A FORMER college apprentice is helping a new trainee on the road to a cutting edge career.
Owner of Romanby Hair Salon, Northallerton, and former Darlington College apprentice Lauren Taylor, is ensuring that new stylists are able to cut it in the world of hair and beauty by taking on her own apprentice.
Lauren, 25, of Northallerton, who attended Red House School, Norton, took over the running of Romanby Hair Salon from her step-mum Nicola Taylor while still studying for her own Level 3 advanced hairdressing apprenticeship at Darlington College.
“I’d always wanted to be a hairdresser but my mum wasn’t keen,” said Lauren. “After I left school I got an apprenticeship as a quantity surveyor but it wasn’t what I wanted to do and I also didn’t want to have to wait 12 years until I was fully qualified.
“I’d worked as a Saturday girl in my step-mums salon so I asked if I could do an apprenticeship with her spending one day a week at Darlington College to gain my qualifications.”
When Lauren’s step-mum announced that she selling the business in 2013 Lauren and fellow stylist Claire Shuttleworth, who had worked in the salon for 12 years, decided to go into partnership and take over.
“It was a big decision to take on the salon while juggling my college studies,” said Lauren.
“I was the only apprentice on the course running their own business but I was really proud of myself knowing that I’d made the right decision with my career.”
Now Lauren is hoping to further the career of another Darlington College student by taking on 16-year-old Jordan Wilbor as a full-time apprentice.
“Jordan has been coming to this salon to have her hair done since she was eight-years-old and has always wanted to be a hairdresser,” said Lauren.
“Even when she didn’t have an appointment she would come in and pester Claire and me to give her a Saturday job – so when she turned 15 we offered her a position on the understanding that when she left school we would take her on as an apprentice and she would study at Darlington College just as I had.
“As an apprentices Jordan gets a real hands-on experience of working in a salon, building up good relationships with clients and is able to progress to more advanced work in a shorter space of time while gaining her qualifications at college.”
Jordan, of Northallerton, a former pupil at Northallerton College, added: “It was a natural progression to sign up to their hairdressing apprentice scheme. I love hairdressing and it’s great to be able to follow in Lauren’s footsteps.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.
