- 23 April 2026
- Apprentices & Employer Information &
At The Station Hair and Beauty in Colchester, apprentices are at the heart of how the salon operates day-to-day. It's been a full circle moment for salon owner Jess, as she began her own hairdressing career as a Saturday girl before progressing through an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are now how she shapes her very own salon team today.
Working in partnership with Kleek Apprenticeships, Jess shares her experience of training apprentices and why she believes they are essential to the future of the industry.
So, how have apprentices shaped the day-to-day running of your salon?
“For us its a no-brainer having apprentices in the salon, it's how I came into the industry. From working as a Saturday girl to securing an apprenticeship, and it was the best thing I ever did. We couldn’t function as we do with day to day running of our salon without them. Our apprentices train each week mainly with me, and help the rest of the team. The moment you start chatting with confidence with their models and finishing with great big smiles is just the best thing and makes me extremely proud.
How long have you worked with Kleek, and what’s the support been like?
“We have been working with Kleek for at least 5 years now… There is a fantastic team of educators there, always at the end of a phone to text/ call or email with any random questions or concerns we may have.“
Looking back on your apprentice’s journeys so far, are there any standout moments you'd like to share?
“Each time an assessment is passed off. The moment in teaching when the bits of what you're teaching click, and you see the light beam from behind their eyes. The tears of joy when they pass their level 2 and 3. The achievements, and how proud they are of themselves, each time we have put on a hair show, and they have taken part by getting up on stage and showing the audience what they can do. Watching them grow from shy, embarrassed school leavers to kind, confident young adults, joining in and becoming part of the team.”
And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to another salon thinking about taking on an apprentice, what would it be?
“Remember, they are there to reach their career goals, not just to wash hair and clean the salon; they will get annoyed with this very quickly. We need more youngsters getting into this industry. Be prepared to put in the effort in teaching and have plenty of patience. All students are so very different and learn very differently, so spend time getting to know them individually and find out how best to assist them.”
For salon owners across England, there’s never been a better time to invest in future talent. With NEW employer incentives on the horizon (coming October 2026), now is the perfect time to get the ball rolling and start thinking about bringing an apprentice into your team.
Get in touch with Kleek Apprenticeships today to find out how we can support you every step of the way.
