News & Events

Who will be crowned Hairdressing & Barbering Apprentice of the Year?

In the next two weeks, hairdressing and barbering apprentices from salons across Devon and Cornwall will compete against each other in the annual Skills Group Hair Competitions.

The prestigious competitions are being held in Plymouth on Monday 18th July at the Holiday Inn, and in Exeter on Monday 25th July, at the Rougemont Hotel. There will be different categories depending on the length of time an apprentice has been training and the level they have achieved.

The novice category is for apprentices who have been in training for less than a year, and their theme is ‘A Day at the Races’.

There are two intermediate categories for apprentices who have achieved their Intermediate Apprenticeship (Level 2), and have been in training for between one and two years. They will either be competing in Hairdressing with the theme ‘Colour Cocktail’ or in Barbering with the theme ‘City Slickers’.
The advanced category is for apprentices working towards their Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3). Their theme is ‘Razor Sharp’.

The apprentices will be representing their salons. They will be given some pre-preparation time during the afternoon of the competition. The final half-an-hour of hair styling and/or cutting will take place on the stage in front of colleagues, family and friends, and a panel of judges.

This year’s judges for Plymouth are Emma Jane Lineham, owner of Viva Hair in Exeter, Nathan Plumridge, owner of Energy Hair in Topsham, and Donna Wilson, owner of KD Styling in Tavistock.

The Exeter judges are Tracie Gunningham, owner of Envy in Plymouth, Kelly Williams, franchisee owner of Toni & Guy in Plymouth, and Grant Northover, Managing Director of Phab Wholesale, who provide the hair products used in the Skills Group hair academies.

Louise Harrop, Skills Group Service Sector Manager, said: “Competitions are an important part of helping Skills Group apprentices show their employers the range of skills they have developed during their apprenticeship.

I know that on the day there will be lots of nervous energy. However, it is always really exciting to see how the next generation of hairdressers and barbers interpret the competition themes, and how they perform on the stage at the event.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the salons that we work with for supporting their apprentices, and the family and friends who will be cheering them on! Good luck to everyone competing!”

The competitors will be arriving at the venue with their models from 3pm on the day of the competition for briefing sessions. The audience will arrive from 6.30pm, with the competition due to start at 7pm.

Skills Group is a leading apprenticeship training provider, offering training in Business Administration, Care and Early Years, Construction, Engineering and Automotive, Hairdressing, Sport and Leisure, and Teaching and Education.

We currently have over 180 vacancies across Devon and Cornwall, which can be found on our dedicated recruitment website, www.apprenticeships4me.com.