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Cutting edge Apprenticeships make all the difference

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With Apprenticeship Week in full swing, we visited the Nirvana hairdressing salon in Winchester to find out how taking on an apprentice has helped their business grow.
Originally opened in September 2008, the salon in Winchester is now one of four in the successful Nirvana group, and there are plans afoot to open a further 6 salons in the future.

Lucy Bingham, 16, from Romsey is the latest apprentice to be taken on by Nirvana Manager and Head Stylist, Andy Smith, who has worked closely with Eastleigh College to find the right candidate. Andy explains;

"We believe our trainees are our future, without them our salons wouldn't be able to function properly. They are a vital part of the team. The great thing about the apprenticeship scheme is that Lucy can learn at her own pace both at Eastleigh College and here in the salon. Through a combination of in-house training and theory, we are able to shape Lucy's development to hopefully turn her into a top stylist."

Lucy, who initially studied Hairdressing full-time at Eastleigh College, was keen to explain how the apprenticeship scheme has helped her career:
"I am learning all the time both here and at college. I really enjoy the hands-on training and being able to do a bit of everything."

Lucy attends Eastleigh College every Monday, spending the remainder of the week at Nirvana. On Fridays, Andy puts aside time to turn some of the college theory into practice through his own experience as a master colour expert.

Lucy's ambition is to become a stylist and progress onto the newly formed Nirvana competition art team. Her hobbies include spending time with her family and practicing her hairdressing skills on friends.

Release date 23/02/2009

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