6 March 2015

With the spotlight firmly on apprenticeships next week for National Apprenticeships Week, the NHBF is urging salons to shout about their talented Apprentices and to show how committed the industry is to good quality vocational training.

National Apprenticeships Week runs from 9-13 March and is designed to celebrate the contribution apprenticeships and work-based training make to individuals, businesses and the UK economy as a whole.  More details about how to get involved and maps of where events are being held are on the government’s gov.uk website, under the search term “National Apprenticeships Week”.

Hairdressing and barbering has a long and proud history of supporting apprenticeships, and the NHBF has been instrumental in leading the development of new employer-led “trailblazer” standards for apprenticeships. These are due to begin in 2016 and will be designed to ensure apprentices finish their training “salon ready”.

NHBF president Paul Curry said:

“National Apprenticeships Week is an opportunity for salons to make some noise about the skill, talent and sheer potential of their apprentices, to show the public the commitment and investment hairdressing salons and barber shops up and down the country make to giving talented young people a future in our wonderful industry.

“It is also an opportunity to highlight the concerns we have about the additional burden the government’s reforms to apprenticeship funding could put on salons, and how we fear this could make employers reluctant to take on apprentices in the future.”