantastic prizes for our winners. An enormous thank you also to everyone that entered and congratulations to the winners.

ABBIE HARVEY – FACEBOOK PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES NEED QUALIFIED PEOPLE Do you want to run a successful business? Do you want to avoid the common pitfalls that many small businesses have encountered? Then HITO’s new business qualification is for you.

e have teamed up with the Open Polytechnic to offer the National Certificate in Business (Level 3), the perfect programme for anyone who wants to become a successful business person in barbering, beauty, hairdressing and beyond.

aspects to help bring your dreams of owning and running an effective business to life.

HOW IT WORKS The National Certificate in Business (Level 3) is done through the Open Polytechnic. It has been specifically designed to be delivered by distance learning, which means that you can fit the study around your life. You will have access to tutors and other students doing the same course.

This qualification begins the learning journey to improve your understanding of how to run a business. Communication is a central focus of the programme. You will look at how to make sure your communication is right and will get you the best results. It also deals with the critical decisions that need to be made in the areas of finance, location and ownership.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? • Improve your communication style in your personal and business life.

People who complete this programme will be able to choose an effective communication style that suits them and the people they deal with to make the business run smoothly. They will also be able to examine the best options for setting up a business and ensuring its long term future.

• Gain a better understanding of what makes a small business tick. • Grow stronger relationships with your employees and clients.

Along with the required communication component, you can choose one of two strands:

• Build and maintain a positive working environment to help your business run smoothly.

1. TEAMS AND LEADERSHIP

• Build your confidence in being understood fully.

In this strand, you will examine the concepts of teams and leadership in the workplace. You'll do activities that are designed to help you integrate leadership theory and practices into your daily personal and working life.

MORE DETAILS The programme of study costs $995 (incl. GST) and you need to complete the 42 credits over a period of no greater than 8 months. If you are already a qualified hairdresser or have had a recent period of study, you may already have some of those credits.

2. SMALL BUSINESS In this strand, you will examine the concepts of setting up a small business, identify opportunities and manage the financial

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP FOR THIS EXCITING NEW PROGRAMME, TALK TO YOUR HITO SALES AND LIAISON MANAGER.

GOOD COMMUNICATION MEANS SUCCESS Clear and consistent communication is essential for making sure a business runs the best it possibly can. We spoke to three trainers about why excellent communication is vital to them, how it works in their business, and their advice for other trainers and business owners looking to improve their communication skills and techniques.

ROSEMARY CHALMERS, D’OR HAIRSTYLISTS

they will communicate in various situations in the future to get excellent results.

“Communication in the salon is vital to its success and is one of the core values of the D’Or brand,” says Rosemary Chalmers, owner of D’Or Hairstylists in Arrowtown. “It is essential each of us understands where every team member is, and the work they are doing to ensure clients are receiving excellent customer service”.

“This has been valuable in highlighting to apprentices the ways that different clients and personality types communicate,” Rosemary says. “We want ensure that all clients receive helpful, timely, and professional service and the stylists’ day is organised and structured”.

D’Or first realised the importance of communication when their team grew in size. In a busy salon, Rosemary says, it’s vital that team members know what they should be doing and where they should be. That way, the service the customers receive is top notch, and the salon runs smoothly.

Communication is essential to every team member at D’Or, but it is especially valuable for the new members of the team (particularly apprentices). They need to understand how to communicate with the other members of the team quickly and efficiently, and how they can work seamlessly to provide support to the senior members of the team, Rosemary says.

“Apprentices come to work ready to learn, to be inspired and empowered as creative young people”

The results of quality communication are clear. At D’Or, their apprentices come to work ready to learn, to be “inspired and empowered as creative young people”. They have ownership of their role, and they understand what needs to be done, how to do it, and where they need to be, says Rosemary. This avoids the need for micromanaging, giving everyone the space to do their jobs and do them well.

At D’Or, training focuses on both verbal and non-verbal communication. They hold team training every week (in which every staff member participates). They play games and roleplay understanding body language. They walk through various scenarios that have happened/may happen and discuss how

“Apprentices come to work ready to learn, to be inspired and empowered as creative young people.”

GILLIAN TIPPETT, ZEALOUS HAIRDRESSING AND BEAUTY THERAPY

Results of this training can be seen in the apprentices’ everyday lives. Their ability to communicate serves them well in their dealings with everyone, both at work and outside it. This is useful for the staff, and it gives their trainers a sense of pride, too. As Rosemary says, “The best part of D’Or is being a part of developing young girls into women”.

“Communication is the hub of a salon environment and done badly can affect everyone’s day – the staff and the clients’,” Gillian Tippett, trainer at Zealous Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy in Hastings, says. “The correct timing for appointments and accurate communication with clients is essential”.

And for other salons who want to improve their communication, Rosemary has some advice. “Make time for your team,” she says. “Meet and talk, look at what you’re doing well, and look at what you want to improve. Listen [to your team] – your team can be the best or worst part of coming to work, so take the time to understand one another and what you need and expect from coming to work. And celebrate all wins!”

At Zealous, they quickly learned the importance of in-salon communication. This includes both verbal and non-verbal communication, says Gillian. Learning to read body language and people’s attitudes and feelings is just as valuable as being able to talk to a client. When working with the public, Gillian says, the team at Zealous learned quickly that proper communication ensures the correct result.

“I think you can get a sense of [great communication] from the moment you walk in or even call on the phone,” Rosemary says. “There is an ease, a grace that comes with excellent salon communication. You know when it’s working because it all looks seamless, but there is a lot of practise to achieve that result. Good communication helps the salon run efficiently; Great communication keeps our team culture and values at the core of why we come to work”.

Zealous has a particular focus on making sure their young staff members are up to scratch on their communication skills. They also watch communication between senior staff and any issues are dealt with in a staff meeting or a one-on-one meeting.

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“If communication is clear between staff and stylists then there are no surprises or mishaps.”

Communication training at Zealous involves a few different activities. Gillian works with the younger members of staff on their listening and speaking skills, and on their ability to read body language. She uses an active listening activity from HITO, training on how to read body language, how to stand and speak to the public (and when to speak to the public). This ensures they are not mumbling on the phone or chatting throughout a scalp massage. She also teaches them how to greet clients when they arrive – first impressions are crucial, after all.

something that is drilled into staff from day one, and it's something Amy says great employers or trainers should drill into their staff, too. “It's one of the foundations of hairdressing,” Amy says. “Without it, you wouldn’t keep any clients, or any staff for that matter”. From day one, all apprentices at Synergy are taught the basics of good communication. They start with how to communicate with clients in reception and while shampooing a client’s hair. Then they move on to discussing colour work between apprentices and stylists. This training continues throughout their time there, with all staff taking part in communication training.

And the results of these activities? “The salon runs like a well-oiled machine,” Gillian says. “Clients are happy and well taken care of. The seniors don’t run behind on appointments, and the clients don’t ever need re-do’s because their consultations are thorough and effective”.

There is one activity that Amy finds particularly effective. Every week at their staff meeting, one staff member is chosen to research a product brand and communicate what they have learned back to the other staff members. This helps the staff member improve their speaking and communication skills, helps them gain confidence in the product and in selling it, and helps other members of the salon learn about the product too.

Everyone’s aware of what is happening and where they need to be, from the senior stylists to the receptionist. This means the receptionist can also act as a more effective time-keeper, reminding stylists when they need to move faster on an appointment.

This, along with the other communication training at Synergy, ensures the salon “just flows better,” says Amy. “It makes for a happier and easier environment – if communication is clear between staff and stylists then there are no surprises or mishaps”.

Like D’Or, the training the Zealous staff receive helps them in other areas of their lives. From everything to finding a flat to sitting their licence, the Zealous employees are more confident and able to perform. They can represent Zealous positively and promote themselves and their careers.

“If communication is easy and open in a salon environment, there is always room for discussion,” Amy says. “In our salon, we always look to our apprentices for new and interesting ideas about colouring. Having open communication allows them to grow their creative skills – they blow me away with their ideas sometimes!”

“There’s no such thing as too much education,” Gillian says. “Learn everything you can and try everything you can. Take on the experiences you have when you’re outside the salon and look to others for any skills you can use”

Amy agrees with Gillian and Rosemary: communication training serves apprentices and other staff well in all areas of their lives. “I think it's a great tool to have in all aspects of your life, not just your career,” Amy says. “It's such a basic but necessary skill to have”.

AMY SMITH, SYNERGY HAIRDRESSING “Communication is the key in any salon,” Amy Smith, Salon Manager at Synergy Hairdressing in Lower Hutt, says. “It’s what makes the difference between a successful salon and a salon that struggles”.

Her advice for salons wanting to improve their communication? “Make sure you are always open to communicate with – sometimes, without realising it, people can be hard to approach,” Amy says. “If we can’t communicate, we can’t teach, which means no learning. And the day you stop learning, or wanting to learn, is the day to put the tools down!”

At Synergy, Amy says, no staff member is left to realise the importance of communication on their own. Rather, it's

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION IN YOUR WORKPLACE? As our three trainers have said, strong communication is essential to running any business. If you’d like to improve your skills, here are some tips and advice for you. START EARLY: Start communication training from the moment a new staff member joins the salon. Basic salon skills (like reception duties) often need strong communication skills, so teach those skills as you teach the tasks.

SORT IT OUT FAST: If there are communication issues, address them as soon as possible. One-on-one meetings or team meetings are ideal for this, depending on what the problem is. This is also an opportunity for you to improve your communication skills as you communicate about the issue with your staff members.

BRING IT TO LIFE: Practise! There is plenty of opportunity for this in the salon, where communication is vital. Watch your staff as they communicate and give them feedback on what they did well and what they could improve on. This will also give you some idea of what areas you should focus on in any training sessions you hold.

BE REGULAR AND CONSISTENT: Have regular meetings and training sessions with all staff. As our trainers have said, regular meetings are an excellent opportunity to discuss ideas, conduct training exercises (like Synergy’s presentation exercise), and resolve any communication problems.

BE APPROACHABLE: Make sure that, as an owner or a trainer, you are available and easy to talk to. This can be as simple as letting your employees know that they can meet with you privately or discuss things at a weekly team meeting.

IT’S A 2 WAY STREET: Ask your employees for suggestions. The act of explaining what you need help with improves your communication skills. It also gives your employees the opportunity to discuss areas they think need improving. If they see their suggestions carried out, they may be more open with their suggestions next time around.

SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS: Train staff thoroughly in what is expected of them. This means everyone understands what is expected of them, which makes the salon run much more smoothly.

PRACTICE EXERCISES: Practice active listening exercises. You can use the HITO Aquarius Literacy and Numeracy Tool for this. This is available from the HITO website www.hito.org.nz/aquariusonline/ or on a USB stick that you can plug into a computer. To get the USB stick from free, speak to your regional HITO manager.

IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU SAY: Focus on all areas of communication. Both verbal and non-verbal communication are critical, so come up with exercises to practise these.

OSCAR AND CO RAISING MONEY FOR CASPER

OSCAR AND CO WORK WITH CASPER

OSCAR AND CO. WORK WITH CASPER Communication is not only important in everyday business, it could save a life.

studies have suggested that people will trust their hairdresser over their doctor.”

very year Oscar and Co. in Takapuna hold a ‘Charity Day’ in the salon. They book a full day of clients, and all the proceeds from these clients go to a charity chosen by Oscar and Co. This year, Oscar and Co chose to work with CASPER (short for Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research).

“I’ve always been surprised that other companies don’t have closer associations with hairdressers,” Gene says, “we spend all day talking to people and recommending things – restaurants, products, and clothes”.

CASPER is a charity organisation that works to reduce the high rates of suicide in New Zealand. One way they do this is by training people in industries like hairdressing on how to help clients who have had an encounter with suicide.

But CASPER did realise this and started approaching hairdressers (and people like them). CASPER taught the team at Oscar and Co what to say when a client broaches the subject of suicide, whether the conversation is about the client themselves or someone they’ve lost. Equally importantly, CASPER also taught the team what not to say. They also suggested organisations to refer clients to for further advice and support.

For Gene Cooksley, owner of Oscar and Co, communication (particularly on the issue of suicide) is extremely powerful. Oscar and Co had their own insight into suicide, when a former employee took his life.

“Working with CASPER has been amazing,” Gene says, “we had never had conversations about suicide before, and never thought about what we’d want to say. The way that people have responded has been amazing”.

“It took me completely by surprise,” Gene says, “I had no idea he was struggling. I always thought I would catch-up with him in New York one day, he was so talented”.

Oscar and Co. have noticed a vast difference in their communication skills. They can communicate much better with their clients on a range of issues, and repay the trust their clients have in them with valuable advice. They recommend that other salons get involved with similar organisations in their region.

“Communicating with youth about this issue is especially important for our industry simply because of the large number of young people involved. Making sure these people are comfortable enough to discuss their issues, and that they know where to go for help, is vital,” Gene says.

“It was lovely to raise money and awareness,” Gene says, “CASPER is a charity organisation, so if people can help them and give donate money, I would absolutely recommend that they should”.

“And hairdressers are perfect for this. Communication is already a vital part of working in the industry, and on top of that research coming out in recent years has identified hairdressers as “natural helpers”. As someone who a client sees regularly and who they trust, hairdressers are the ideal people to give advice. In fact,

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SUICIDE IN NEW ZEALAND, YOU CAN VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION NEW ZEALAND AT WWW.SPINZ.ORG.NZ

starting 2014 with a training strategy in your salon What is it and why is it important?

SCHEDULING YOUR TRAINING STRATEGY

f there’s one thing every salon needs, it’s a training strategy. Training helps grow your business, keep up with the industry, and keep your staff happy and engaged. A training strategy helps organise these elements, and helps you decide which direction your salon is headed in next.

The first step should be scheduling all important events in your calendar. This will make scheduling training much easier.

SO WHAT IS A TRAINING STRATEGY?

• Days open

Key information you need to compile in your salon appointment book:

A training strategy is a document that identifies your salon team members’ ‘training needs’ over the coming year. It should also identify how you think you will meet these training needs. Your strategy should be clearly posted on your calendar and delivered on schedule over the time period indicated.

• Statutory Days (salon closed)

You should create your training strategy for the following year in the last quarter of the previous year. You might well ask ‘why so far in advance?’ This is because your training calendar is a necessary component of your appointment book, and needs to be scheduled as such.

• School holidays (you decide if training occurs in this time or not)

• Off Job Training days • Your preferred suppliers training schedule • Annual leave pre-booked

• Other activities that require individuals to be booked out Now you can schedule your training calendar more effectively. Certainly nothing is 100% set in concrete, but if you prioritise your training and book it then it can and will happen!

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – NELSON MANDELA

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

LYNDSAY LOVERIDGE

CREATING YOUR TRAINING STRATEGY

The all-important question then is ‘who will take the role of

Divide your team into:

Trainer?’ You can have more than one Trainer: remember, bitesize delegation means training need not be an onerous task,

STYLISTS

rather one to be enjoyed.

• Senior

You should assign one trainer per group of people. Use the list

• Young/Junior

above (of your staff members) to determine who is on your

COLOURISTS

team that needs training and divide them into groups.

NON HAIRDRESSING PERSONNEL APPRENTICES

THE ROLE OF THE TRAINER

• Year 1

Give each trainer a week to put together an overview of the

• Year 2

training for the next year that their group will need.

• Year 3

• When do they see this happening?

GATEWAY/WORK EXPERIENCE

• How do you see it working?

THE SALON OWNER/EMPLOYER/STYLIST

• Is it in paid work time?

Here is an idea; involve a mix of your team in the planning process and together look at your needs:

• What of the trainer, are they paid? Are their target figures

“Build a dream and the dream will build you.” – ROBERT H SCHULLER

“Do more than belong: participate.

reduced as they might not be able to work the hours planned?

Do more than care: help.

ESTABLISH THE ROLE OF THE TRAINER CO-ORDINATOR AND THE TRAINERS

Do more than believe: practice.

The Trainer Co-ordinator will have responsibility for co-ordinating all training that happens in the salon. They will organise when this training happens, and who does the training. This is often the salon owner, but it doesn’t have to be.

Do more than forgive: forget.

Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than dream: work.” – WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

WHY IS TRAINING IMPORTANT?

• Ours is a ‘Fashion’ Industry: ever evolving. If you want to be sure that your salon has longevity then keep up with trends.

Everyone benefits from training, if the training is designed with them in mind.

• Smart training: what can your chemical supply company offer you? Supply them with both your training schedule and the units of learning on the frame work: it is absolutely possible to work as one when providing training.

T – Teaching ensures you are current. R – Regular training sessions breed good habits. A – Attitude is infectious.

The secret in education lies in respecting the student and the student respecting the trainer.

I – Initiative is a fabulous character trait to be fostered. N – Never say never’- always give things a go. I – In sync with the world around you keeps you fresh and hungry for more.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” – DR. SEUSS, I CAN READ WITH MY EYES SHUT!

N – Negativity is a sign of insecurity; breed a positive learning environment in which people feel safe. G – Grow your skills and grow your client base.

TRAINING GUIDELINES

Training keeps you motivated for more, it puts the spice into your working day.

• Apprentices: weekly with a mix of training, practise opportunities and COE’s (collection of evidence – the standard which ensures the trainee is unit assessment ready).

“Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, and never know too much to learn something new.” – OG MANDINO

• Senior Stylists: Practical Sessions every 6 to 8 weeks; nominate how many of these they must attend per year. • Specialty sessions: up to 3 per year schedule March to November.

SO WHAT MIGHT YOU NEED TO TEACH? (USE THIS AS A CHECK LIST)

• Competitions: Training needs to occur outside your trading hours; be there for your competitors so that every hour in training adds value.

• Policies and Procedures • How to do things our way

• Invest in your people: an Education budget should be at least 2% of the individual’s salary.

• Life skills • Mentoring

Just as you keep an Annual leave log and a Sickness log for each employee add a Training log; then when the budget is used up consider asking your employee to contribute to the training costs as well.

• Buddy every trainee • Niche training: reception skills, dispensary skills, basin skills, retail skills, client relations skills, apprentice year 1,2,3 hairdressing skills in support of their off job training • Creative training with your clients in mind

CONCLUSION

• Colouring

Creating a training strategy is simple but worth it, and every salon can benefit from having one.

• Hair up/Wedding and Ball work

From years both in the industry and being involved in external training, Lyndsay believes that salons who offer the right mix of training programs for all staff tend to both attract and keep their people for a considerably longer period of time. Also with the training comes a strong sense of salon culture. These teams display pride and a high degree of professionalism: definitely valuable keys to success.

Whatever you and your team decide is appropriate for your salon and your team is what you develop into your Training Plan.

SOME TIPS AND GUIDELINES WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR PLAN: • What’s in it for me? -‘The catch phrase of the current generation’. Answer this and you will get their buy-in. Think about this when creating your plan.

Make sure your training strategy works for you and your staff, and that it is achievable. Once your training strategy does this, you’ll be able to keep your staff happy and your salon current, and your business will continue to grow and evolve well into the future.

• Training apprentices is the responsibility of both the Employer and the Off Job Trainer. Make sure the training your apprentice needs is fully covered by both. • No one joins your organisation with a full skill set of your ‘Salons Expectations’. This explains the importance of a clear initiation session to your salon.

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”

• Training keeps staff on the boil: it is most definitely, an important part of keeping staff happy.

– PETER DRUCKER

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE

NEW ZEALAND HAIRDRESSING INDUSTRY TRAINING ORGANISATION INCORPORATED TO BE HELD ON MONDAY 17 MARCH 2014 Notice is given to the New Zealand Hairdressing Industry Training Organisation Incorporated (“HITO”) Board and Members, that the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of HITO will be held on Monday 17 March 2014.

he meeting will take place at MACs Brewery (Cable Room), Corner of Taranaki and Cable Street, in Wellington commencing at 10.00am. Tea and coffee will be available at 9.30am.

4. Representatives: Association Members, Education Members and Corporate Members that wish to appoint a Representative to represent them at the AGM must forward in writing the name of their Representative, and who they represent, to HITO CEO by 10am, Friday 21 February 2014.

The Key Tasks/Deadlines for the AGM are:

5. Attendees: Any other Members that wish to attend the AGM must notify HITO CEO by 10am, Friday 21 February 2014.

1. Board Members: One Elected Board Member position (currently held by Anne Millar) and one Appointed Board Member position (currently held by Sharon van Gulick) are up for election/appointment at the AGM. Any person who wishes to apply for a position on the HITO Board must complete the HITO Application Form – Vacant Board Member Positions (attached) and return it to Erica Cumming (HITO CEO) by no later than 5pm, Friday 17 January 2014.

6. Proxy & Electronic Votes: The deadline for submitting Postal and Electronic Voting Forms is 5pm Thursday 13 March 2014. The Postal and Electronic Voting Forms will be supplied with the AGM Agenda. 7. Proxy Forms: The deadline for submitting Proxy Forms is 9.00am, Monday 17 March 2014. The Proxy Form will be supplied with the AGM Agenda.

2. Items of AGM Business: If the Board or any Employer Member wishes to submit any proposed motions (including alterations to the HITO Constitution) or other items of business for consideration at the AGM these must be received in writing by Erica Cumming no later than 10am, Monday 17 February 2014.

The Returning Officer for the AGM is to be confirmed on the AGM Agenda. The AGM Agenda will be sent to the Board and Employer Members no later than Friday 21 February 2014. Address: HITO, PO Box 11 764, Manners Street, Wellington Email: ceo@hito.org.nz

3. Delegates: Employer Members that wish to appoint a Delegate to represent it at the AGM must forward in writing the name of their Delegate to the HITO CEO by 10am, Friday 21 February 2014.

HITO AGM TIMELINE 2013-2014 DATE

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

WHO IS THE TASK FOR

Completed

Convene the Board Appointments Panel (BAP)

Board Chairperson

Monday 16 December 2013

Call for applications for the vacant Appointed Board Members position and Elected Board Member position (at least 90 days prior to the AGM)

Board Appointments Panel

Friday 17 January 2014

Closing date for applications for Board Member positions due (at least 60 days prior to the AGM)

Members / Public

Friday 7 February 2014

BAP to notify the CEO of the Appointed Board Member to assume office and its recommendations for the vacant Elected Board Member position (at least 30 days prior to the AGM)

Board Appointments Panel

Monday 17 February 2014

Board and/or Employer Members to notify the CEO of any items of business to be considered at the AGM, including any proposed amendments to the Constitution (at least 28 days prior to the AGM)

Board / Employer Members

The AGM Agenda to be sent to the Board and Members (no later than 21 days prior to the AGM) Friday 21 February 2014

Agenda to include notification of the Appointed Board Member and Board Appointment Panel recommendations for the vacant Elected Board Member position.

CEO

Friday 21 February 2014

Deadline for delegates, representatives and attendees to advised the HITO CEO of their AGM attendance.

Members

Thursday 13 March 2014

Deadline for all electronic and proxy voting forms to be returned to the HITO CEO

Members

Monday 17 March 2014

AGM (election of Elected Board Member)

Members

www.hito.org.nz/agm

APPRENTICES AT NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK Four apprentices share their experiences at New Zealand Fashion Week A MODEL FOR NOM*D PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER ROSE

SOPHY PHILLIPS A MODEL FOR NOM*D PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER ROSE

A MODEL FOR NOM*D PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER ROSE

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“Working with different team leaders and stylists, you’ll always pick up different tips and tricks. Even a basic ponytail can be done in a hundred different ways”.

Sophy Phillips is no stranger to fashion shows. As an apprentice at Stephen Marr in Auckland, Sophy works on upwards of ten shows a year, including New Zealand Fashion Week. She also works on many fashion shoots – more than fifty this year so far.

Nom*D’s show this year was Japan-themed. This meant researching Japan itself, as well as the fabrics and shapes of the collection. Sophy’s final look was a geisha-esque messy bun. She created it by rough-drying the look with a lot of mousse, back-brushing and piling the hair into loose buns at the pivot points before integrating the front sections.

ashion work has always been a major part of Sophy’s career. Starting out as a make-up artist, Sophy worked for several years on shoots and shows before starting her hairdressing training in 2010. Her work in make-up gave her an advantage: she already knew how shoots and sets worked, which made helping with hair work much easier. Her make-up skills have also been an advantage in other ways as, of the fifty shoots she has done this year, Sophy did both hair and makeup for about half.

Both Marr Factory and NZ Fashion Week were a unique learning experience. Sophy has learned hundreds of different tips and tricks from every show she has worked on and says every show is a different experience.

Despite being new to the hairdressing industry in 2010, Sophy began working on fashion shows and shoots from day one. Sophy started her apprenticeship at Bettjemans, who have a strong Fashion Week presence (as you can see from our interview with Trent and Mitch, current Bettjemans apprentices), and then moved to Stephen Marr. Stephen Marr maintains several long-term relationships with designers, giving Sophy plenty of opportunity to get involved in fashion work.

“Working with different team leaders and stylists, you’ll always pick up different tips and tricks,” Sophy says, “even a basic ponytail can be done in a hundred different ways”. For those of you who want a career creating hair for the fashion industry, Sophy has some advice. “Go in with an open mind, and listen and learn the whole time you’re there. It’s a different skill set to the one you use every day in the salon, and bringing those skills back into the salon can give your clients that something extra. It’s a great talking point and creates plenty of buzz around you and your salon”.

By 2013, Sophy was a regular at Fashion Week. This year she worked on Coop by Trelise Cooper, the Underground Collaboration Show, and Salasai, helping create looks designed by the Stephen Marr creative team. For Sophy, being able to work closely with her team was one of the best parts of Fashion Week.

So what is next for Sophy? Well, more fashion shows and shoots are certainly on the menu. Sophy and Stephen Marr have already done three more shows since Fashion Week and they have got many more planned. There’s also plenty of planning to do for Fashion Week next year.

As well as working on Fashion Week, Stephen Marr also run The Marr Factory, a weeks’ worth of shows with various designers that runs the week before New Zealand Fashion Week. One of these designers is Nom*D.

Sophy is also focussed on furthering her skills as a hairdresser. At Stephen Marr, intensive training is strongly encouraged, and Sophy intends to take full advantage of this to build “tangible, relevant skills that are applicable as a growing stylist in the salon”. Because of this intensive training, Sophy has been considered a stylist since the beginning of the year.

Sophy had worked with Nom*D previously, designing the hair for one of their campaigns. For Marr Factory, however, Sophy had the opportunity to lead the hair design for their live show, something she had never done before. Sophy worked closely with Margi Robertson (owner of Nom*D) on every aspect of the show, spending a lot of time researching the looks she wanted to create.

She still plans to continue developing her clientele in-salon and improving her skills as a stylist, as well as completing her National Certificate. She also plans to gain more beauty qualifications in the future, all the while furthering her career as a key member of the Stephen Marr Creative Team.

“I wanted something that felt quintessentially part of the brand look and feel,” Sophy says, “the hair needed to fit with the themes of the collection and the fit of the clothes. I also wanted it to move as the models walked”.

SOPHY PHILLIPS CREATING THE HAIR FOR THE NOM*D SHOW AT MARR FACTORY PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER ROSE

"The hair needed to fit with the themes of the collection and the fit of the clothes. I also wanted it to move as the models walked.”

A MODEL FOR NOM*D PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER ROSE

TRENT FLEET & MITCH WILSON

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

MITCH WILSON AT FASHION WEEK

TRENT FLEET AT FASHION WEEK

“It was crazy, and all go. It almost felt unreal. The adrenaline was amazing.”

Every year, Bettjemans send a team to New Zealand Fashion Week. This year, Trent Fleet and Mitch Wilson were part of that team. They shared with us what it takes to keep up at Fashion Week, and the greatest and most challenging parts of being there.

or many years, Bettjemans has worked with designer Trelise Cooper at NZ Fashion Week. This year was no different, with the Bettjemans team creating the hair for Trelise Cooper’s two shows.

of stylist and apprentices had just five minutes to change the style over. At one point, some of the apprentices had to do a changeover on their own, as there were no stylists available to supervise.

“Everyone gets to be a part of it,” Trent says, “everyone helps out, working in teams made up of a stylist and several apprentices. It’s a great atmosphere and everything flows so well”.

However, when asked, Mitch ranks this moment as one of the best at Fashion Week. It was chaotic, but it was also “the pinnacle of Fashion Week, seeing the drive and energy of the people around you”.

This is a process that starts well before Fashion Week. First, Trelise Cooper sends through her ideas and designs for her collection. The team at Bettjemans then work with Trelise to make sure the look fits with the designs she will be showing at Fashion Week.

Both Trent and Mitch thrived in this chaotic atmosphere. Mitch said it was “very exciting out back [of the shows]”, and Trent says “It was so awesome, seeing the different atmospheres at Fashion Week. It was crazy, and all go. It almost felt unreal. The adrenaline was amazing”.

From the beginning, the whole team is involved. Once they have settled on the look, the team undertakes a series of training sessions, making sure they know the look inside and out.

Fashion Week was also an opportunity to hone their practical skills. Both Trent and Mitch say they rapidly improved their long hair-up skills, particularly those involving GHD curls and braids. Mitch says it was helpful to imagine how the final style would look.

“Everyone bands together and works well as a team, but if you aren’t a strong team you will crumble”.

They also got to hone other skills. Mitch learned how valuable it is to keep moving and keep calm (good advice in general), and, above all, to keep breathing. Being able to think on the spot and take surprises well was also an asset.

For Mitch, Fashion Week wasn’t something he had ever thought about doing. But Fashion Week is a significant part of working at Bettjemans, and so he “just fell into it”. As Fashion Week approached, Mitch saw the enthusiasm and felt the energy in the salon. Now, he says it was a “great experience”, and he will be back next year.

But out of all the things they learned, there is one key piece of advice they would give apprentices about Fashion Week.

Of course, Fashion Week is not without challenges. For Trent, the biggest challenge was never giving up on making the planned hairstyle work. “You had to follow the plan and make the hairstyle work no matter what,” Trent says.

“Just get involved and get in there,” Trent says, “it's so easy to feel like you can’t do it and you’re not ready, but just dive in”. And Mitch agrees. “Do whatever you can to get involved,” he says. “Working for free and even observing is such a thrilling experience. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see New Zealand Fashion, and you never know where it might lead”.

And this turned out to be a challenge indeed. The Trelise Cooper show involved two different hairstyles, and each team

DANIEL MATENE

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

DANIEL MATENE AT FASHION WEEK PHOTOGRAHY BY JULIE COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

DANIEL MATENE PHOTOGRAHY BY JULIE COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

“Time management was so important at Fashion Week. Every second counts, so you have to be really organised.”

Daniel Matene from Villa Hairdressing talks about his work with the Goldwell/KMS team at New Zealand Fashion Week.

"Being adaptable was also important," says Daniel, “you had to be prepared to start again from scratch if your work wasn’t going the way the design team had planned.”

aniel Matene has been in the industry for four years, working at Villa Hairdressing in Whangarei. He had never been involved in Fashion Week before, so Daniel jumped at the chance to support Goldwell/KMS at New Zealand Fashion Week 2013.

“Fashion Week was a real learning experience” Daniel learned how to be adaptable, have terrific time management, and communicate well. His practical skills were also tested.

“At Villa, we use Goldwell/KMS products in the salon. They are also a big supporter of Fashion Week, and every year they send around an email asking for enthusiastic hairdressers to help out on several shows. I put my hand up without any questions,” Daniel says.

“Most of the looks I did were very clean and sharp so being able to use a straightener was a big help. They give body, texture, shape, flatness, smoothness and curl. They are very cleverly designed contraptions.”

Daniel had the opportunity to work on a series of shows with the Goldwell team, including NYNE and The New Generation. He also worked at the Goldwell/KMS stand, promoting the company and performing hair demonstrations. It was a frantic week, with the team (selected from salons across New Zealand) constantly on their toes.

“Back combing will never go out of use so knowing how to back comb will surely save your behind, but the most important thing is knowing your products! This will make or break any look”. Daniel also had some other advice for his fellow apprentices. Knowing your products and knowing your tools were his top two tips, but he also had a third tip. Daniel advised other apprentices to “have faith in yourself and your skills, and put yourself in the limelight.”

“Time management was so important at Fashion Week. Every second counts, so you have to be really organised”. This was especially important for Daniel and the Goldwell team. Unlike Sophy Phillips from Stephen Marr and the team from Bettjemans, the Goldwell team had no chance to work together before showing up at Fashion Week. They had their hairdressing training to fall back on, but it was very much “show up and away you go,” says Daniel.

So what was the best part of Fashion Week? “Just being around such amazing people,” Daniel says, “you learn a lot without realising it. I was so inspired by everyone at Fashion Week – everywhere you look there are people with stunning hair, makeup, and clothes. These people are me all over!”

In this environment, communication and listening skills were crucial. The Goldwell design team would show their hairdressers the looks, after which they would complete the looks on a live model. Listening and paying attention was vital.

And the most challenging part of Fashion Week? “Leaving,” says Daniel, “I can’t wait until next year, and I hope the team at Goldwell will ask me back!”

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“It was an amazing experience, and a dream come true.”

PETRA MILDON Wellington apprentice Petra Mildon had the opportunity of a lifetime recently to work behind the scenes at one of the biggest fashion events in the world: New York Fashion Week. Petra went to the city of dreams in September as part of a team put together by Industry’s Sara Allsop.

he worked on five shows in New York, the first of which was for designer Lorry Newhouse. Newhouse’s spring collection was “elegant and sophisticated”, and the hair was styled in a natural, soft, low pony.

Bibhu Mohapatra’s spring collection was inspired by ballet, and the hair was styled to look like a dancer in motion. Starting with a tight bun on top of the head, lots of hairspray was used to lift soft pieces into the air - creating the look of dancing in mid-air.

“It was made to look like the model could have done it herself,” Petra explains.

“This look was one of my favourites, it was so beautiful,” Petra says. Although this was Petra’s first international fashion week, she has worked on Air New Zealand Fashion Week, Wellington Fashion Week and Fashion in the Capital here at home, which she says helped prepare her for heading overseas. She is also part of the Industry team who travel around New Zealand and Australia doing shows.

Soft, minimal-effort looks like this one were a key hair trend seen on the New York runways this year. Another show Petra worked on was LOVE by Diego Beinniti, an Argentinian designer. This time the hair was styled in a structured, messy, braided “avatar” look.

“Working at New Zealand Fashion Week and at other shows has definitely helped mould me, helped me to get creative and to spread my wings,” she says.

“This was our time to get creative,” Petra says. “We could do our own spin on the look while keeping within the style.” One of Petra’s favourite looks to work on was for designer Sophie Theallet. The look for this show was a low, messy, wet look bun. The team used lots of product to create the wet, “justout-of-the-shower” look, and pieces of fabric were twisted into the bun for a colourful edge.

She also attributes her apprenticeship at Buoy with helping her to grow as a stylist. “Being in the salon keeps me grounded,” she explains, “and it has helped shape me into who I am today.” It would be a dream come true for Petra to continue working the international fashion week circuit, and she hopes the contacts she made in New York will help her get there.

“This was another chance to get creative with the fabric and choose our colours,” says Petra. “The look was beautiful.” Petra was thrilled to find that images of her working on this show were published in the New York Times, both online and in print.

“The Americans we met love New Zealanders,” she says. “We met some really great people and did lots of networking.”

“This was a highlight!” she says.

If you are an apprentice who wants to work in fashion too, Petra says the key is to be driven.

Working on Indian-American designer Bibhu Mohapatra’s show at the Lincoln Centre was another high point for Petra. While working in one of New York’s most iconic venues, she suddenly realised that she was in the middle of one of the biggest fashion weeks in the world.

“If that’s what you want to do, put yourself out there. Enter competitions because that is how you will get known. You need to be extremely driven and go after the dream.”

“People were going at 100 miles an hour. Paparazzi was coming in and out. There’s nothing like it,” she says. “It’s on another spectrum to New Zealand.”

PETRA'S WORK ON LOVE BY DIEGO BINETTI, HAIR LEAD PHILLIP BARWICK

MEL AND THE STAFF AT CHAIRS

MEL WOODMASS' ADVICE FOR MAORI & PASIFIKA PEOPLES For Mel Woodmass, owner of Chairs salon and tutor at The Hairdressing College, her 25 years in the hairdressing industry have been the most stimulating of her life. She shared with us her experiences as a Maori woman in the industry and her advice for other Maori and Pasifika people looking to pursue a career in hairdressing.

less than hard work, dedication, and outstanding achievements from her apprentices”.

oday Mel is the successful owner of Chairs Hair Design, hairdressing industry assessor, and tutor at The Hairdressing College. Her journey to success has been a long one, starting when Mel was only 9 years old. The auntie she was living with at the time, tired of Mel chewing on her hair as well as her food, grabbed her hair into a ponytail and cut it short. Mel walked into a local salon to get it fixed, and as she says “walked into her career”.

Mel completed her qualification and then, at 21 years old, bought Sidney’s salon from her. Twenty-one years later, Mel still owns that salon, and Chairs (the salon) is still going strong.

“Hairdressing was calling my name”.

At Chairs, apprentices are an essential part of the salon’s culture. “Apprentices are the backbone of my business, and they’ve come from different backgrounds and are all different ages,” Mel says. “So far, 15 apprentices have completed their qualification, and three of the stylists went on to buy their own salons”.

Mel was brought up in the small of town Foxton, in the Horowhenua region. Sidney Gilroy owned three salons in the area, and it was her who gave Mel the “key to the hairdressing world”. Mel cites Sidney as her main source of inspiration – she took Mel on as an apprentice, and “expected nothing

“Training quality hairdressers is important to our industry. Trainees who are trained and qualified to a high standard ensure growth and consistency in hairdressing. I wanted to contribute to this growth and enable hairdressing to continue developing in the future.”

“The look of the salon, the stylists, the constant talking, the changes the customers underwent all inspired me,” Mel says.

"Apprentices are the backbone of my business."

As well as taking on apprentices at her salon, Mel also supports trainees in other ways. In 2000, after seeing the support she gained from HITO for her apprentices, Mel became an industry assessor. This was a fantastic opportunity for Mel, allowing her to understand the hairdressing unit standards better. This experience allowed her to develop her teaching career, and Mel took up a tutoring position at The Hairdressing College in 2007. Mel worked part-time at the College and parttime at Chairs, allowing her to focus on training a variety of hairdressing trainees. “I’m honoured to witness so many of these amazing people achieve the best hairdressing certificate in the world,” Mel says. “To be part of their training, even only a small part, has given me a sense of purpose in my career”. In 2013, Mel was able to expand her teaching career yet again. She was given the opportunity to teach a government funded scheme for youth (under 18) and young people over 18 through The Hairdressing College. This has been a challenge, Mel says, but it has also been greatly rewarding.

MEL WOODMASS AND HER STUDENTS

Mel’s focus has been on helping apprentices of all backgrounds perform to their full potential. Within the past two years, however, Mel began to consider the importance of targeted education for Maori and Pasifika students. As someone who was supported throughout her early life and training, this was never an issue for Mel. But she began to realise the importance of this when she saw that Maori and Pasifika students were not “embracing the potential they have to become great hairdressers”.

over it” has helped with their growth. She hopes to provide continuing support well into the future. Mel would like to see more focus on continuing professional development. “This path may be hard, but rewarding once completed,” Mel says. “It gives the student a strong sense of confidence and purpose as they move through their careers.” Mel has advice for trainees and trainers, Maori, Pasifika, Pakeha, and everyone else in the industry. For Maori and Pasifika trainees, Mel says: “Get past the shyness, embrace the advice you receive, and believe in yourself. Bring out the goodness within you, share what you know and can do and take your ability to the world”.

“I wanted to encourage them by being a role model and also being someone they can relate to and understand,” Mel says. “This is very important in training as students need to feel supported, and sometimes guidance from a like-minded tutor is essential.”

For trainers, Mel advises them to do their best to bring out these qualities in their trainees. She also advises them to share all their experience, give them options, and evaluate their understanding and progress regularly. And when they reach their goals, Mel says, make sure to reward their progress.

Since this realisation, Mel has been involved in several targeted education initiatives for Maori and Pasifika. There are several that she has considered highly effective. One is a government funded programme run by The Hairdressing College for youth (under 18) and young people over 18. The programme has an 80% success rate for getting graduates into further training. Mel also supports the literacy and numeracy programmes available (like HITO’s Aquarius programme). They help fill the gaps in students’ knowledge that often hold them back from succeeding.

And for trainees everywhere, Mel has this to say. “Listen to advice, practice, and watch, ask questions, practice again, listen and achieve.” Mel feels that she is “the luckiest person in the world” to have had such a successful career in hairdressing. She hopes to continue surrounding herself with the best hairstylists, trainers, and mentors, and continue to support all trainees far into the future.

Mel also hopes that her personal support of her students is helpful. She believes that sharing her unique experience and successes with them and advising them to “stand up and get

JAMES ROONEY AND GRACE MARIU TRAINING

JAMES ROONEY FROM PREMIER HAIRDRESSING ACADEMY E nga- karangatanga maha puta noa i te motu, piki mai, kake mai! We talk to James Rooney, OJT tutor and Cultural Manager for Premier Hairdressing Academy, and some of his students, and we chat about their challenges and successes as Maori in the Hairdressing Industry.

programmes at Premier, to show that Maori and Pasifika can achieve within the existing education system.

f you're a HITO apprentice in the Wellington region, chances are you are familiar with Premier Hairdressing Academy. As well as offering full-time courses, Premier also handles much of the Off Job Training for apprentices in the region. 48% of trainees at their Lower Hutt site are Maori.

“Premier realised there was a shift in thinking and behaviour, the result of which is higher participation in high quality and culturally relevant vocational training. By including Māori values and kaupapa ideas into the training programme, Māori & Pacific Islanders have a better relationship with education. They can build their self-worth and increase their desire to succeed,” says James.

Premier is also heavily invested in Maori and Pasifika achievement in the industry, which is where James Rooney comes in. James is the Cultural Manager for Premier as well as being Site Manager in Lower Hutt. James’ role at Premier is to “develop authentic and meaningful teaching and learning resources by including Māori & Pasifika values and ideas in their existing training programmes.”

Building this desire to succeed is critical to all areas of industry. The evidence of this comes from the testimonials of Mary Andrews and Grace Mariu, trainees who have spent time at Premier. Mary is an apprentice and an Off Job Trainee at Premier and Grace is a student there.

This means creating programmes that actively engage with Maori and Pasifika students and their values. It also means encouraging participation in events such as Maori Language Week, which is a big part of studying at Premier. James designed Māori Language Week, as well as other events and

“I’ve been in the hairdressing industry for three and a half years,” Mary says, “during that time I have felt disadvantaged because of my culture. This I believe stems from years of

“With a little support and encouragement we can achieve and be proud of it. We can be proud of ourselves…and add to our self-worth and identity.”

MARY ANDREWS

conditional thinking carried through generations to our present time”. Mary feels there is not much support for Maori in the industry. However, she believes this is changing, with more Maori-owned salons opening and more Maori training in the industry.

The results are clear: both Mary and Grace are actively engaged in their training. Mary credits Premier for making her “a successful young hairdresser and proud to be Maori”. “With a little support and encouragement we can achieve and be proud of it. We can be proud of ourselves…and add to our selfworth and identity”.

There is also a government initiative to support this achievement. The Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative states the key to New Zealand’s economic success is in raising the skill levels of Māori and Pasifika peoples. It also involves developing new approaches to engage and support these students in tertiary education. The aim is to enable more Māori and Pasifika learners to earn trades apprenticeships and qualifications.

And Grace agrees, saying “For me, Premier has made me feel comfortable about being Maori and expressing myself as a Maori. There are three Maori tutors who always make me feel like I’m part of a family. They have helped me strive to be the best I can be. Also talking to Hakopa (James) makes me grateful that I can speak my language. I am proud to be Maori.”

Much of James’ work with Premier can be used as an example for the wider industry on how to engage these learners. James speaks Maori with his students, and instructions are written in Maori, Pasifika, and English. Maori Language Week is also celebrated.

“He Maori tonu ahau, whaia te iti kahurangi me tuohu koe ki te maunga teitei. Kia ora mai tātou katoa.” Grace says, “I love being Māori, I strive to be the best I can or the highest I can”.

I MY APPRENTICESHIP

AMANDA PUGH – AOTY MIDLAND REGIONAL WINNER

I MY HAIRDRESSING APPRENTICESHIP Amanda Pugh, Hair Affair in Putaruru.

manda is in the last year of her apprenticeship at Hair Affair Putaruru. She loves everything about her apprenticeship.

look good really makes people feel so much better, and I love that! I also love learning new things. With hairdressing, there are always new things to learn, whether you've been doing it for 3 months or 30 years.

Amanda’s commitment and love for hairdressing has more than paid off: she is the HITO Midland Regional Apprentice of the Year for 2013.

Mana Dave is my hairdressing idol. He started off as an apprentice and look how well-known he is. He gets to travel, do heaps of competitions, owns his own salons, and trains others: amazing. I've just been awarded the Midland Regional Winner of Apprentice of the Year title for this year, so I get to spend a weekend full of workshops with him. I couldn't be more excited!

“I've always wanted to be a hairdresser, no doubt about it. I was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship in my little hometown Putaruru. My boss saw my true passion I have for hairdressing, and I'm so grateful she gave me the perfect opportunity! I wanted to do an apprenticeship because that's the most hands on way to learn to be hairdresser; you get one-on-one training. You also get to interact with clients and gain practical experience while you learn.

My advice to anyone who wants to be a hairdresser is don’t give up! It was 5 months after I handed my CV in to my salon that I got the job, so keep trying and put in 120% effort. Hairdressing is hard work. If you can prove that you're willing to go that extra mile, someone will see your passion sooner or later!”

I love making people happy. Seeing how much people's spirits are lifted when they leave the salon is such a fantastic feeling, especially if they're having a terrible week, a lousy day or a rough patch in life. Something about having your hair feel and

I MY APPRENTICESHIP

BAYLEY SAYERS

I MY HAIRDRESSING APPRENTICESHIP Bayley Sayers, Evolve Hair Lounge in Whitianga.

attend the Gateway programme at a local salon in town! A big inspiration to me was my grandmother, who was a hairdresser and owned her own salon! I have some of her old equipment which I like to always keep with me. It makes me feel she's near.

ayley Sayers is a third year apprentice at Evolve Hair Lounge. She has always loved hairdressing and often cut her classmates’ hair in school. She was given the perfect opportunity to turn hairdressing into a career when local salon Evolve offered her an apprenticeship in her last year of school.

An apprenticeship is a fantastic way to earn money while you’re learning and gaining your career! Plus there are no loans to pay off at the end - a major bonus. I love the whole fashionable side of it and making people feel great. Having your hair done always makes you feel good and gives you a boost of confidence! Plus you get to chat with real life clients rather than working on mannequin heads. The overall experience is awesome!”

Bayley loves the creativity of hairdressing. She plans to travel around the world and gain hairdressing experience in various countries before returning home to New Zealand and opening her own salon. “I was always into having my hair done and doing my friends hair through high school. In the last year of school I decided to

STEPHANIE'S BEHIND THE SCENES WORK. PHOTOGRAPHY- ALICIA SCOTT FOR FOTOGRAFICA

DYNAMIC DUO TAKING THE COMPETITION WORLD BY STORM Stephanie Scott and Liam Northcott are two apprentices taking New Zealand and the world by storm.

“Enjoy it and don’t stress. We all make mistakes. Just keep going and aim high.”

The vibrant and hard working pair from Frenz Hair Design in Raumati Beach have placed in many different competitions this year, receiving regional and national acclaim for their work.

oth Stephanie and Liam took part in the nationwide Wella Trend Vision photographic competition recently where they won second and third place respectively in the apprentice category. On top of that, Stephanie’s entry also received a Judges Recognition award in the young talent category.

Both Stephanie and Liam thoroughly enjoy expressing their creativity through competition work. When it comes to preparing for a competition, both apprentices say they are able to glean a lot of creative inspiration from Ivan. “He’s an incredible mentor,” says Stephanie. They also find ideas and creative inspiration from looking online, looking at what is happening in the international hairdressing scene and checking out what is being featured in magazines such as Headway.

The duo also entered the exciting and pressure-filled Wellington Regional NZARH Competition this year. Liam entered the Urban Cut category and was awarded third place, while Stephanie won first place in Urban Day Style and third place in Urban Night Style. It was Stephanie’s first time entering the regionals and she says she found this competition to be “quite different” from doing photographic competitions.

“I also like to look at what celebrities are doing and put my own twist on it,” says Liam. For Liam, the thing he enjoys most about being involved in competitions is meeting other passionate people and seeing their remarkable work.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement on the day; the atmosphere is amazing. It’s rewarding to see all the hard work you have done come together on the day,” she says.

“There are some incredibly talented people in our industry,” he says.

On top of these wins, the dynamic duo were both finalists in the Central region for the HITO Apprentice of the Year competition. They also appeared in this year’s Just the Job hairdressing documentary on TV2. Liam also features in HITO’s recent apprenticeship campaign, Make It Hair.

If you want to try your hand at hairdressing competitions too, Stephanie advises to speak to someone who has entered before, make sure you know the categories and, most importantly, have fun!

Ivan Shew, owner of Frenz salon, says he is extremely proud of his apprentices’ achievements.

“Enjoy it and don’t stress. We all make mistakes. Just keep going and aim high.”

“They have both had an amazing year,” he says. “I’m lucky to have two apprentices at once who have such flair and enthusiasm. They feed off each other and work together really well.”

CLOSE-UP OF CHLOE'S WINNING LOOK

chloe hegan makes it big in australia We talk to Chloe Hegan about her overseas hairdressing success.

CHLOE HEGAN

It has been a while since we’ve seen Chloe (former Southland Hairdresser of the Year). Since completing her apprenticeship she has moved overseas and has been achieving a lot, so we thought we’d catch up and see how things are going.

CHLOE HEGAN'S WINNING LOOK FOR VICTORIAN HAIRDRESSER OF THE YEAR

hloe Hegan had her first taste of the industry at a salon in Invercargill, Karma. For over a year, she worked after school at Karma, before deciding to leave school and start her training at the Southern Institute of Technology.

little hair crazy”. There was a lot of preparation work to do, with Chloe working in the salon lightening, colouring, re-colouring, cutting, and shaving the hair on her models’ to achieve her look. Chloe was lucky, however: at Chumba, she works with a team of award-winning hairdressers, and they all gave her advice on competing. And it was all worth it on the day, with Chloe placing in every section she entered and winning the overall IHS Victorian Hairdresser of the Year award.

“The amazing team at Karma inspired me with the endless opportunities a career in hairdressing had to offer,” Chloe says. “I never felt like I found hairdressing but that it found me”. Eventually, Chloe returned to Karma, completing her apprenticeship with them in 2011. Karma has a reputation as a successful salon, with some of their employees winning competition titles. And Chloe only added to this reputation, taking out the Southland Hairdresser of the Year title in 2012.

“Seeing all my hard work pay off was such a relief,” Chloe says. “[Winning the award] was an excellent opportunity to make my mark on the industry in Melbourne. It has opened the door to many more opportunities”. For other hairdressers looking to succeed in competition work, Chloe has some advice: “Plan meticulously, and practice over and over again,” she says. “Constantly have a mood board going, and add to it daily – this will stop you straying too far from your original inspiration”.

High on the success of her competition win, Chloe headed off to Australia. Eventually, she took up a job at Chumba Concept Salon in Melbourne, another salon known for its fashion and competition work. This, combined with Chloe’s love of competition work, meant it was no time at all before she was back on the competition circuit.

For Chloe, this is just the beginning. Since moving to Melbourne, Chloe has presented on the launch pad stage at Hair Expo in Sydney (alongside Chumba’s Young Guns), and taken part in Kaleidoscope, Chumba’s Look and Learn show. She also taught alongside Chumba team members Belinda Keeley and Christopher Gratton for Ozdare (a product company).

“Competition work is what find most exciting about the industry,” Chloe says. “It's a chance to put all your skills, creativity and knowledge together to create your own masterpiece”. Her training and competition experience in New Zealand put her in good stead overseas, providing her with the skills to win the IHS Victorian Hairdresser of the Year Award for 2013.

“Education has always been a long-term dream of mine,” Chloe says. “This small taste has left me hungry for more”.

“There have been countless times when I’ve found myself thankful for the quality of training we have in New Zealand,” Chloe says. “There has been no element of hairdressing here that I don’t feel competent in”.

And if all goes to plan, more education will be in her future: long-term, Chloe hopes to do education and platform work. She also plans to continue her fashion work: this year Chloe has already created a photo shoot for the Australian Hair Fashion Awards Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year. Chumba also takes part in over 20 photo shoots per year, giving Chloe plenty of opportunities. She has also applied to be part of the FAME team, who will travel overseas for fashion shoots and to train with Angelo Seminara (Creative Director for Davines). She will find out whether she has made the team in April next year.

Chloe’s previous salon, Karma, is successful in the NZARH competitions every year. Chloe feels their expertise that helped her win both at home and in Australia. Also, unlike competitions in New Zealand, Australian hairdressing competitions do not involve competing on the floor. Being used to the stress of the competition floor in New Zealand and being able to prepare before meant Chloe was more relaxed on the day, allowing her to compete successfully.

“But I’ve got so much to learn and enjoy in the meantime,” Chloe says. “And no matter where I end up, my number one goal is to be known for the high quality of my craft – that I do everything, and I do it well”.

Preparing her work earlier was a challenge, however, Chloe admits, because she “mulled over her looks until [she] turned a

AN APPRENTICE GUIDE TO MANAGING MONEY No matter what your income, everyone needs to know how to budget and manage your money well.

and bought her own salon at the age of just 23. This year she won the Fudge Boutique Salon of the Year at the HITO/ Kitomba/NZARH Industry Awards.

aewyn Fox, CEO of the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services, says budgeting is all about spending less than you are earning, no matter what your income is.

Dorien has had to make some wise choices with her finances to get to where she is today, including sticking to a realistic budget.

“The theory isn’t rocket science; it’s the practice that is difficult”

“When you’re an apprentice you need to stick to what you need, not what you want,” she advises.

As an apprentice on the training wage, it is especially important to budget your money to pay all of your expenses. We know many apprentices find it hard to get by on a lower income when there are rent and bills to pay. If you are feeling this way, then it’s time to get your finances under control. This can take a load off your shoulders and let you focus on being the best apprentice you can be.

Keeping a student’s mind-set is something that actually helped Dorien to get through her apprenticeship without getting into debt. “Realise you are technically a student, and you are studying to gain a qualification recognised internationally…I had to make sure my mind frame was that I was a ‘student’ and that I was lucky to be getting paid for studying. It’s a convenient way to look at it. Most students have to pay for their education. As apprentices, we actually get paid. Even though it is not a lot of money, it is better than having to pay for it! And remember it’s not forever; the three or four years of your apprenticeship goes by really quickly!”

BEEN THERE… DONE THAT… Dorien Van Den Berg (you can read more about Dorien and her journey on page 38), owner of the award winning Jomp salon on the Kapiti Coast, has learned a lot about managing money on her journey from successful apprentice to successful business owner. Dorien completed a HITO apprenticeship

If you are struggling, Dorien believes there is always something extra you can be doing to help yourself get by.

“If you find yourself complaining about your income, then go do something about it. There are ways to make more money,” she says. When Dorien was an apprentice she worked other jobs as well to make sure she had enough money to live comfortably. “I waitressed in the evenings, and I also worked in a fish and chip shop on Sundays. I only did these extra jobs in the first two years of my apprenticeship, after that I started to earn more money in the salon I was working in. It was hard work, but I had plenty of money to live on.” You can also ask your boss for extra work in the salon, such as cleaning the floors in the weekends. Then you can start using the skills you have gained in your apprenticeship to do your friend’s and family’s hair. “Do not ever do this for free!” Dorien advises. “Charge some money for doing their hair as this is another way you can help support yourself financially.” DORIEN VAN DEN BERG

BUDGETING Step two

A budget as a plan for the money you receive and how you spend it.

The next step is to work out your weekly spending. Remember that for a budget to work, the information needs to be accurate and complete, so don’t forget to include little things like your bus fares to and from work or money for parking. Your budget also needs to be up to date.

Let’s look at the steps to creating your own personal budget. You may have a budget in the back of your mind, but Raewyn from New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services says that budgeting like this is “too vague”.

“Check it regularly to make sure it is working for you. Change it, if it isn’t!” says Raewyn.

“Write it down so you can refer to and reflect on it,” she explains.

Split your weekly expenses into categories so you can see how much you need to spend in each area. Your categories might include:

It’s also vital to be honest when making your budget. “Don’t leave out money for cigarettes out of the budget because you wish you do not smoke. Be honest, or your budget just will not work,” says Raewyn.

• Rent/board • Food (groceries)

Check out our three steps to making a budget that works:

• Transport

Step one

• Utilities (power, phone)

The first step is to add up how much your weekly spendable income is. This is the amount you get into your bank account, after tax. Your income might come from a few different places like:

• Personal care (including clothing)

• Your weekly pay packet from your job (what you take home after tax and other deductions such as Kiwi Saver have been taken away)

• Debt repayments

• Entertainment • Donations (church, charity) • Savings Now it’s time to allocate an amount of money to each category. Some of these amounts won’t be flexible. For example, if your weekly rent is $150 then you will need to allocate this amount to the rent category of your budget. For other categories, like entertainment or savings, you will decide how much money you genuinely need to allocate.

• Benefits or other Government support (e.g. the accommodation supplement) • Assistance from your parents or other relatives • Other income Add these amounts together to get your total weekly income and record all this information in your budget. You can use the budget table that we have provided, create one of your own, or use one from www.sorted.co.nz or www.familybudgeting.org.nz.

Record this information on the budget table you are using. Note: When you are working out your weekly spending we recommend going through your internet banking, or your

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

receipts, to see where most of your money has been going each week. It can be eye-opening to realise how much money you spend on unnecessary things like eating out, for example. Once you are aware of areas where you are overspending then you can start cutting back.

We recommend setting up automatic payments for things that need to go out every week, like rent or board. The payment will go out without you having to worry about it. If you find it difficult to stick to your allocated spending money for entertainment and eating out, a good trick is to withdraw this money in cash to use for the week. It helps you to actually see how much you have left to spend instead of just swiping your EFTPOS card and hoping for the best.

Step three The next step is to see if you have a surplus or a deficit from your budget. You work this out by finding out what your income minus your spending comes out to.

When Dorien (above) was an apprentice, one way she stuck to her budget was by having different bank accounts with different specific purposes.

Income – Spending = Positive number $1000 – $800 = $200 = a surplus

“I had a bills account which included food, power, rent, gas, a ‘fun’ account for clothes and personal items, and I had a savings account which was for car warrants, registration and unexpected bills. This would leave no money in my account at the end of the week. Being an apprentice will never mean you can save a lot or splash out. This is just something you have to accept. Remember, you are going to get better money once you’re qualified – so it’s not forever.”

For example, if your total income for the week is $1000 and your total weekly spending is $800, then you have a surplus of $200 ($1000 - $800 = $200). A surplus means extra money over and above your regular expenses. The aim of a budget is to try and make a surplus, so well done! With this extra money you should start a savings account or put more money into debt repayment to clear any existing debts faster. Income – Spending = Negative number $1000 - $1300 = - $300 = a deficit

To make your budget work, you will need to be committed. The benefits are worth the effort. You will feel in control of you money and this will take a lot of stress off your shoulders. You will get out of debt faster and start saving towards your goals, like a holiday or owning your own salon.

For example, if your total weekly income is $1000 but your total weekly spending is $1300, then you have a deficit of $300 ($1000 - $1300 = -$300). A deficit means the amount you are spending is more than your income. If you have a deficit, go back to your budget and see where you need to cut back. Maybe you don’t need to have as much money for entertainment, or you could start taking your lunch to work instead of buying it from a café. Small changes can add up.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT… GETTING INTO DEBT

Getting into debt is easy, but paying it back is much harder.

If you are already stretching your income as far as it can go, you may want to contact Work and Income to find out what extra help you could be getting. The accommodation supplement, for example, is a benefit that some apprentices are able to get to help with the cost of living. You can visit the Work and Income website at www.workandincome.govt.nz to find out what you are eligible for. As Dorien Van Den Berg mentioned above, you may also want to work more hours or consider taking up another part time job to help support yourself.

Borrowing money is called getting into debt. There are lots of ways to get into debt, whether it’s a credit card, an overdraft on your bank account, a hire purchase, a car loan, or a student loan. Getting into debt is easy, but paying it back can be much harder. Often the original amount will grow in size from interest and fees, so it’s best to pay any debt off as quickly as possible. If you can wait, saving up for something is cheaper and more satisfying.

MAINTAINING YOUR BUDGET

If you are thinking about getting into debt, first decide whether or not it’s necessary. Ask yourself:

To make your budget work, you will need to be committed. The benefits are worth the effort.

• Do I genuinely need this thing I am buying? • If so, do I need to borrow money or

Now that you have your budget up and running, the main thing is to stick to it!

• Could I wait and save up for it instead? If you can wait, it will cost you a lot less over time. Getting a mortgage to buy a home or paying rent are necessary kinds of debt. It’s not wise to get into debt for things which have no financial value after you pay for them, like a night out, another new pair of shoes, or a holiday abroad.

“Sticking to a budget takes discipline and courage,” says Raewyn. “If you’re struggling to keep to your budget, you’re trying to spread your income too far. This means either you need to: 1. increase your income - more hours or maybe a second job or

If you have some debts already, make sure you add weekly debt repayments into your budget. If you have a surplus of

2. decrease your expenditure.

money, it’s a smart idea to put this into your debt repayment too so you can pay off your debts faster and save money on interest.

WHY WE HAVE TO PAY TAX In New Zealand, it’s law for people and organisations to pay tax. The Government uses our taxes to benefit the New Zealand community by funding areas like education, hospitals and healthcare and roads. We all benefit from these things, so everyone contributes through paying tax.

SAVINGS Even when you are on a low training wage, saving is an excellent habit to get into. Sorted.co.nz says that learning to be a regular saver is a big step towards getting your finances under control. Saving takes discipline, but if you truly want to do it, you can. Just keep it simple, set realistic goals and watch your money grow. Even putting away the smallest amount, say $10 per week, can add up to a lot, especially with compound interest. stay enrolled, your contribution will be taken from your pay each week automatically. When you join you get a kick-start of $1,000 from the Government, and your employer and the Government continue to contribute to your account as you save.

When you’re saving, your biggest enemy is temptation. When you’re saving, your biggest enemy is temptation. You will see lots of things that you want to buy instead of putting your money into your savings, so set realistic savings goals and think hard about what you are willing to give up for your savings. Sorted.co.nz says that you are more likely to reach your savings goals if you write them down, so record your plan and get excited about the end result. Once you figure out how much you can save, set up an automatic payment/ Then the money goes into your savings account on payday before you can spend it on something else.

KiwiSaver is optional but is an easy and affordable way to save for your retirement.

MANAGING CREDIT CARDS AND CREDIT CARD DEBT

The best advice is to NEVER EVER have a credit card Credit cards are an easy way to pay for things, but they can end up being extremely expensive. High interest rates apply if you do not pay off your card in full each month, and the longer you leave credit card debt unpaid, the bigger it gets.

Dorien Van Den Berg (above) kept up a savings account when she was an apprentice, putting money into it each week via automatic payment. She made it hard to access so she could not use the money frivolously.

The best advice is to NEVER have a credit card. No-one, especially banks, give away money for free. There is ALWAYS a cost to using a credit card. It’s easy to get bogged down in debt.

“I couldn’t go into this account and take money out of without going into the bank and getting it transferred manually. This was a good way of stopping me from transferring money anytime I wanted something as I made it harder for myself to do it. I couldn’t just do it online so I would leave that account alone, except for times where I needed money for an emergency.”

We’ll say it one more time – NEVER EVER get a credit card! But if you do, check out Sorted.co.nz for top tips for managing credit cards: 1. Shop around for the best deal Credit cards come with a range of interest rates, fees, and rewards programmes. Look for a card that best suits your circumstances.

KIWISAVER

2. Know the interest rate

Don’t wait too long to start saving for retirement – you should start now.

Many credit cards charge around 20% interest. Do you know your card's current interest rate? 3. Review your credit card limit

KiwiSaver is a Government initiative that helps New Zealanders save for their retirement. It can also help with buying your first home. If you are over the age of 18 when you start a new job, you will be automatically enrolled in KiwiSaver. If you want to

Base your limit on what you can afford, not what you might spend. If you think you will have trouble paying it back, ask for your limit to be lowered.

ARTICLE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

4. Pay off your card each month

• Low interest rate credit card with a $500 limit.

You can only take advantage of interest free days if you pay the balance in full at the end of each month. If you can't afford to pay it in full, try to pay more than the minimum repayment to save on interest costs.

• Five free TXT banking messages a month.

5. Do not use your credit card to withdraw cash

• The choice of doing all your banking on your mobile phone if you prefer.

• A flat account with no account management or transaction fees.

Don't withdraw cash with your credit card - banks charge high fees for this. Any cash you withdraw attracts a high interest rate from day one.

• You can get a Visa Debit Card, which works like a standard ATM/EFTPOS card but can be used online, over the phone, and overseas. They will also waive the annual fee for the first year you have this card.

6. Be wary of accepting a higher limit or another card If you let your bank raise your credit limit, or give you another credit card, you increase the risk that you will end up paying lots of interest. Plus credit cards usually have an annual fee, so the more cards you have, the more fees you pay.

• Access to heaps! Kiwibank’s free personal finance software to help you keep track of your spending. In the past, this type of account was only open to university students and people in other full-time study, so it’s terrific that apprentices can now take advantage of it. Pop into your local Kiwibank or check out www.kiwibank.co.nz to find out more.

7. Avoid temptation If you cannot help spending more than you can afford, leave your card at home. Take time to decide if a purchase is essential or nice to have.

FINANCIAL HELP WITH THE APPRENTICE REBOOT

8. If you are in trouble, talk to your bank

The Apprentice Reboot was announced this year, and it is a serious financial help to both apprentices and employers. If you are eligible for the reboot, you can get a one-off payment of $1000 from the Government to go towards the costs associated with your apprenticeship. Most new apprentices who have signed up from 6 March 2013 can get the reboot (although there are conditions).

If your credit card is getting out of control, talk to your bank about your options. You may be able to take out a lower interest loan to clear your credit card debt.

WHAT YOUR BANK CAN DO FOR YOU Kiwibank have recently decided to open up their existing Tertiary Pack to anyone in an ITO programme for more than 1 year. This includes HITO hairdressing and barbering apprentices.

People have responded well to the reboot, including Kandace from Head Therapy who says she is “impressed with this new scheme”.

The Tertiary Pack includes lots of bonuses just for apprentices and students, such as:

“For an apprentice it takes a wee bit of pressure off financially so they can enjoy free time and have help with training costs!”

• Interest free overdraft of $1,000 in your first year and $2,000 in your second and subsequent years, with a monthly fee of just $2.

If you are eligible for the reboot, HITO will send you a claim form once you have been working as an apprentice for 90 days. You need to fill the form out and send it back quickly, providing proof of your bank account details, so HITO can process your claim. It will take approximately 6-10 weeks for your payment to come through once we receive your form and proof of bank account. This money is a massive help with the extra costs that come up as an apprentice. If you think you are eligible for the reboot, but you have not received the forms, you can download them from the TEC website (below) or call HITO on (04) 499 1180. TEC: www.tec.govt.nz/Learners-Organisations/Learners/ Learn-about/Apprenticeships/

WANT SOME MORE ADVICE ABOUT MANAGING YOUR MONEY? THESE ARE SOME USEFUL WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT: WWW.SORTED.ORG.NZ WWW.FAMILYBUDGETING.ORG.NZ

YOUR WEEKLY INCOME Divide the amounts by 2 if you receive fortnightly payments or by 4 if you receive monthly payments (e.g. $1000 income from work per fortnight becomes $500 per week). Your weekly pay packet from your job (what you take home after tax and other deductions such as Kiwi Saver have been taken away)

Benefits or other Government support (e.g. the accommodation supplement)

Assistance from your parents or other relatives

Child support

Other income

TOTAL 1 (add together all your forms of income to get this total):

YOUR WEEKLY SPENDING Rent/board

Rates

Food (groceries)

Transport (petrol or public transport money)

Utilities (power, phone, internet, mobile phone)

Personal care (including clothing, make-up, nails, shoes)

Entertainment/personal (eating out, movies, cigarettes, etc)

Donations (church, charity)

Debt repayments (credit card, car loan, overdraft, etc)

Savings

TOTAL 2 (add together all your spending to get this total):

DO I HAVE A SURPLUS OR A DEFICIT? Subtract your total spending from your total income and see if you come up with a surplus (extra money/a positive amount) or a deficit (not enough money/a negative amount). Total 1 (your total weekly income):

Total 2 (your weekly spending):

TOTAL 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; TOTAL 2

CONSUMERS, THE CODE AND THE COMMISSIONER: KNOWING YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS A BEAUTY THERAPIST You may have heard of the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) in the news, or seen information about making a complaint to HDC at your local doctorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surgery. Many people know that HDC applies to health professionals such as doctors, nurses and dentists. But did you know that, in some cases, HDC can look at the care provided by beauty therapists? Katie Elkin (Associate Commissioner, Legal and Strategic Relations) and Georgina Rood (Legal Advisor Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner) share some key information. WHAT IS HDC?

1. be treated with respect;

HDC is an independent government body that promotes and protects the rights of health and disability service consumers in New Zealand. They facilitate the fair, simple, speedy and efficient resolution of complaints about health and disability service providers. The Health and Disability Commissioner, Anthony Hill, is responsible for the functions of the HDC and makes hundreds of decisions each year on complaints received.

2. have freedom from discrimination, coercion, harassment and exploitation; 3. have dignity and independence; 4. receive services of an appropriate standard; 5. effective communication; 6. be fully informed; 7. make an informed choice and give informed consent;

THE CODE

8. support;

The rights promoted and protected by HDC are set out in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rights (the Code). Briefly, the Code gives consumers the right to:

9. rights in respect of teaching or research; and 10. complain.

CASE STUDY In 2009 HDC received complaints from two women about the services provided to them by a beauty therapist.(2) The women had both received IPL hair removal treatment which had caused blistering and permanent scarring on their legs. HDC investigated the complaints, and found that the beauty therapist had breached the Code. In particular: • One of the women was not given any information about possible side effects from IPL until after she had agreed to the series of treatments and had had her first treatment. She was therefore unable to make an informed choice about whether to consent to the treatment, in breach of Right 7(1) of the Code;(3) and • The IPL operators did not follow the beauty clinic’s policies and procedures, including not performing pre-treatment skin tests. This was in breach of Right 4(1) of the Code.(4) HDC asked the beauty therapist to provide a written apology to the women, and recommended that he/she undergo further training and review and update the clinic’s procedures. HDC also advised the Association of Beauty Therapists of its findings.

WHO DOES THE CODE APPLY TO? The Code applies to all “health care providers” and “disability services providers”, which are both defined very broadly. “Health care provider” not only includes registered health professionals (such as doctors and nurses) but also includes any person who provides, or holds themselves out as providing “health services”.

Other types of common beauty therapy services previously considered by HDC include: • Teeth whitening;

“Health services” includes services to promote and to protect health, to prevent ill-health, and treatment services. This means that, in some circumstances, beauty therapists will be considered to be “health care providers”.

• Surgical face lift; • Dermal filling; • Electrical Light Optical Synergy (ELOS) facial treatment;

The Human Rights Review Tribunal have emphasised that the Code applies to all providers, “whether or not they belong to any professional association or similar body, and whether or not they are aware of the standards set out in the Code.”(1)

• Abdominoplasty; and • Botox.

MORE INFORMATION TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HDC, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.HDC.ORG.NZ. THE WEBSITE CONTAINS A DATABASE OF CASES, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF INFORMATION FOR BOTH PROVIDERS AND CONSUMERS. YOU CAN ALSO ORDER RESOURCES FROM THE WEBSITE, SUCH AS PAMPHLETS AND POSTERS FOR YOUR WAITING ROOMS AND COPIES OF THE CODE.

1 Director Of Proceedings (Hdc) V Mogridge [2007] Nzhrrt 27 (21 December 2007). 2 The Hdc Reference Numbers For These Complaints Are C09hdc01064, C09hdc01350. A Detailed Case Note About The Deputy Commissioner’s Decision Is Available On Hdc’s Website. 3 Right 7(1) States That: “Services May Be Provided To A Consumer Only If That Consumer Makes An Informed Choice And Gives Informed Consent…” 4 Right 4(1) States That: “Every Consumer Has The Right To Have Services Provided With Reasonable Care And Skill.” Case Study

DAVID PATTEN

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF GOOD FAITH? I am often asked by salon owners: what is the meaning of good faith? Typically the question is raised in the context of an enquiry from a salon owner. The salon owner has been accused by a staff member (or their representative) that they (the owner) have not acted in good faith. A personal grievance may follow. SO WHAT DOES GOOD FAITH MEAN AND HOW DOES IT OPERATE IN PRACTICE?

Some examples illustrating this key point follow.

EXAMPLE 1

The starting point is the provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000. In summary form, the Act states that:

A staff member is employed on an hourly rate plus commission for product sold to clients. The staff member’s work is not satisfactory enough to justify the hourly rate being paid, and the salon owner has determined that the commission rate is too high.

• The parties to any employment relationship must deal with each other in good faith. Note, this is a mutual obligation for both the salon owner and the salon employee • This means that the parties cannot, either directly or indirectly, mislead or deceive each other or act in a manner that is likely to deceive or mislead the other party

The unwise employer will make the decision to reduce the employee’s hourly rate and the commission rate. The result? A disgruntled employee who is likely to leave the employment of the salon at the first opportunity and also the strong possibility of a personal grievance being lodged against the salon owner.

• The parties to the employment relationship must be active and constructive in establishing and maintaining a productive employment relationship in which the parties communicate clearly and regularly

The wise salon owner will sit down with the employee (who has been given the opportunity to bring a support person to the meeting), explain what is being proposed, the reasons why it is being proposed (with any available supporting information) and an invitation to comment on what is being proposed at a later meeting e.g. say, 2 or 3 days later.

• If a salon owner is proposing to make a decision that may have a negative impact on the continuation of employment of a staff member or members, affected employees must be provided with access to relevant information about the decisions being made. They must be given the opportunity to comment to their employer on the information provided before the decision is made.

After the salon owner has fairly considered the response from the employee, the salon owner is in a position to make a final decision. This may be confirmation of the original proposal or a variation of that proposal.

So what does this all mean in practice for a busy salon owner? The simple reality is that it is no longer acceptable for a salon owner to make decisions that impact on the terms and conditions of staff or indeed, the on-going employment of staff, without following a consultative process which enables affected staff members a say in that decision making process.

EXAMPLE 2 The employee is not performing to expectations in regard to the employee’s Job Description and to the performance expectations of the position.

The unwise employer will meet with the employee and tell the employee that due to economic circumstances, their position will be ending on Friday.

The unwise salon owner will call the employee into their office, typically during work hours, and tell the employee that if their performance does not improve immediately: ‘You will be out the door!’ The employee, who believes – in the absence of being told anything to the contrary – that they have been performing quite well, leaves the salon in floods of tears, in front of clients, and does not return to the salon for a number of days due to sickness.

The wise salon owner will typically write to the employee, outlining a proposal to disestablish their position and clearly articulating the reasons why, and give any available information supporting the proposal. A meeting is subsequently arranged with the employee who is given the opportunity to comment on the proposal and offer alternative suggestions for cost savings rather than disestablishing the position.

The wise employer will discreetly ask the employee to meet with the salon owner after work to discuss some performance concerns the salon owner has with the employee’s performance. These concerns could, alternatively, be listed in a letter given to the employee. However it is done, the employee has the absolute right to know what the alleged performance concerns are and be given a proper opportunity to comment on those concerns. It may be a training issue; there may be matters outside the work place that are impacting on the employee’s performance.

The salon owner should carefully consider any suggestions made e.g. for the employee to work part-time hours until trading conditions improve. If the suggestions are not feasible, they must advise the employee of this in a measured and considered way. The key is to discuss and consider matters before making a decision, be responsive and communicative, and, above all else, be fair. The basic rule of thumb I encourage salon owners to use is to treat staff in the same manner they would like their own working children to be treated i.e. fairly and constructively.

The key is to work with the employee on a regularly reviewed plan which has clear and attainable goals designed to ensure that there is a lift in performance. If this improvement does not occur, the salon owner is in a better position to commence a disciplinary process.

Until next time...

EXAMPLE 3

David Patten LLB:BA; MBS; FAMINZ

The salon is experiencing trading difficulties and the salon owner, as part of a cost saving exercise, is proposing to reduce employee numbers from 4 to 3. The role the salon owner is proposing to disestablish is that of a staff member who has only been with the salon a few months.

making the most of $1000 92

Clipjoint and Co owner Jill Cole recently found a perfect use for her reboot incentive money. Jill was able to send two of her apprentices along to a Redken cutting course using the money she received from the Government’s initiative.

If you want to know more about the reboot and how you can get the $1000 incentive, read on as we have answered some frequently asked questions:

n the apprentice reboot, the Government is giving $1000 to both the apprentice and employer when a new apprentice signs on (conditions apply).

Jill knew her second year apprentices Elisabeth Smith and Rachelle Meaclem would benefit from attending a cutting course, but courses like these are expensive. Receiving the reboot money made it possible for them to attend.

WHAT IS THE REBOOT ALL ABOUT? The Apprentice Reboot is given by the Government to employers and apprentices. Each apprentice and their employer gets $1000 each.

“I have sent other girls on courses before, and I’ve seen how it builds confidence and helps them to step up. It’s great to go away and learn in a different environment, with a different trainer and with other people from around the country who are passionate about what they do. I knew it would be a good investment,” explains Jill.

WHO CAN GET IT? Most new apprentices who sign up from 6 March 2013 can claim the incentive (there are conditions).

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET IT?

“Apprentices don’t tend to have money lying around though, and neither do business owners. Getting the reboot money made it easy. I invested half into the course and half into the business directly.”

After your apprentice has been with you for 90 days, we will send you a claim form. You need to fill it out and send back quickly. Remember that both the employer and the apprentice need to provide proof of bank account details. Otherwise, we can't process your payment. Read the form.

Jill is already seeing the return on her investment into Elisabeth and Rachelle.

WHY LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR MY MONEY TO COME THROUGH?

“The girls got a lot out of it. They are getting out onto the floor with confidence now,” she says.

“You have to invest in young people to bring out the best in them,”

It will take 6-10 weeks for your payment to come through. Forms are sent to the government on the fifth working day of every month. The government then processes and pays HITO at the end of that month. HITO then processes and makes payments to apprentices in the middle of the following month.

Jill encourages other employers to take advantage of the reboot too, and to make good use of the $1000 incentive.

The quicker you get your completed forms to us, the sooner you get paid. Please note that we won’t follow up on unreturned forms.

Jill is a firm believer in training the next generation of hairdressers, and she has learnt that the benefits from training are easily worth the investment.

WHAT IF I HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY FORMS? IF YOU THINK YOU'RE ELIGIBLE BUT HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE FORMS, DOWNLOAD THE FORM AT THE TEC WEB LINK, WWW.TEC.GOVT.NZ/LEARNERS-ORGANISATIONS/LEARNERS/LEARN-ABOUT/APPRENTICESHIPS/ OR CALL HITO ON (04) 499 1180.

A REVIEW OF INDUSTRY TRAINING An update on the Government review of industry training. The Government is currently conducting a review of all industry training and apprenticeships.

1) The ITO leadership role will be reduced. ITOs will focus on improving and maintaining quality training across the industry. Government expects ITO’s to focus on looking after apprentices and trainees.

This review is on-going. On the 6th of November, the ‘Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill’ passed its first reading in Parliament. The next stage was public submissions – anyone could submit to Parliament their views on the bill. Submissions closed on 19 December. The bill will then be voted on by Parliament.

2) The other change will be to apprenticeships themselves. Modern Apprenticeship will be phased out and a new type of apprenticeship introduced. This will be called ‘New Zealand Apprenticeship’. This will be made up of a Level 4 qualification worth a minimum of 120 credits. It also aims to provide support to all apprentices by removing any age limits on training support.

This bill aims to update and improve apprenticeships across all industries. Industry organisations (like HITO) have had input on this bill, which seeks to make sure all apprentices fit in with industry requirements.

New Zealand Apprenticeships start on 1 January 2014.

The role of ITO’s like HITO will be to set standards for industry training and to organise training for all apprentices. This bill will affect HITO (and other ITOs) in two major ways.

We’ll have more news on the government’s review of industry training once the bill has passed into law in 2014.

CAIT AT WORLDSKILLS

WORLDSKILLS 2014 W

orldSkills is an exciting competition where you can sharpen your hairdressing skills and showcase your talent both nationally and overseas.

All work is done on mannequins that are provided on the day, so you don’t have to worry about finding models and clothes. It costs $200 to enter WorldSkills and this price covers the use of these mannequins and wefts (which are yours to keep).

Open to apprentices or qualified people under the age of 23, this is a competition that can take you all over the world and make you stand out from the rest.

To be successful, you and your trainer will need enthusiasm, commitment and passion, but the opportunity which waits is well worth the hard work!

In July 2013, our 2012 National Champion Cait Woodcock went to Germany to represent New Zealand alongside 52 other countries at WorldSkills Internationals. It could be you next!

Cait Woodcock, WorldSkills International 2013 Hairdressing representative, encourages anyone thinking about entering WorldSkills to go for it.

APPLY NOW FOR THE 2014 WORLDSKILLS REGIONAL COMPETITION!

“If someone is thinking about entering WorldSkills I’d hug them and wish them good luck! Being involved in the local and regional competition helps. You benefit just from competing and learning how to do precise work under serious time constraints.”

Regional Competitions will be held in: • Auckland and Christchurch – Monday 12 May 2014

“The talent was phenomenal. The work of the French competitor who ended up winning [the hairdressing section at WorldSkills in Germany this year] was impeccable. His work was insane! It was awesome to meet like-minded people from other industries who were equally passionate about their trade. We all just clicked really well.”

• Wellington and Dunedin – Monday 5 May 2014 • WorldSkills National Competition – 2-6 July 2014 Competitors take part in three modules: • Ladies Creative Cut and Colour • Men’s Fashion Cut and Colour

“I never thought I would be able to do what I can now. The skill set I have now is incredible, and it’s given me so much confidence”.

• Creative Hair by Night – Conversion

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO GET AN APPLICATION FORM FOR YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, CALL KELLY ON (04) 499 1180 OR EMAIL ENQUIRIES@HITO.ORG.NZ

WRITE FOR FORMA Are you an apprentice, an employer of apprentices or train apprentices? If so, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for people like you who can contribute to Forma. Get in touch with HITO now and you could see your words in print. Call (04) 499 1180 Email enquiries@hito.org.nz

UPDATE ON THE TARGETED REVIEW OF QUALIFICATIONS (TROQ) The TroQ is on-going and progress is being made. Here is an update on the review for Barbering, Beauty, and Hairdressing. SALON SKILLS (OPTIONAL QUALIFICATION)

industry, asking for their feedback on the need for advanced qualifications. The results from this survey are being processed now and will help determine any further qualification development.

The salon skills qualification is still being developed. It is designed to prepare potential entrants for work in the Barbering, Hairdressing and the Beauty industries. It is aimed at interested school students and school leavers preparing to enter the industries.

BEAUTY The current review of qualifications for Beauty Services was due to finish at the end of October. However, the Governance Group recommended extending the project to April 2014 with NZQA. The review depends on strong consultation, participation, evidence, and research of Beauty Services. The delay has been due, in part, to collecting information and surveying the key stakeholders.

BARBERING There are two new qualifications being developed for Barbering. These are with NZQA and are being reviewed. These qualifications include classic barbering skills and skills needed to manage and operate a barber’s chair.

HAIRDRESSING

Research and evidence from statistics are essential to informing and developing a qualifications framework. Therefore, the Governance Group has contracted Melanie Ryan to research and write a “Beauty Industry Environmental Scan” report to verify the information that has been gathered.

The Advisory and Governance Group have agreed a suite/ collection of qualifications. You can see them at www.hairtroq.com. The team has also set up two working groups: • One looking at the content of the new suite/collection and

The group want to have a draft qualifications framework ready for consultation early in the New Year.

• One to look at possible higher level advanced qualifications. The working groups met at the end of November. The group working on higher level qualifications organised a survey of the

International recognition of your skills

Qualified? Just qualified? Have experience? HITO is now offering international recognition in Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy and Nail Technology. If you or your staff have a relevant national certificate in hairdressing or beauty and have at least one yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience as a senior operator, you can now have your skills and experience recognised in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan.

Reasons to apply:

Personal development

A new and exciting opportunity for you and your qualified staff

Marketing point of difference

Promote your business as employing staff that have internationally recognised qualifications

Spread your wings

Thinking about travelling overseas? Get recognised before you go

Pride of place

Just want to have international recognition for your skills?

Take advantage of this opportunity to have your national qualification recognised on the world stage. It will open doors to a career abroad while still being acknowledged within New Zealand for local and international clients.

www.hito.org.nz/qualifications/international

FINDING A CAREER PATH USING “VOCATIONAL PATHWAYS” It can be hard to decide what to do once you have finished high school.

ith so many choices available today, it can be a challenge to figure out where to go and what to do next. Recently, the Government announced a new initiative called “Vocational Pathways”, a new way of helping high school students decide what to do after they leave school.

• Show young people what they need to do to get where they want to go or want to be. • Show learners and their families how subject choices make a difference to what they might do in the future.

I’M AN EMPLOYER, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME?

WHAT ARE “VOCATIONAL PATHWAYS” ALL ABOUT?

• Vocational pathways will make it easier for employers to see what skills and achievements jobseekers have that are relevant.

Vocational Pathways help students move from high school into work or further education by showing the recommended skills in five key industry sectors. So with a particular profession in mind, students will be able to determine which subjects and unit standards will help them to get there.

• Jobseekers will be able to give employers their “Vocational Profile” to show their achievements, strengths and skills.

Students will be able to compare their achievement to date to a range of study and employment possibilities, and see how their interests, aspirations and achievements match up to work and study options. This will be called a “Vocational Profile”.

• These profiles also give employers a much simpler way of seeing which NCEA qualifications include the skills and knowledge they are looking for. • Employers can be sure that if someone has achieved a vocational pathway in their sector then the jobseeker will have a strong base of skills and knowledge to help them succeed.

Vocational pathways will: • Offer clearer choices for students. • Help young people understand that what they are learning is relevant and valuable in “the real world” of study, jobs and careers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VOCATIONAL PATHWAYS, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE: WWW.YOUTHGUARANTEE.NET.NZ/ VOCATIONAL-PATHWAYS/

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a year of growth HITO CEO, Erica Cumming, looks back on 2013.

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With 2013 drawing to a close, it is a good time to look back on the changes and events that have taken place over the course of the year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to review the things that have caused us to grow as an industry and as individuals.

one year experience as a senior operator, can now have their skills and experience recognised in Japan, along with Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

n March, the Government announced a reboot of the apprenticeship scheme, which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure you will have read about in Forma Magazine, e-Forma and on our website. This has been great for the industry, with many salon owners and new apprentices benefiting from both the HITO incentive and, later, the Government incentive. These incentives have seen many new apprentices receiving $1000 to contribute towards their training, as well as employers receiving $1000 to recognise their efforts in training.

After many years hearing that there was a gap in business skills training, this year we developed a new business qualification with the Open Polytechnic. The National Certificate in Business has two strands in Teams and Leadership and Small Business. It is perfect for anyone who is stepping into a training or management role, or anyone who wants to become a successful business person. The industry has shown a keen interest in this programme, and those who have signed up are already experiencing the benefits.

The Gateway programme (which is offered in secondary schools nationwide) has also seen growth this year with the introduction of Gateway Beauty. This has meant that secondary school students who are interested in a career in beauty have been able to get a real-life taste of the industry. It has been exciting to see many students signing up for the programme this year.

The annual Industry Awards in October are always a highlight for me, and this year was no different. It was lovely to see so many people come together in Auckland to celebrate excellence in training. Congratulations to all our HITO finalists and winners, and to the Kitomba/NZARH finalists and winners also. You have worked hard this year, going above and beyond the norm, and for this we honour you. We were also excited to launch a new initiative this year for our Regional Apprentice of the Year winners. The seven winners from around New Zealand have been given the opportunity to attend an apprentice boot camp in February to develop them further as apprentice ambassadors.

Another exciting event on the 2013 calendar was the International WorldSkills Competition in Germany. It is always humbling to see hairdressers from all over the world competing in this prestigious competition, including New Zealand champion Cait Woodcock. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to the regional WorldSkills competitions taking place next year. More young people will have the opportunity to get involved. If you are thinking about competing in WorldSkills in 2014, I encourage you to give it a go! The next international competition in 2015 is being held in Brazil.

What a year it has been! With Christmas and a New Year almost upon us, I want to wish everyone a safe and prosperous time. I look forward to hearing of your successes in 2014.

This year we also saw Japan become a member of the International Professional Standards Network (ipsn) which was an exciting new change. This means that holders of relevant national certificates in hairdressing or beauty, who have at least

Erica Cumming HITO CEO

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NEW STAFF AT HITO Maria Alulu

e would like to say a big warm welcome to Maria Aiulu, our new Quality Assurance Administrator. Maria joined HITO on 7 October, and we are very excited to have her on board.

MARIA ALULU

Maria comes from an education background, having worked for the Open Polytechnic for nine years. She also worked for a property management company prior to starting at HITO, making her very qualified to take up her role here. Maria’s openness to new experiences and positive outlook has her well prepared to join the HITO team. When she’s not working, Maria spends time with her family. She also plays several instruments and performs in a choir. Maria has very much enjoyed her 3 months at HITO, saying the people and atmosphere are very warm and welcoming. She is looking forward to what lies ahead.

YOU CAN CONTACT MARIA ABOUT QBYE, ADVANCED CUTTING, TUTORS/ASSESSORS, AND MODERATION ON (04) 499 1180 OR AT AMA@HITO.ORG.NZ.

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IMPORTANT DATES 2014 6 January

HITO office re-opens

6 February

Waitangi Day (HITO office closed)

9 February

Apprentice of the Year Regional Winners Boot Camp

10 February

Apprentice of the Year Regional Winners Boot Camp

13 February

Off job training day

14 February

Off job training day

16 March

NZARH AGM

17 March

HITO AGM

24 March

ipsn meeting in Hong Kong

25 March

ipsn meeting in Hong Kong

26 March

ipsn meeting in Hong Kong

27 March

ipsn meeting in Hong Kong

28 March

ipsn meeting in Hong Kong

18 April

Good Friday (HITO office closed)

21 April

Easter Monday (HITO office closed)

25 April

ANZAC day (HITO office closed)

5 May

WorldSkills Regional Competition Wellington/Dunedin

6 May

Careers Expo Wellington

7 May

Careers Expo Wellington

8 May

Careers Expo Auckland

9 May

Careers Expo Auckland

12 May

WorldSkills Regional Competition Auckland/Christchurch

22 May

Careers Expo Christchurch

23 May

Careers Expo Christchurch

24 May

Careers Expo Christchurch

2 June

Queen’s Birthday (HITO office closed)

7 June

Sydney Hair Expo

8 June

Sydney Hair Expo/ Careers’ Expo Hamilton

9 June

Sydney Hair Expo/ Careers’ Expo Hamilton

2 July

WorldSkills National Competition Hamilton

3 July

WorldSkills National Competition Hamilton

4 July

WorldSkills National Competition Hamilton

5 July

WorldSkills National Competition Hamilton

6 July

WorldSkills National Competition Hamilton

27 October

Labour Day (HITO office closed)

30 November

HITO/Kitomba/NZARH Awards (date may change)

25 December

Christmas Day (HITO office closed)

26 December

Boxing Day (HITO office closed)

national certificate in business DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?