Salon tells Apprentice: ‘You’re hired’
Bosses at a Paisley salon ran their own talent search to find a hairdressing star of the future.
Napier Hair and Beauty, in Neilston Road, staged their own apprenticeship challenge, with a modern apprenticeship place on offer for the winner.
Teenage entrants competed through a series of crimping challenges – including presentations to salon owner Elaine Napier – before the winner was announced at a special ceremony.
Successful candidate Ryan Healy, 17, of Paisley, will now receive on-the-job training from experienced colleagues, while being supported through a formal SVQ qualification.
The salon was supported to run the contest by staff from the council-run Renfrewshire Youth Employability Hub, in Gauze Street, Paisley.
Council staff provided help and advice, and attended the contest’s open evening, where advisors talked to youngsters and parents about their career options.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan popped by the salon to congratulate Ryan on his success and to find out more about the scheme from bosses.
Councillor Macmillan said: “I was impressed by the commitment shown by Elaine and her staff at the salon to providing quality training for young people.
“I would like to congratulate Ryan on his success and am sure he will have a great career ahead of him here.
“Napier Hair and Beauty is one of more than 300 local companies to have signed up to Invest in Renfrewshire – the council’s £7m programme to support the local economy and tackle youth unemployment.
“The aim of the scheme is for the council to build partnerships with local firms who want to make an investment in young people and in themselves.
“We have a range of funding packages available, including wage subsidies, graduate internships and business development grants, which can help them do so.”
Salon owner Elaine Napier was moved to run the contest through her belief that high-quality salon-based training gives aspiring stylists the best start to their careers.
She said: “If I take a young person on, it’s my job to train them and nurture them and complete their apprenticeship.
“If you don’t invest in people, you have no business at the end of it. If you take a youngster on, you can enrich them.
“The provision of quality training is a big issue for the industry. This is a full modern apprenticeship, and there will be a job at the end of it.”
Invest in Renfrewshire provides support for businesses and job opportunities for Renfrewshire young people aged between 16 and 24.
For more information about what the scheme could offer you, call 0300 3000 144, visit www.investinrenfrewshire.com, or email invest@renfrewshire.gov.uk