- 01 August 2025
- Apprentices & Employer Information & Recruitment & Success Stories &
Ripon Barber’s First Apprentice: A Distinct Success!
Westwood Barbers' first apprentice, combined with Kleek Apprenticeships’ expert training, equals one brilliant success story!
Barbering Apprentice Will, from Westwood Barbers & Social in Ripon, is PROOF that having an apprentice in your salon or barbershop pays off! Hiring an apprentice was a significant step for owner Josh, but it has proven to be one of the best decisions he has made…
Passing his assessments with flying colours, Will went on to achieve a DISTINCTION in his final End Point Assessment!
Josh, owner of Westwood Barbers and Social, shared:
“18 months, hundreds of haircuts and enough plasters to warrant a sponsorship deal with Elastoplast, and he's now a qualified barber!
We're beyond proud of our first-ever apprentice and his achievements. From first agreeing to take on an apprentice, we have been passionate about bringing young people into the industry in (what we believe to be) the correct way. Teaching them skills that extend way beyond cutting hair and getting them a recognised qualification to show for their efforts.
As with all trades, the hard work doesn't stop at qualifying, and we'll continue to develop and mentor Will from here as his experience grows.”
We asked Will about his success and his Barbering Apprenticeship journey to date:
"I was inspired to start barbering because I love how social the job is and the bonds you can make out of it. I also love the creative side that you can show and the community aspects.
Achieving a distinction demonstrated that all my training with Josh, my employer, along with the minor mistakes I made at the beginning, and all the customers I gained from this experience, had finally paid off.
I now plan to continue learning and improving my skills as much as possible, to expand my client base, and continue to contribute to Westwood’s ongoing success, too."
Steve, Will’s dedicated Educator from Kleek Apprenticeships, added:
"Will and Josh were a great team to support. Kleek’s training is tailored to every individual salon and apprentice to get the best results and I’m thrilled that Westwood’s first experience of an apprenticeship has been so positive! Well done Will on your highly deserved distinction!"
So, if you’re looking for a new style or regular buzz cut, head on down to Josh and Will at Westwood’s - support a local business and local homegrown talent at the same time!
If you're a salon owner thinking about hiring a hair, barbering or beauty apprentice this year, visit kleekapprenticeships.co.uk, and discover how apprentices can benefit your business while supporting local talent of your own in Harrogate, Ripon and the surrounding districts.
Photo credits: Westwood Barbers & Social
Guide to Kleek apprenticeships
View and download our Employers Guide To Apprenticeships to get helpful hints and tips on employing an apprentice, information about all our apprenticeship courses, and testimonials from salon owners who trained apprentices with Kleek.
