T
he National Hairdressing Apprenticeship has been developed as a new statutory apprenticeship by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and a consortium of industry representative bodies such as the The Hairdressing Council, Image Skillnet, Synergy Hair Group, Irish Hairdressing Federation as well as employers such as Peter Mark, Wayne Lloyd and Catherine Cusack. The programme is the only nationally recognised standard for hairdressers in Ireland. Apprentices who successfully complete the programme achieve a Level 6 Major Award on the National Framework of Qualifications, with certification awarded by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). The National Hairdressing Apprenticeship is a minimum of 3 years in duration and will provide the industry with some much needed stimulus in recruiting new apprentices to an attractive career in hairdressing, with a nationallyrecognised qualification. The apprenticeship, newlyvalidated by QQI in September 2019, is aimed at school leavers who have completed their Leaving Certificate, early school leavers who have at least 2 years’ fulltime experience in a salon, or mature applicants who wish to pursue a career in hairdressing or change their profession. The training will take place on a day-release basis for students, placing them in the salon environment for a further 4 days per week under the guidance of a salon mentor. Apprentices on the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship will be employed by a range of hairdressing salons, both large and small. An employer who wishes to register an apprentice must first be approved by SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority. They begin this process by registering an expression of interest on http://hairdressingapprenticeship.ie/. From there they will be contacted by the apprenticeship team to take them 6
through the simple registration process. Apprentices must secure employment with a SOLAS-approved employer and meet the programme entry requirements. The employer can then start the apprentice registration process with SOLAS. Suzanne Kiely is the National Programme Co-ordinator for the new National Hairdressing Apprenticeship. She says: “This apprenticeship heralds a positive change in approach to the education and training of hairdressers in Ireland. It is a real game-changer for the industry in Ireland and now represents the national standard for hairdressers in Ireland. The programme is an innovative employer-led undertaking, which has its finger on the pulse of what is required by the hairdressing industry of today.” The new programme doesn’t take the training out of the hands of the employer. It instead complements their in-salon training while increasing the apprentice’s personal and academic confidence, developing highly skilled employees who can work autonomously and develop levels of self-awareness, linking their classroom learning with the challenges they will face in the industry. This will give them a clear path from entry to qualification, something which has been lacking in many instances up until now.
