- 13 March 2026
- Apprentices &
At Kleek Apprenticeships, we know that being a hairdressing, barbering, or beauty apprentice isn’t just about creativity, it’s about using practical skills in real-world situations. This National Maths Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the surprising ways maths is part of everyday salon life. For many of our apprentices completing Functional Skills Maths alongside their vocational training, these skills help make work smoother, more accurate, and professional.
Here are five ways our apprentices use maths behind the chair:
1. Smart Scheduling & Time Management
Every haircut, colour service, or beauty treatment has a time estimate. Being able to plan your day efficiently uses real-world maths to figure out appointment lengths and manage your workload. Good time management keeps the salon running smoothly, clients happy, and apprentices confident.
2. Measuring Product Quantities & Understanding Ratios
Whether it’s mixing hair colour, applying treatments, or preparing products for a service, maths plays an important role in achieving the right result. Apprentices need to understand ratios and measurements when combining tints and developers, as well as how much product to use for each client. Using accurate measurements, such as millilitres and grams, helps ensure consistent results while avoiding unnecessary product waste.
3. Calculating Discounts, Prices & VAT on Stock
Whether buying wholesale products for the salon or calculating retail discounts for clients, apprentices regularly use maths to ensure accurate pricing. Understanding percentages, VAT, and budgets keeps salon finances in check and develops real-world numeracy skills.
4. Creating Even Styles & Symmetry
Whether it’s cutting a fringe, shaping a beard, or applying balayage, symmetry matters.
Apprentices regularly use visual measurement and balance to ensure both sides of a style match perfectly, an important skill for achieving professional, polished results.
5. Taking Payments
Handling payments is one of the most common ways apprentices use maths in the salon. From understanding service prices to working out the correct change for clients, strong number skills help ensure transactions are accurate and professional.
Why Maths Matters for Apprentices
Whether you’re training in hairdressing, barbering or beauty, maths is already part of your everyday work in the salon. From measuring colour formulas to managing time and ensuring symmetry in styles, Functional Skills Maths helps apprentices build confidence and accuracy in their craft.
This National Maths Day, it’s a great reminder that maths isn’t just something you learn in the classroom, it’s a skill that supports your success throughout your everyday life, apprenticeship and future career.