Lois Allen, Training Director at Leicestershire-based George’s Hairdressing, leads a “growing our own” all in-house approach to staff training throughout the business: an ethos the George’s team has practiced for over 40 years.
The relationship between George’s and HOET is that we provide the theory training whilst Lois and her in-house team deliver the practical training and assessments. Although we have not been working together for too long, we have seen 8 apprentices complete their courses…5 with distinction.
“We partnered at a turbulent time,” said Lois. “Our apprentices have trained in the most bizarre circumstances yet have achieved something quite great, which makes me even more proud.” We are pleased at HOET to have maintained an interactive training structure throughout lockdowns and periods of closure, enabling apprentices to retain a level of sanity and focus.
Working with us “has been a great learning curve for me,” said Lois, who has enjoyed a really positive relationship with both our training team and our apprenticeship advisory team. “HOET have been a massive support for me in terms of teaching through the pandemic, using OneFile and helping us understand the process and how apprenticeships fit into our business.”
Apprenticeships are fundamental to George’s Hairdressing business of “growing our own”: training apprentices not just to be excellent hairdressers, but to share the brand’s core values, ethos and behaviours. With a top reputation in the area, apprenticeships allow George’s to mould their staff in a way that keeps the business strong and continuously developing.
Lois’ three reasons for choosing a salon-based apprenticeship:
- You will always earn money and be in a job
- You can create your own standards
- You are in charge of your own destiny.
