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Diploma in Hairdressing - Level 2Apply Now »
Location: The RoundHouse
Years: 1
Interview: Y
Course Summary
This City & Guilds qualification will provide you with a broad understanding of the hairdressing industry and the skills and knowledge required for a successful career. It also builds your awareness of the range of jobs in the sector, enabling you to make informed decisions about your future direction.
You will also develop your skills in maths and English, which will support your main programme of study, help your future progression and enhance your life skills.
Entry requirements
You need to be highly motivated and demonstrate a keen interest in your chosen subject. Offers of a place on the course are dependent on your qualifications and practical aptitude. You will need:
- a minimum of five GCSEs at grade D or above including English grade 4 or above and maths grade 3 or above
You will have an interview and initial assessment in maths and English and attend a taster session. Parents and carers are welcome to attend the interview but not the initial assessment. If you are successful, you will be allocated a place to study.
Course Content
- Working in the Hair Industry
- Health and Safety in the Salon
- Client Consultation
- Shampooing and Conditioning
- Promoting Products and Services
- Cutting, Colouring, Perming and Dressing Hair
How will I be assessed?
You are required to complete a portfolio of evidence. Assessment is through a range of methods, including practical observations, online testing and assignment work. Maths and English will be assessed through a controlled assessment or final exam.
Are there any additional costs or specialist equipment required?
There is a kit and uniform to purchase: full details will be given at your interview.
What can I do after this course?
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Aaron Ledster
Real-life challenges prepare Derby College student barbers for the salon
Barber Aaron Ledster says Derby College puts students in real-life work place situations to get them familiar with the challenges of the future.
He said his NVQ Level 2 in Barbering provided experience of a professional salon as a stepping stone into the workplace.
Aaron said students were asked to come to the salon on a Saturday – to get used to the hours – where they trained, while paying customers had their hair professionally cut.
Within a week of starting his course he said students were "thrown in at the deep end" and asked to bring in customers.
The 23-year-old, who now works at Knight and Co in Ilkeston, said he enjoyed barbering in his Year 10 work experience at school. But rather than immediately following that career, he said he was persuaded to go to college to do 'A' levels.
He decided to drop out after a year – "I'd just had enough" – and went to Derby College instead to take his NVQ. He said the lecturers asked individuals exactly what they were hoping to achieve so they could tailor their studies to suit them.
After college, Aaron moved from a salon in Heanor to another in Ilkeston, where he worked with a Brad Knight, a friend from his school days, who had himself trained as an apprentice barber at Derby College.
When Brad set up his own business, Knight and Co in Ilkeston, Aaron moved in September last year to work with him. Aaron said his key aims are to enjoy his job and to build a strong personal customer base.
Downstairs there was a fully functioning salon where people would come in and pay. We had to come into college on a Saturday, just to get us used to doing that, and we'd go downstairs. We'd be training on our dolls' heads, or washing each other's hair, or practising on each other's hair, while there were clients having their hair cut. "You learnt a lot of customer skills and got used to being in a salon in a professional environment. It helps you when you get into the workplace because you've got that experience.
