Dodgy hairdressing apprenticeships?

I am a Hairdresser myself, if someone is going to do a apprenticeship I’d recommend they do it at Off London. They provide great training, supportive environment and at the end off the apprenticeship there apprentices become amazing stylist. Although the first part of your apprenticeship is spent cleaning you can still get stuck on the basins and waste a lot of time. I wouldn’t advice working for a chain you become just a number them it gets very in-personal

NoImRight said :

There was a hair dressing “school” in Weston famous for thsi years ago. Not shocked it still goes on. Same hapens to people working in cafes etc.

For 30 years or so there was only 1 registered training organisation (RTO) for hairdressing in the ACT. In the last 10 or so years there have been 2 and i think another just recently opened. This sort of information is really easy to find. RTO status is required if you are going to be issuing a nationally recognized qualification. So really if you are choosing to get involved with an organisation, without first understanding what you are getting out of it, you are just leaving yourself open to fraud!

While I find it disgusting that organisations get away with this. There are already ways of dealing with those bad eggs. The best way is to be informed about your rights and expectations, so they find themselves sorely lacking in applicants!

That’s only relevant if you are actually looking for a full qualification. In hairdressing, like almost every trade, there’s a strong element of craft or art to the job. Schools which offer courses that give you ideas or teach you further skill in that part, don’t need certification to do so. Rightly so! If you’ve got a great idea or technique, share it. If you can make some money by charging for it, good on you!

There was a hair dressing “school” in Weston famous for thsi years ago. Not shocked it still goes on. Same hapens to people working in cafes etc.

Is this the probation in relation to their training contract? If they are being paid as a 1st year apprentice then they must have signed a training contract that is submitted through a NAC(new apprenticeship centre). That should have been done immediately or as close to their start date as possible. some times the NAC can take a week or so to get around to dropping the paperwork off. the training contract has a 3 month probation or “”cooling off period”” where any party can cancel the contract, and employment, at any time.

the point is that your are effectively a first year apprentice from the signing date of the contract. all of that is only relevant is they are being paid as a 1st year apprentice, they could also be employed as an assistant which is a different and more expensive rate than a 1st year.

so ask her to check at what rate she is being paid and if she”s signed a training contract. If shes being paid at the 1st year rate, then she can demand a traing contract is signed and i belive they can be backdated aswell!

Nothing new here – this has been going on in the hairdressing industry for time eternal, cheap labour for three months and then turf the employee the day before the trial ends.

Paid or unpaid? If it is an unpaid trial, report them to FWA as they take a particular delight in “unpaid work experience” for longer periods. If it is paid, then it is completely legal. The ethics of it are decidedly dodgy though.

All apprentices are given a 3 month trial to see if they can do the job or if they like it and want to make a career.

Having said that, if this chain is doing lots of 3 month trials to save money they need to be named and shamed.

3 month probation before getting an apprenticeship? sounds sketchy to me

(not an expert)