A UK salon group has joined the Press and Journal’s Apprentice 100 campaign to give an aspiring stylist the chance to rub shoulders with the stars of screen, stage and catwalk.
Saks Hair and Beauty – whose trainees have gone on to work at major fashion shows, film studios and theatres all over the world – will take on an extra apprentice as part of the newspaper’s quest to raise 100 jobs in 100 days.
Saks is already putting 15 apprentices through SVQs in hairdressing across its three salons in Aberdeen – but it has found room for one more.
The new-start will learn the tricks of the trade from the Saks team of full-time stylists.
Manager James Grant said the way budding trainees are taught has changed a lot since he started in the 1990s.
“When I was qualifying you did all your training at college and only then worked on clients in a salon. Now it’s a much more gradual process,” he said.
“Apprentices learn things in the salon as they progress through their course.
“There’s much more contact with customers from day one with a focus on levels of customer care.”
Mr Grant said apprentices can go far with Saks.
“Trainees have got a good chance to join the Saks art team once they’re trained up and have some experience,” he said.
“The art team works on photo shoots and at London Fashion Week. They also work on music videos and go abroad a lot. It’s a career that can take you anywhere.”
Leanne Stewart, a director at Saks in Aberdeen, said she takes great pleasure in teaching young recruits, and that it also refreshes her own skills.
“There are so many opportunities here for training. Full-time stylists are put on refresher courses every three months to learn new techniques,” she said.
Saks apprentice Stevie-Lee Brown said she wanted to be a hairdresser from the age of 12.
Six years on she is close to completing her SVQ level three and plans to take full advantage of the opportunities Saks offers.
She said: “I would definitely like to work on photo shoots preparing models, though I would travel to do it – I wouldn’t like to leave Aberdeen.”
To apply to become the Saks apprentice, send a CV to private.aberdeen@saks-salons.co.uk