Visible Changes was established over 25 years ago, based in Rugby Town Centre. After working in the salon for 13 years Jessica, the salon owner, decided to work with Heart of England Training for her first apprentice, Layla.
Jessica was struggling with staff, having people constantly move around, so she decided to take-on an apprentice as a way to grow a new staff member in-training from scratch.
“It’s really nice to work with someone who’s still in learning” she said “there’s so many things that come out that we did just not do in college. So, it’s nice to learn from somebody younger.”
A brighter future
Layla has since completed her hairdressing level 2 apprenticeship, with her next step moving onto her level 3 to help her feel more reassured in the salon. In the meantime, Jessica has taken on Ruby, her second apprentice.
“You don’t have to wait for September. Because they’re doing it as an apprenticeship, you can have them coming and going as you please” she said “you can make it really overlap and work around your business when you need staff.”
Feeling accomplished passing her EPA, Layla’s one piece of advice for anyone starting an apprenticeship is “Make sure you feel comfortable in the salon”
“It’s a big step in your learning to be in that environment” she added “so it is important for you to feel confident and comfortable.”
An apprentice’s perspective
Layla, Jessica’s former apprentice, joined Visible Changes two years ago after starting her hairdressing level 2 apprenticeship with Heart of England Training, attending the Rugby Academy one day a week. When asked why she chose to do an apprenticeship, Layla said;
“I was interested in doing hair but I wanted to be on-the-job rather than just at a college. I wanted to get experience in a salon, just to make sure I liked it and I wouldn’t feel so nervous coming into it after my qualification.”
She found that Heart of England have been really supportive throughout her apprenticeship journey, thanking Assistant Manager Nicole and Account Manager Sophie. Jessica agreed, finding that they were aware on their learners’ progression.
“If there is any problems or issues, it’s dealt with by the end of the week” she said “you know on the day that they do go to college, they’re all being looked after and everyone is being taken care of.”
Take your next steps today
Are you looking to start a career in hairdressing, or perhaps take on apprentice of your own? Contact us to find out more or look at our Apprenticeships Information for employers
You can find out more about the Apprenticeship journey of Visible Changes with our latest video on our YouTube channel – click here
