Just Cuts has teamed up with TAFE NSW on a new apprentice scheme, opening up 50 positions across the company’s salons with important benefits. Due to the national skills shortage, apprentices will receive $1,000 after completing 12 months, and a further $1,000 upon full completion of the three-year apprenticeship.
The scheme is built for school leavers, existing hairdressers looking to elevate their skills and those looking for new career opportunities in the uncertainty of the pandemic. It offers a pathway to hairdressing and salon owner roles. The salon group’s varied clientele and service menu allows apprentices to grow their skills in barbering and hairdressing while they complete their Certificate III in Hairdressing qualifications.
“For years there’s been a shortage of fully qualified hairdressers, from CBD’s to regional hubs. Just Cuts owners understand the critical need for this initiative to help reverse the trend,” said Just Cuts CEO, Amber Manning. “We have an opportunity to give back and help nurture the industry we’ve been pioneering in Australia for more than three decades. In the same way Just Cuts bridges the gap between barbers and high end salons, we’re providing a bridge between TAFE training and salon employment. While the scheme is launching first in NSW, I know salon owners nationally are calling for more fully qualified hairdressers who are salon ready when they complete their training.”
TAFE NSW forecasts 28,000 hairdressing and barbering job openings through to 2022, but also notes that hairdressing program enrolments and completion rates have fallen since 2010, with just over 5,200, or 1 in 4, completing their enrolled hairdressing training programs in 2019. This means that the industry will hugely benefit from a program that encourages continued enrolment and education with a viable career pathway imbedded into the scheme.
“Hairdressing is ahead of the rest when it comes to employment prospects, you just can’t get your hair cut online – and degrees aren’t the only pathway to business ownership,” Amber said. “Hair never stops growing, and neither has our industry despite COVID-19, driven by new style trends and demand for specialised products. There’s a huge opportunity here for men, either school leavers or those already in the industry, who are looking to capitalise on the male grooming market.”
“The changes we’re seeing in our industry reinforce our support for this program – you need to be able to cut a huge variety of styles and types of Client hair to be salon ready when you complete an apprenticeship, and this program ensures you have the practical and technical skills to do just that,” she added. “With Just Cuts you can progress your career all the way from Stylist to team leader, and from operations to salon ownership. This apprenticeship is a foot in the door with the industry leader.”
The apprenticeships are 3 year terms with 2 years full time at TAFE. Upon completing their apprenticeship, candidates can choose to proceed to a Certificate IV in hairdressing. Signups to the apprenticeship program will be managed by community owned not for profit organisation Verto, a member of the Australian Apprenticeships Support Network
For more information visit https://www.justcuts.com.au/careers/current-vacancies
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