"Are Assistants Still an Essential Part of The Working Salon?"

Three hairdressers discuss the role assistants play in our industry

1 BENJAMIN SHIPMAN, BRAND DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER AT THE HAIR MOVEMENT, SIDCUP

“At The Hair Movement, when we welcome someone into our tribe, we look for three key qualities: personality, potential and drive. We’ve worked with junior stylists who excelled in these areas but needed more technical development. We’ve invested in them and discovered their full potential because we have a clear structure and strategy for that. We have support staff, but their role is to enhance the overall business and guest experience, not to assist stylists. There is a strong case for training someone from scratch, giving them the right tools from the start, rather than retraining and breaking bad habits. But for us, our approach has worked. We’ve been able to take stylists who were on the verge of greatness or even on the verge of leaving the industry, disheartened by their experiences and reignite their passion, helping them perfect their skills and craft. Sadly, there is an underlying attitude among far too many that apprentices are cheap labour versus how they should be seen - as the future of our industry. Unless you can properly nurture and grasp the complexity of that responsibility, I do not feel you have any business having apprentices. Without a shift in how we approach entry into the industry, we’ll end up with uninspired, slightly entitled, short-lived professionals who flame out within a few years. This can all be avoided, but the time to act is now.”

2 DANIELE DE ANGELIS, ACADEMY MANAGER, TONI&GUY

“The industry is going through a big change with assistants and young people – they are staying in mainstream education for longer, they have a new way of thinking, they don’t see hairdressing as a viable career, and they don’t recognise the need for years of training before being qualified. However, we are still attracting people into the industry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Many are seeing the benefits of starting after they have finished their degree. They can then see the opportunities hairdressing offers, and the importance of learning a trade. In our London academy we see 120 apprentices every week, so there are still people coming into the industry, but we are seeing more mature students coming through. Hairdressing attracts creative people, many who struggled in the traditional school system. One of the biggest issues we have is commitment and the length of training; in many careers you can learn skills in a few months. It takes three years to teach someone to cut hair and become a hairdresser. Every industry is struggling to attract young people, we are certainly not unique, but what we can do is look at how to get them more involved in their industry to keep them ignited and enthusiastic so that three years doesn’t feel so long. We can show them that hard work will pay off, there are plenty of opportunities for them to be creative and earn money.”

3 JAMIE BROOKS, BROOKS & BROOKS LONDON

“We will always employ assistants. There are a lot of assistants looking for jobs, but unfortunately the standard isn’t great across different areas, and as a result many salons aren’t taking them on. Taking on apprentices was easier before the government got involved, but now we’re in a system that makes everything harder. Our apprentices are fantastic, we have seven of them and they are brilliant. They have their own little tribe and their own Instagram page where they film and show the life of a salon assistant. I think the industry is at a crossroads, where everyone wants to be on the floor faster, but fast-tracking isn’t always the answer. We encourage all our assistants to throw themselves into the industry, whether that’s attending trade shows or entering competitions to push them outside their comfort zones. For salon owners, it’s about leading from the top – showing them all the different things they can do to excite and inspire them. Until recently there were more apprentices than jobs, now there aren’t enough assistant roles for the young people who want to come into hairdressing. Funding remains a big issue for many salons, but we need to invest in the future to ensure our businesses and our industry survives and thrives. Young people have a lot to offer to our industry and can really add something fresh to your salon and we wouldn’t be without them in our business.”