I just like to talk to you a bit about our principles and method for education.
What we feel makes us unique is that we have a set of education principles that recognize the burning issues and problems that our salons and barbershops face. We work with these boutique businesses to really help them deliver a profitable business that provides them with peace of mind through their people. We call this their “Signature Salon Team.”
Many of our clients feel that they’re working tirelessly for little reward and ever increasing worry and they really face three common problems; firstly, uncertainty in finding and retaining quality hairdressers and barbers. Secondly, sleepless nights that are associated with having a team that’s not functioning quite right. And finally burnout from juggling all the balls at once, as an owner, stylist, marketer, counselor and financial controller. So the prize that our clients are seeking is profit, peace of mind and above all that their salon or barbershop is an expression of their personality in essence to create this signature salon team.
At MIG, our signature salon method has four principles that we think are really important and helps our clients to stand out, make an impact and grow their business. These elements are: design, professionalism, technical skills, and communication. So, having efficient systems, creates the space to build your team and are a critical design element. Being professional sets the standard. Living that standard attracts quality people, quality clients and industry recognition. Technical skills, team knowledge and skills that are on point creates a team that can take on any new challenge that’s put in front of it. And finally communication, having a clear identity. Sharing of those ideas creates a cohesive team and creates industry recognition.
At MIG, we use the four step signature salon method in our flagship apprentice builder program, and it really turns the Certificate III on its head. Understanding the problems and the prize helps us to build a program that meets all the needs of our salons that we work with. The apprentice builder program provides customised in-salon training plans. They provide Salon supervisor coaching and mentoring. It sets the standard for the individual apprentice to follow, but also provides a gateway to industry through our education partners. It has a strong technical skills focus, but one that deals with culture, communication and consultation.
We do this in an anywhere anytime digital learning and assessment platform, which then combines the practical hands on skills education. We have dedicated mentors, as well as formal progression and skills accountability, and above all access to a community apprentices and peer support that’s second to none. We work with many great names in hairdressing. We’d love to connect with your business to be able to help you create your signature salon team. And as we say to all of our students each and every day, Be Brave, Have Fun, Dare to Be Different.
Once you’ve recruited an apprentice, one of the first decisions that you need to make is which RTO to partner with. And this partnership is really important, as quality training can mean the difference between a profitable team member and someone who’s struggling or underperforming in the workplace. And whilst the considerations are many, one way to feel confident about your choice of training provider is to look at the accreditation system that’s really quite unique to the hair industry.
The Australian Hairdressing Council or AHC, through its RTO Select accreditation process benchmarks quality RTO’s against the gold standard of hairdressing training. RTO Select recognises quality education and really provides a signpost for employers so that they can feel comfortable that the RTO that they’ve chosen is one of the very best in the country. The AHC has has a membership of salons, product companies, RTO’s, individuals, and associated industry suppliers. And they all share a united vision to promote and protect the industry.
That’s really based around four key central pillars. It’s about: Education – so raising industry standards, Connection -or bringing us all together, Informing -being that voice to government and Supporting – providing HR support and other types of support to help build and grow small business. Out of this RTO select was born. And it’s a set of 7 standards that an RTO must reach in order to be accredited. And these standards have been developed ostensibly by salon owners in the end for salon owners to help them to make their decisions.
Standard 1 is education leadership and this standard looks to ensure RTO’s have a business strategy, a vision and a mission that’s aligned to the industry.
Standard 2 is recognition, so does the RTO provide recognition of in-salon, product company and other prior training in that process of educating an apprentice?
Standard 3, communication and engagement. So quality communication with salons and apprentices is key to great training, and systematic and ongoing engagement with the hair industry is equally as important.
Standard 4 is all around training and assessment resources. Is the RTO’s resources current and engaging and do they relate to the salon experience?
Standard 5, currency of trainers. A top level hairdressing trainer will have great skills in their trade, but that will also be combined with vocational knowledge that’s really important.
Standard 6 is around salon design, operation and clients. So is the college designed for high end professional training and does it provide a real salon experience.
Finally, standard 7 is environmental and social responsibility, the college needs to actively support awareness and participate in environmental sustainability, both at the college and also in the industry. So the next generation can take our lead and build a sustainable industry. As an education business to be recognised as gold standard by the industry, you train is the highest accolade you can hope for.
MIG is one of 17 registered training organisations in the country that have that gold star of RTO Select. We’ve been RTO Select for the past seven years since its inception and we really proudly display this accreditation in all our digital media and even on the glasses you come into the college. The AHC and RTO Select are closely aligned to what we value the most which is, to grow an industry with that has given us so much. But most importantly, it’s about enjoying the journey as well.
As we say to all our students each day, Be Creative, Have Fun, and Dare To Be Different.
Let’s talk about training and particularly training in the apprenticeship context. Training can come in many forms. Most commonly students think training is when one on one training happens, but this is really only one form. So let’s break it down shall we because there are six official forms of training.
Firstly, face to face training with your RTO. And this can be attending college but it can also be when college comes to the salon or barber shop for training either on models or theory session.
Secondly, telephone or zoom meetings with your RTO. And this type of training can be as simple as a checking call, or it could be a zoom meeting to work on underpinning knowledge or to track progress. At MIG, we developed some great skills during the COVID lockdown period with this.
Thirdly, working with your in-salon supervisor or your mentor in the barber shop is really important because it helps to build those practical skills, work on speed and timing.
Practice, number four, practices is king. Practicing your skills on models and clients helps to embed the skills that you’ve learnt either at college or in salon.
Observation, this is a common form of training but observation is one of those things that really helps you to understand industry and how it works. When you’re watching how your senior barbers and hairdressers communicate and work with their clients it helps to make sense of everything there is in the world of training.
And finally, theory, not everybody’s cup of tea but every part of the Certificate III in either hairdressing or barbering has a theory component. So understanding the underpinning knowledge that goes with all the practical skills helps to build confidence moving forward in your career.
At MIG, we work with many household names in hairdressing, to work on the capacity and the technical skills of their people. We’d love to connect with you and to work with you to help you build great skills within your team and to put in place great training structures that work.
The thing that we say to every one of our students though, as they work through this process, and develop the skills to become great hairdressers is to: Be Creative, Have Fun, and Dare to be different.
So you’re looking to put on an apprentice? For many employers, it’s either their first foray into the apprenticeship world or the first sign up for a number of years, and as such, getting your head around the system can be confusing and a little daunting. But a little knowledge goes a long way and understanding the system prior to recruitment can really help in attracting quality people. So who’s who in the zoo.
All things apprenticeships are managed on behalf of the federal government by the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, or AASN for short. This network is made up of a number of companies or providers whose role it is to be the first point of contact for all things apprenticeships. These providers include names such as Busy at Work, MEGT, Sarina, Russo, Job Access and Apprenticeship Support Australia. And the support they provide really follows the apprenticeship journey from cradle to grave. There’s a number of steps a salon needs to take to bring on an apprentice. And they are, step one, contact your essence that operates in your state who can help with initial funding eligibility assessment, and may may even provide some advice on how to structure and how to recruit.
Step two, once you’ve recruited your new team member, the next step is to arrange for that same AASN to come and complete the apprenticeship contract sign up. The contract is legally binding so if your apprentice is under the age of 16, you’ll probably need a parent or guardian there to help.
Step three, as part of the sign up, you’ll be asked to nominate a Registered Training Organisation to deliver the off the job or formal training. The apprenticeship support provider will provide you with a list of all the RTO’s available, including both TAFE and private college options.
Step four, the AASN will notify the RTO that they’ve been nominated to deliver, and that will set the wheels in motion for your nominated RTO to work with you to develop a training plan that encompasses all the training and assessment and how it will be conducted. Importantly, for first time apprentice employers, it’s really important to understand that the training and assessment provided by your college can be tailored to suit your needs, and the program isn’t just dictated by how they want to deliver.
Step five, the responsibility for training is a three way partnership, which includes salon owner, apprentice and RTO. And so as the employer, it’s really important that you understand your obligations as part of that partnership. And these obligations are really referenced in that contract that you signed early in the piece. But the important items to be across from an employer perspective are: paid training time obligations, apprentice supervision obligations, the range of work that needs to be provided to the apprentice, and finally pay progression for the apprentice over the duration of their apprenticeship.
Once you’re across all these things, and a training plans in place with the RTO and they’re progressing and moving through their training, the Australian apprenticeship support providers role then is to help facilitate any Commonwealth incentives and benefits that the salon owners entitled to. At a basic level, this will include incentives within three to six months of commencement, and then incentives at completion. Employing an apprentices is an investment in the future sustainability of your salon and the industry. And as we’ve talked about, there’s really four people involved, the employer, the apprentice, the RTO, and the government AASN. And whilst it can be confusing at first, each play a role in the apprenticeship journey. Close relationships between the AASN and RTO and the employer means that there’s a step by step process that will run smoothly and your salon will take advantage of the incredible opportunity and available funding that there is through the apprenticeship pathway.
At MIG, we work with many great names in hairdressing to help train and educate their staff. We’d love to connect with you, to be able to help you on your apprenticeship journey.
I would like to talk to you a little bit about fast track or college based courses. One of the greatest challenges we face as an industry and as educators is in attracting quality people who will sustain our industry moving forward. And whilst the apprenticeship continues to be the bedrock, quality institutional pathways are a viable alternative for attracting new people to our industry. Historically, the college based or fast track option has not necessarily been considered the equal of the apprenticeship. But the demand for greater flexibility from those looking to join our industry has underpinned the popularity of these programs.
The advantages of this alternative pathway numerous. Firstly, it attracts individuals that otherwise might have been lost to the trade, in particular mature aged people who are looking at a change of career. It also opens the door for school leavers who may not be ready to access an apprenticeship at that time. Secondly, employing those who already have a level of exposure and a demonstrated commitment to the trade helps to address the incredibly high cancellation rate that’s often associated with new entrants. And finally, those who have access quality training and are ready to hit the ground running are well placed to be productive from the outset. They’ve made a considerable personal investment in their own training. And this helps to reduce the substantial education and training commitment that’s required by salons.
There’s no better way to get a feel for those who are attracted to the college based pathway than to follow the journey of one of our recent graduates. Abi Donaldson completed her Cert III in Hairdressing at MIG, and has been kind enough to allow us to share her story. Abi grew up on a little hobby farm halfway between Warwick and Stanthope. And the plan for Abi was always to get to uni after school but the closer she got to finishing school, the more she was confused about which direction to head. She was incredibly successful academically, but she wanted a career that she could take anywhere she went. She really loved living in the country so it was also something that she loved to do there. Her mum was an artist so she grew up in an environment that fostered creativity. So when someone suggested hairdressing, Abi decided to have a really close look at this career path. On deciding on hair Abi chose to complete the college based or fast track program, as opposed to going into an apprenticeship. Primarily because it allowed her to work at her own pace, and to advance according to her skills. And I think also, she was really unsure about how she’d be treated in a salon environment, straight out of school.
The college program develops great foundation and basic hairdressing skills, which can then be built on in the salon environment. And for Abi with this underlying knowledge, it was a really smooth transition into the salon, when she got there on a part time basis, while she was finishing the course. She really enjoyed the college environment, working with multiple trainers, and picking up bits and pieces from everybody and exposing yourself to a diverse range of ways of doing things that she may not have seen directly in the salon. The lesson from Abi’s story is that there’s a number of paths available to enter the industry and the choices, I suppose is incredibly important in order for us to continue to attract great people like Abi. At MIG we work with many household names in hairdressing to build their teams capacity and technical skills. By understanding your business we can help provide advice, connection to services and invariably help you to leverage your greatest asset which is your people.
I thought I’d share something that’s been an important part of our education offering for salons for a number of years. Critically in working with salons to educate their teams over many years, we’ve identified a key area that lacks support. That is that there is little in the way of education for salon owners, seniors and mentors in how to train and develop their apprentices. As a Registered Training Organisation, at MIG were really well placed to see the success of salons that have a strong internal culture and a systematic way that they practically skills train their staff.
Conversely, we also see the impact that time pressures, staffing issues and the strains that are placed on running salon business has on building productivity, and a training culture. In response, as part of our apprentice builder education package, MIG exclusively offers our salon clients and barbershops a blend of hands on workshops and video tutorials for the in-salon trainers who are in charge of building the skills of their teams. The aim of this part of our apprentice builder program is to refine the training skills in cutting of those salon managers and in salon trainers, and to also share a few trends and tricks so that they can keep ahead of the education game and produce outstanding results. The program was introduced as an additional service to the salon clients we work with, but it also really extends the MIG apprenticeship training methods through the whole salon so that it helps with consistency and a really fluid outcome in the business. Our observations with the salon clients over the years have indicated that they’re so busy training their salon teams that they often forget about themselves. So this professional development helps to go a step towards that as well. And at MIG we greatly value the relationships we have with our salon clients so we’re proud that apart from the cost of the head block the program is absolutely free for MIG salons and the program is for all in-salon trainers, mentors and seniors who are responsible for building the skills of their emerging stylists.
Currently included in the program is the fundamental building blocks that make up the craft of cutting so solid, layers and graduation. And these are presented in one of three full day workshops at MIG Training. The participants also receive full access to the MIG employers lounge which includes a suite of online education tools, including videos, glossy learner guides and step by step learning resources. I suppose the exciting part for MIG is that we’ve only really scratched the surface with what we can add value to beyond delivering apprenticeship training. So filming is well underway on a comprehensive suite of resources that will expand from the fundamentals of cutting through to colour. Plans are also afford to continue to develop the program to include a lot more in the apprentice builder resources and workshops that will cover a series of contemporary and essential haircuts, which we’ll call the MIG collection. The support we offer our salon client educators covers a wide spectrum of the fundamentals and creative parts of hairdressing education, and help support and enhance the apprentice journey and the journey that they provide to the rest of their teams as well.
We’d love to be a trusted education partner with you. If you’d like to find out how we can work together it would be great to connect. Thank you.
I thought I’d share this story as it’s amazing where the hair education journey has taken us. Each year at MIG, we graduate approximately 150, hairdressers and barbers. And in that group, there’s a special number who’ve had to overcome the greatest of obstacles in order received the qualification. Twice a year at Southern Cross Correctional Facility MIG has a graduation ceremony. And this is for prisoners who’ve spent six months studying the Certificate to II Hairdressing.
The students graduate in front of proud family members prison, management, and hair industry representatives. SQCC commenced the hairdressing program in Queensland back in 2012, and we were only initially engaged in an advisory capacity. We then began to deliver workshops and support those to transition to work after release. We took over the program in 2015 and recruited an experienced educator in Rachel Monahan to lead for us. The Cert II in hairdressing is delivered two days a week over a six month period. The correctional facility operates a completely functioning salon within the prison and it’s fully booked and offers a wide range of services. For many, completing this program is their greatest achievement to date and a major step towards breaking the cycle of crime.
On a graduation day, MIG educator Rachel is often joined by Nicole from MIG and some amazing supporters from industry. Mikey Forster from Horsemeat Disco and Paula Hibbard the long hair guru have always donated their time to spend training and preparing the students for the ceremony. The program is also generously supported year round by their De Lorenzo and their lead educator Mel At the last graduation in a really touching moment and ex prisoner spoke to the students about how the hairdressing program had saved her from a life of drugs, prostitution and crime and how the hair industry was non discriminatory and willing to give people a go.
At MIG, we’re really proud to be part of such a valuable and beneficial initiative. The hairdressing community are accepting and willing to give people a second chance and I think this is what makes the program so powerful. The students have a very real opportunity to work in hairdressing upon being released, and to find a life away from crime. The joy for us is in seeing a person with a passion for the trade that’s ignited and then a great sense of accomplishment comes from completing something at one of the most difficult periods in their lives. I mean, it just goes to show that the hair journeys as diverse as it is exciting. And as an industry, we’re all doing a little bit for the community.
I wanted to share the education story of one of the incredible salons we work with. Commitment to education, growth and learning can be a challenge when you’re trying to grow a business and it’s something to be admired when you see it done well. In particular, those that structure daily habits to foster that ongoing education and growth. Sage Hair embodies all of these things. Based in Longreach in central western Queensland, Sage is approximately 1200 kilometers from Brisbane, where we’re based. Longreach is a rural community of around 3000 people and Sage is a vibrant, modern up market salon offering, with an amazing culture and environment where guests love the visit. It’s established by Casey Kent, an award winning stylist herself and Sage provides a guest experience that’s unrivaled in the region. The cornerstone of this is their commitment to education and training of the entire team.
Casey is incredibly clear on the power investing in the team. I think that’s born from her apprenticeship, where she trained with some upmarket salons in Rockhampton. The commitments no more evident than in lengths that the salon goes to with their most recent apprentices. Jacinta and Lily, access the very best education they can. Casey’s empowered both of them to research and take control of their training, to find the college that best suits their needs. Lily’s recently graduated, but both the girls have made the 2 500 kilometer round trip to MIG on a regular basis. This quarterly trip to college includes rising at sunrise on a Sunday, catching a flight from Longreach to Barcaldine, waiting for a connecting 3 hour flight from Barcaldine to Brisbane, staying with relatives once they get here, and usually spending a whole week at MIG, to develop, be assessed and create new skills. Between visits, they stay connected by working through our online portal, and then they meet with their MIG trainer regularly via zoom.
Being prepared to invest in their own careers, and understanding the value of education are some of the traits that ensure that both just Jacinta and Lily are off to a stellar start in the hairdressing careers. By investing in themselves both of them have received support in kind from Casey and the team at Sage Hair. Casey believes there’s no boundaries to accessing quality education and training, regardless of location, or size and scope of the salon. And I suppose that positive culture and environment really rubs off on the two girls. By traveling and being away, both Jacinta and Lily are able to immerse themselves in their education and create networks with other emerging stylists from all over the state. Inspiration and techniques they get they are then able to bring these back to the salon to help and to inspire the team, and that supports the ongoing investment Sage have made.
While it is too often the catch cry that the current generation of emerging stylists aren’t prepared to invest in themselves and that they won’t go to the links necessary to build a career, Jacinta and Lily are evidence that this isn’t the case.
At MIG, we work with many household names in hairdressing to build their teams capacity and technical skills. We’d love to work with you and if you’d like to explore how that can happen, and provide advice on how we can leverage your greatest asset, which is your people. It’d be great to have a chat. Thank you.
The start of 2021 has seen an incredible upswing in the numbers of new apprenticeship signups that’s coming through the doors. We’re really hopeful, fingers crossed that the signs of national recovery are happening in 2021. That this growth will happen across the board and it will have a huge pipeline of hairdressers coming through the system. Fueling this demand is the incredible sums of money that is coming our way through the boosting apprenticeship commencement wage subsidy. It’s a $1.2 billion scheme and it’s designed to support businesses to take on new apprentices. The funding is for all trades, but in hairdressing and barbering I suppose it’s there to attract skilled workers that can act as the future building blocks of our industry.
In real terms, the boosting apprenticeship commencement wage subsidy means that a salon who engages an apprentice might be eligible for up to 50% of their wage. That’s a maximum $7000 a quarter, amazing figures. But that’s not all, there’s more funding as well. We’ve been blessed for new entrants, with funded programs through the job trainer scheme. Job Trainer is a $1 billion dollar by funding partnership between federal and state government and it’s designed to provide low cost or fee free courses targeted at 17 to 25 year olds who are looking for work. So what does that mean for hairdressing, it really means Certificate II in Salon Assistant.
Traditionally Certificate II in Salon Assistant is the domain of school based trainees. But what it will offer is a fee free or low cost option for organizations to provide industry with new entrants who have some basic skills and can hit the ground running. While the following list isn’t exhaustive, the qualification includes the building blocks and the key elements of that qualification include a number of things. It includes salon procedures, includes an understanding of shampoo and basin, blow drying, reception and communication, being able to greet prepare clients, and then obviously, color application and massage.
The Cert II in Salon Assistant can provide a perfect introduction to the trade for an aspiring hairdresser. And it could also, in my mind help reduce the high rate of cancellation that can be the bain of a lot of salons. Successful completion of a pre-vocational programs such as Cert II helps to sift out those who are unsure if hairdressings for them. Ideally, a strong industry based program run by a college like ourselves will incorporate lots of industry placement and that will allow salons to have a look at potential staff and invariably try before they buy. Because of the free nature of the Job Trainer program it provides industry an unprecedented opportunity to compete for new entrants with other careers. And for us it also helps us make the most of opportunities to deliver programs in college that exciting and contemporary.
Programs will need to be really focused on developing key soft skills and furthermore, ongoing success of Cert II programs only really works if your colleges align themselves really closely with salons. In the end, increasing the number of qualified salon assistants is pointless if salon owners are unwilling to take them on due to a lack of skill, and the lack of the ability to add value. So finding ways to make that happen is really important, particularly from a college perspective, in making the skills that they have really industry relevant. For salon owners looking to access those who completed the Job Trainer, qualification or engage with those who are undertaking qualifications as part of the program over the coming months, the best course of action is to contact your RTO like ourselves, as we obviously have a huge role to play in attracting new people to our industry.
With substantial government funding in place by the boost apprenticeship commencement wage subsidy, and the new entrant job training program, it’s the first sign of green shoots and new growth for the future of the industry in some time. The challenge for us is to excite and inspire those who’ve been newly attracted to industry. But above all, the challenge is to retain and nurture those people once they come so that they decide to stay.
As we move into the award season, with the Australian hair industry awards, and the Australian Fashion Awards, it’s an important time to reflect, particularly on what excellence in education really looks like and how it can serve industry better. Excellence in education and service to our industry is importantly recognized alongside business and creative award categories and some of the greatest names in hairdressing education have taken out these awards over the years. The honour roll reads like a who’s who, Sharon Blain Education, Dario Cotroneo Education, BIBA Academy and Sevilles are just a few of the names that have taken out these awards over time.
So I suppose for me as a training business, we reflect on what these education businesses have in common and what are the benchmarks that we need to exceed and reach to be the very best in hairdressing education. For me, in such a creative and focused progressive industry, moving forward and staying current is the critical thing. We see the best of breed educators are those who are able to reflect on what they are currently doing, outline a range of activities that they’re undertaking that challenges the norms and keeps pace with industry. There’s some real key touch points to cover if you’re going to be the best of breed in education. You need a progressive calendar. You need to have marketing and branding that attracts the next generation. You need to have a philosophy and teaching concept that second to none. You need to work on feedback and industry engagement from all parties and you need to develop really strong plans for your trainers to keep them up to date and current. And I suppose supporting young learners beyond just the formal training, so that they can grow as people as well to grow into our industry. I think finally contributing to industry growth and sustainability is important. Everything that you do as an educator needs to be looked at through the lens of what is best for industry.
Importantly, there are some frameworks out there that that we really admire and love to be part of. We are a member of the Australian Hairdressing Council, and the Australian Hairdressing Council recognizes excellence in education through its RTO Select platform. RTO Select is amazing because it looks education leaders, it looks at industry engagement and communication. It looks at training and assessment resources, and it also looks at currency of educators, as well as college salon design including those things that are so critical, which are environmental and social responsibilities. Having benchmarks like that helps us to achieve great things in training. And it helps us to keep ourselves connected with everything that’s happening in salons daily and with the barbershops that we look after. We’ll be entering the awards this year like many others, as always trying to benchmark ourselves and do the very best we can.
If you’d like to talk about ways that we can potentially work together or advice on training arrangements. We’d love to connect. MIG training is committed to working as best we can to provide excellence in education.
The modern barber and hairdressing apprentice has access to an incredible volume of hairdressing content and education that’s beyond the comprehension of apprentices of less than generation ago. This raises the question, particularly for us of how to best access and filter that content, and how to use it to enhance the education journey and avoid the pitfalls that are associated with disappearing down the rabbit hole that is the internet.
The benefits of platforms such as YouTube, and Instagram, comes from watching those online education and absorbing those resources. It works really well with apprentices who are at the same skill point as the type of content that they’re consuming. From a training perspective, we see that this can often turbo charge and really enhance the learning experience. In addition to that, though, the recurring theme from all the apprentices that we work with is how they like to access and use that content can be quite individual. And to this end our college approach has a number of layers in order to allow them to do that. The apprentices and students we train are asked to watch technical videos, they’re asked to go to our YouTube channel as well as engage with other similar online content and then we bring that into our education spaces.
Our training rooms have large screen so that the content can be viewed in a practical learning environment. So once our visual and auditory learners are able to engage this way, we can then quickly move to a demonstration phase, which then moves on to getting in having a go. As a college we’ve had great success with hands on training that blends both digital and practical and the students that we work with love this approach. The beauty of a blended approach to, in developing skills is that it allows the apprentice to take a little bit more control of their learning, in line with how they engage and use the online world. Students can look to be prepared before class if they want. Or alternatively they can revisit online materials after attending to refresh or consolidate. It allows them, particularly those with a greater passion for a particular area to gain greater exposure, to drill down and dig deep into areas that they really are passionate about.
Conversely, those areas where potentially their salons don’t do a great deal of work, they can also consolidate their skills. Another upshot that weve found with embracing digital content is the capacity for us to engage more with salons, to provide them with resources, so that they can build the training capacity of their teams. And what it allows us to do is to create resources that focus and meet the needs of their teams and to demystify what we do at college. This combined with hands on workshops for salon owners and mentors has been a real bonus for us and it means that we have a consistent and really dovetail relationship with the salons that we work with. While the world of online hairdressing education is limitless, and it can be all consuming. The clear message from those that we train and from the salons that we work with, is that a blended approach to education is the key. So accessing online resources that are combined with hands on demonstration and practice is what quality education looks like the digital age.
At MIG, we work with many household names in hairdressing and we work with them to build capacity of their teams and their technical skills. If you’re looking at different opportunities, or would like to contact us to see how we can provide advice, or potentially work together, it’d be wonderful chat, give us a call. Thanks.
Hi, Anthony from MIG. It might surprise many, that in a number of states, across the country, a qualification at the trade level is not something that’s required to own or operate a salon or barbershop. As an industry, we’re often justifiably concerned with the damage that can be caused by dodgy operators that may have only just completed enough training to be dangerous. And while we might lament the lack of regulation that allows those without qualification to operate within the industry, a closer examination of the people who don’t have formal qualifications paints a slightly different story.
While the reasons are wide varied, the family nature of hairdressing means that often skills are passed down or developed on the job without the need for formal qualification. And in addition to this, the international and cosmopolitan nature of our trade means that many of our hairdresses don’t hold qualifications that are Australian but hold qualifications from Europe, Asia, or even the Americas. So does it matter? In real terms, I suppose the answer is probably not. You can forge a career without an Australian certificate. But I think the benefits of holding that piece of paper are quite significant. At a basic level, many salons will require you to have that qualification, just from a public liability or a business insurance perspective. And critically, qualifications are required in order to train apprentices. So without a Certificate III in Hairdressing, you may not be able to meet the government requirements in relation to supervision and mentoring of apprentices. So this can effectively restrict the access to government funding that’s available for bringing on staff and training. In addition, I suppose the strength and the esteem that the Australian qualification is held in can open lots of doors, particularly when you’re looking at traveling overseas. Finally, career progression can be impacted. A lack of a qualification, means particularly in the education and training field, that it’s more difficult for you to to enter and become part of that system.
So what’s the plan? If you or any of your colleagues are in that position, there’s a number of things you can do. Thankfully, it doesn’t mean going back to school and undertaking extensive training and assessment because it’s something that you’re doing every single day in your working life. The answer lies in seeking recognition for your skills and making sure that skills that you have match the skills in the training package. Your local training provider, like ourselves, will call that a recognition process, or an RPL process. And whilst RPL can appear daunting at first, when you break it down, it’s basically just evidence gathering. A great RPL process gathers evidence in the most painless way possible and includes a number of really important elements. Initially, what we do is a self assessment. This helps the applicant or candidate understand what’s in the qualification, and then how your skills match up with that. Secondly, what we do is we have a competency conversation where we really sit down and we talk about all the knowledge that you might have gained over your career, and how that matches the training package. And whilst you know, it may not cover all the technical words that are in the training packages, it really shows that you know, your craft. Thirdly, practical observation, observing you in the salon, observing you in the barber shop, in your own natural environment, so that we can make sure that the skills match those practical skills required. Then we ask for endorsement, we talk to the people that that you work with, we talk to your managers, supervisors, and other references, and we make sure that we can get a gauge of where you sit from a career perspective.
Sounds easy. Yeah, right. I mean, the good news is, is that whilst it seems daunting, that’s really part of our day job. So smoothing the way, gathering all the evidence that I talked about, can be really done in a way that’s really quite painless and not quite as bad as potentially what you might think. From a financial perspective, many of the local governments also have funding that’s available for recognition of prior learning. Gaining qualification for people with great skill is something that many governments are really keen to support. Particularly in southeast Queensland there is funding available for the Trade Skills Assessment Gap which is able to fund both the RPL process and then also to fund any gap training that might happen after that. At MIG we work with many household names in hairdressing looking to build their team’s capacity and their technical skills and RPL is just one of those ways that we can help many of the stylists that work in salon to really gain formal recognition for the skills and knowledge that they already hold. If you’d like to talk to about how we can help with RPL and other training services it would be great to connect. Give us a call.
The salons we work that do exceptional things, know their client particularly well. As a Salon, the challenge of building a client base can result in you attempting to grab every opportunity and attracting every possible person that comes past your door and the inherent fear is that if you focus on your ideal client, then you’ll let opportunities pass you by. The reality is, though, that being everything to everyone just dilutes your offering. Conversely, the closer you’re able to get to targeting your ideal client, the higher the perceived value of your services.
Competition for clients is at an all-time high and attempting to compete across a broad range of potential services that are salon can offer only leads to a large number of average products and services that don’t provide an exceptional experience to anyone. The salons that have the greatest success have a myopic focus on their segment, they focus on a segment they’re passionate about and that they can provide a remarkable service to – and it’s a game changer. Delivering a remarkable service that people really value results in, then being able to charge a premium, and then being able to double down and offer even more value.
The benefits of targeting a clearly defined niche are broad; firstly, it removes you from competing on price and invariably the race to the bottom that can happen when price becomes an issue. It allows you to focus on what you’re passionate about—your tribe—referral goes through the roof as a specialist provider and it results in exponential growth. Industry recognition is also an important aspect; if you’re recognised as an authority in the eyes of industry, then potential consumers see that value as well. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you can’t service those outside of your clearly defined niche. In the end, your target is not your market. If you’re renouned for meeting the needs of a clearly defined group of people, then you’ll attract clients from across the spectrum, based on the authority and value that you provide. In saying all that, getting a really clear handle on your niche isn’t easy. You need to ask targeted laser focus questions. You need to drill down, you need to say “who is that single person? What is my ideal client? Where do they live? How do they think? How do they behave?”
Secondly, are you able to truly deliver something remarkable to that person? Thirdly, do they have the capacity to pay a premium for the outcome that you want to provide? And finally, do you have an affinity for them? Do you have a passion for the services that these people require? A clear target is the foundation really on which everything is built in your business. Understanding everything there is to know about your ideal client means an understanding of their burning problems. A deep understanding then allows you to tailor truly remarkable products and services. In the end, it allows you to make a difference in people’s lives. For your business that allows you to build a loyal fan base that’s second to none. At MIG we work with many salons and see the fruits of their labor in relation to targeting and niching. We help them to educate their people.
If you’d like to have the opportunity to talk about how we can help, we’d love to connect. Give us a call.
The colour wheel is basically a universal tool that doesn’t change. It’s used in graphic design, interior design, and hairdressers use it a little bit differently.
Why do we need to know the colour wheel? The colour wheel allows us to choose create and make colours. Also by knowing your colour wheel, you won’t be creating colours that you don’t want. So the first thing we’re going to jump into is we’re going to talk about the basics of the colour wheel.
The colour wheel is divided into two sections – the warm side and the cool side. When we talk about warm colours, think of the sun. So the sun warms you up. So the sun basically has three colours to it. They are red, orange, and yellow. So these sit on the warm side of the colour wheel.
The other side is cool colours. So think of the ocean. So the ocean typically has three colours in it. You see green, blue, and violet. These are things that are going to be cool. So they represent the cool side of the colour wheel.
What sits in the middle of the colour wheel is naturals, beiges or neutrals. These three words are what we describe as brown. So brown sits in the middle of the colour wheel. So remember, the colour wheel is broken up of warm, cool, and in the middle are neutrals.
So now you understand the warm, cool and middle colours of the colour wheel. We’re going to jump in and talk about primary colours.
PRIMARY COLOURS
There are three colours to primary colours they are red, yellow, and blue. They are the source of all other colours and they cannot be made by mixing other colours together. Once you have red, yellow and blue, you can make any other colour.
SECONDARY COLOURS
The next level is secondary colours. Now secondary colours are made by mixing a primary and another primary together. So on the colour wheel, you will find that you have orange and that sits right in between red and yellow. Red and yellow are a primary colour and when they mix together, they create orange. The next colour is green. So green sits right in the middle of blue and yellow. So when blue and yellow are mixed together, they create green. Then we’re dealing with violet hairdressers tend to use the term violet rather than purple. It just sounds nicer to our clients. Violet sits right in the middle of blue and red. So when you mix blue and red together you create violet or purple. These are your secondary colours. So they are orange, green, and violet.
TERTIARY COLOURS
Then the final tier is tertiary colours and a tertiary colours are made by mixing a primary and there neighbouring secondary colour together. There are six tertiary colours. We have yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, and red- orange. Once we understand primary, secondary and tertiary colours, then the most important thing a hairdresser needs to know and what we commonly use the colour wheel for is neutralising colours.
NEUTRALISING COLOURS
Neutralising colours means mixing two colours together to cancel out a colour and create natural, neutral or brown. So when hairdressers are dealing with neutralising colours, we’re normally neutralising warmth that’s coming through on a client’s hair. Clients tend to always complain about brassy, gold or yellow. So hairdressers really need to know their neutralising colours.
So when we’re dealing with the colour yellow, we want to find the on the colour wheel and then you want to find the colour exactly opposite it. So when you find the yellow, you’re going to go down the colour wheel and the colour opposite that is called purple or violet. When you mix yellow and violet together, you create brown or neutral. This is what we mean by neutralising.
The next colour that you would have to deal with neutralising is orange. Orange is something that clients typically request to get rid of, and it’s probably one of the harder colours to remove. So when you find orange on the colour wheel, you need to go opposite the colour wheel and find that colour that sits right across from it and that colour is blue. So blue will get rid of orange. When you mix blue, and orange together, it will create neutral or brown.
Then the final colour that you want to try and neutralise or deal with is red. Now red is the warmest colour on the colour wheel, and the colour that is opposite red on the colour wheel is green. So when you mix red and green together, they cancel each other out or neutralise each other and they create brown.
HAIRDRESSING MEMORY TRICKS
There are some fun little tips and little memory games we have so that you can remember these things. So for yellow and violet, you want to think of the chocolate bar Violet Crumble. This is how you remember their their neutralising colours. The next one when you’re dealing with orange and blue, think of a sunset over the ocean,this is their neutralising colour. Then the last one is red and green think Christmas. These two colours are neutralising colours. Once you have a handle of this, it will make choosing a colour, selecting colours and dealing with unwanted tones so much easier.
Hi, Anthony from MIG Training. I want to talk to you today about how we attract the next generation of hairdressers – like an itch that you can’t scratch the quest for quality staff is the number one talking point across the industry. Whilst this problem is not a new one, the quests of filling hairdressing vacancies has peaked. In the many years that we’ve been working in the education space, the current state of play is at all-time levels.
To be honest, the extent and extraordinary and the impact that it’s having on salons and the wider hairdressing community is significant. Like all things in life, though, there’s no one root cause and blame can be apportioned to a number of factors, the way that we deliver and changing models of salon life. Also, the short term poses challenges to bridge the gap. The saying that “Necessity is the mother of invention” really holds true. The good news is that in addition to the tried and tested models of bringing people into the industry, there’s some creative options available to salon owners, and I’ll just run through a couple of those if I can.
As always, though, the common thread is, is relationships and building community relationships forms the basis of some of the best opportunities that are around to attract new staff. At the forefront of these opportunities is really access to the next generation of hairdressers through the school system. So by that I mean a growing number of salons who are taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with budding hairdressers via school based traineeships, or school based apprenticeships. This is where someone in year 11 or 12, will either complete a certificate II in salon assistant, or potentially complete up to 40% of their certificate III in hairdressing. It provides the perfect introduction to the trade. In practice, students will often work one day a week in a salon during year 11 and 12 and build practical skills working in a team and progress through the formal qualification supported by an RTO like ourselves.
Outside of that, there’s some other creative options available. In addition to school based apprenticeships, a number of schools and colleges run vocational cert II programs. So we work in this space and we run a strong Industry focused program that incorporates a substantial industry placement component. This is a low cost option with a limited commitment required from students. Vocational placement provides the opportunity for salons to identify hairdressers that might be a good fit as well. School based traineeships and vocational placement allow a salon to try before they buy. The natural progression for someone who’s a promising school based hairdresser is for them to then roll over into a full time or part time apprenticeship on the completion of school. So we’re capturing people early and giving them career options and pathways. Supporting these community relationships, the wider industry is also playing its part putting, hairdressers front and center.
The AHC, an organisation which we’re proud of a part of, recently partnered with schools road to target school leavers, parents and advisors. And their ‘choose hair’ message was a really powerful one. The skillsroad website, in fact, is actually an amazing resource and it’s a good one to have a look at, because it gives you insights into careers and options. Outside of that, there’s other new technologies that are also emerging to tap into new employees. Through the sharing economy for the most part piloroo run their 3 day salon assistant program. It captures a whole group of people that can then move into industry as salon assistants. And these are people that potentially would have been in other industries such as hospitality or retail. We also play an important role. So RTO’s are the other gatekeepers to for many new entrants in the industry. So a strong working relationship with your local colleges as a salon owner can be a great source of potential team members. And understanding of the employment options for those who complete fast track or fee paying courses can present opportunities that may otherwise not have been considered. And I suppose an open mind as well to mature age apprentices is something that’s really important.
Those who’ve completed their training through a college pathway can often be amazing, rewarding staff. The result is often that they’re highly motivated, they’re reliable, and they’re grateful for the opportunity to follow their dreams. Government incentives are an all-time high. Incentives for apprentices, job trainer incentives available now for certificate II in hairdressing is giving us opportunity to really grab this next generation. Competition in the job market is fierce for the best and brightest. People have a great range and ability to choose whatever they want to do. So building community relationships connecting with schools connecting with colleges, and directly to new entrants through emerging technology platforms provides us with an opportunity for a sustainable future in hairdressing and I think provides us with a clear pathway to attract the best and brightest. MIG work in this space on a daily basis are trying to attract the next generation. If you’d like to talk to us about how we can help you with your education needs, it would be great to connect, give us a call. Thanks.
Hey, guys, Anthony Gray from MIG Training. I thought I’d share with you today some of the things that salon owners are doing to really improve the progression of their apprentices. Obviously, as a private college that works in the formal training space, we’re in a really privileged position to see some amazing work. And while we all know that the one size fits all approach doesn’t work, and is destined to fail, there are some salons that have really cracked the code in relation to training and progression. And those common touchstones can be tailored to suit any salon.
In practice, there’s five things that we see that are really important. One is a clear and concise plan including timelines, accountabilities and skills, and really breaking down, I suppose the mumbo jumbo that could be in the training package into some key areas. So covering off on the technical skills; cut colour, chemical style and consultation.
Secondly, the best of breed salons, they also bridge the gap and partner with the college to make sure that everyone’s in lockstep. And that’s so important, the order of the training plan, making sure that the plan the college puts in front of them really matches what they do, and then really having a clear path for how assessment is conducted as well.
Thirdly, I think success is demonstrated by those who really embrace the journey and go back to basics with their apprentice. I think sometimes the hardest part for an experienced hairdresser is to deconstruct their art, and deconstructing down to the fundamentals.
Cutting is a classic example. In-salon, it can be all around total looks but at college, the building blocks are really, really examined. So solid, uniform graduation, layers are all the areas that are broken down. Embracing that back to basics culture is really important to help apprentices get up and running. Also great in-salon educators challenge and excite the apprentice so that they develop really strong practical skills to contribute to the team. The statistics are there. Only 30% of hairdressing apprentices complete, and most of them cancel within the first 12 months. So salons that have moved beyond the old school notion of doing your time are the ones that succeed the most.
Finally, successful salons ask a lot of their college in relation to communication and feedback. They invest time in the partnership and they really hold the college to account to make sure that they are in lockstep every step of the way so that the formal matches the informal and that the apprentices nurtured on that journey. We’re really proud to work with a whole heap of salons that do just that. And we know that if they follow those touchstones then they’re able to develop really strong teams.
If you’re interested in talking about how we potentially can help with the next step in developing your team, it would be great for you to give us a call. Thanks very much.
How are you going? Anthony Gray from MIG Training here.
I thought I’d take a little bit of time today to try and break down the Certificate III in hairdressing. The formal training side of things can seem a little alien with what often happens in day to day salon life. I think the best way to combat this is to really understand, I suppose, what’s in the certificate III; so it helps you align a little closer what happens in the training of your staff in salon with then what happens at college or in the formal part of their training.
The qualification is broken down into 28 units, of which there’s 21 must do’s or core, followed by seven electives. In essence, there’s six main areas in my mind: safety and sustainability, basin and design, salon craft and service, cutting, color, and chemical. That helps me to make sense of all 28 of those units. When you look at them in a little bit more detail, safety and sustainability covers, sustainable work practices, hygiene, tools and equipment. Basin and design, obviously shampoo and basin services, massage techniques, styling, braiding and upstyles. Salon service and salon culture is around communication, front of house salon financial transactions, providing services and being able to be part of a team and build a client base. Cutting is broken down into basic cutting structures, so cutting one length, graduation layers, and then over comb techniques, and then bringing all them together to be able to then create combination cuts. Colors delivered through four units. So basic color and lighten, full and partial highlighting, neutralising colors and tones and then on scalp services, so bleach and retouch services.
Then rounding it out as chemical, so there’s straightening and relaxing here with chemical treatments. Obviously, this one can be a difficult one and can be problematic in training. But again, it’s part of the package that we’re dealing with. Perming and protein are now electives. And we find that probably only roughly 25% of salons we deal with use these units now because it’s not a service that they offer as much as they once did. That gives you a brief overview of the package.
Now each of those six areas contain a number of units. And they’re all building blocks, as I’ve said. But the real value comes is when you take those ingredients and you understand them, and you line those ingredients up with the way you deliver your training in house. Once the training in house aligns closely with what’s delivered at college, the greatest value is seen from the development of those apprentices. And we see it time and time again, where if the training and knowledge component matches their in-salon practical component then they move forward much quicker than previously you would have thought. So we are lucky to work with many salons in Brisbane and Queensland. And we help them to build their teams and create training that lines up really well with the way they do business.
If you’d like some advice or want to look at the next steps in how to deal with and create great teams with some specialized formal training, we’d love to make contact. Give us a call. Thanks very much.
Hey, Anthony from MIG training. For any Paul Kelly fans out there his 2012 album spring and fall is a beautiful song cycle. It covers the journey through trials, tribulations love and loss and through the seasons. Business and education can be a bit like that. What’s old is new again, methods of training and education which at one time, you would never have considered are now on the table. And increasingly so in these times when finding staff is so difficult. We learn a lot from working with some of the best in the business. And looking at the way they train their staff, particularly those that have had experience over many years, gives us some great knowledge and insights. One example is Bach Hair here, Peter and Lee Hamner have 30 years of experience building and developing apprentices into creative and talented senior stylist. Bach Hair’s approach is summed up by Peter best when he says he loves it when art and technique come together to create fantastic hairdressing. Their team make it look easy, but it isn’t, they just train really hard.
So what are the things they do? What keeps that approach consistent? And how do they deal with the changing seasons and the difference in apprentices and staff as time goes on? Well, I suppose they do three things that are really important. One is for every new person that comes into their business, they set really clear expectations. So new apprentices and emerging stylists understand what it means to be on the floor Bach Hair.
Secondly, they provide huge amount of structure. So training for apprentices is undertaken every second Monday, the training is compulsory and paid for. The staff come together and undergo consistent and ongoing training that’s supervised by an Education Manager. And that Education Manager makes sure that there is constant monitoring and individualisation of all their training plans and commitments. Likewise, the salon managers are constantly communicating with the Education Manager to ensure that the development needs of each apprentice are met to cover it from a salon perspective.
And thirdly, they work really closely with us. So having an RTO that you can work closely with to ensure that there’s no tension in that relationship, so that everyone’s working concurrently and on the same page, it’s incredibly valuable to focus on similar things while at college and concurrently in the salon, and creates a great partnership so the apprentice can grow and feel that they’ve been invested in. So Bach have had 30 years of experience. And they’ve dealt with the seasonal changes, ups and downs, the changing seasons, technology coming to the fore, but the basic building blocks and structures remain. For example, getting scissors into the hands of an apprentice straight away, is a completely different approach to the way apprentices have been trained in the past.
So with that incredible wealth of knowledge, it’s important to understand the things that make BACH what they are and how they’ve been able to adapt. And their training system is one for all seasons and beautifully simplistic in its nature. Firstly, they set aside dedicated training time. Secondly, they communicate strongly with the RTO. And finally, they set realistic expectations for their apprentices. And they monitor their progress. At MIG training we work with a number of household names in hairdressing to help build their teams and capacity and their technical skills. If you’re looking for some advice, or would like to talk to us about how we can help, it’d be great to talk.
Hey there, Anthony Gray from MIG training. As we look towards 2021, and hopefully put the year that was behind us, it brings into really sharp focus, the issue that faces most of the salons we work with, and that’s finding quality people. Building a quality team and finding the right people for your business is increasingly difficult. This is supported by the numbers. The numbers of apprentices in training has dropped significantly over the last 10 years, a drop by 20% in fact and this has been combined with an increase in demand for hairdressers. The National Center for Vocational Education and Research predicts that the demand for hairdressers will top 80,000 by the year 2024. So, you can sort of see that the industry is digging a hole it’s increasingly difficult for us to crawl out of. What do you do?
We’re blessed to work with a number of quality salons and these salons do four things really well. Firstly, what they do is they optimize their own talent. For those the stylists that are working for them, they work really closely with to identify the areas of education required and invest in their staff to build quality technical skills. By building these quality technical skills across the board, it allows them to focus the team on highly productive work. It means that the low productive work can be taken from them. Staff retention and satisfaction improve exponentially when this happens.
The second thing the quality operators do really well is that they are hire for behaviour and they train for skill. Highly skilled people are great and having the complete package is the nirvana of course, but 80% of the way from a technical skills perspective is fine if you have people that have quality communication skills. By these I mean, the capacity to work as a team, the capacity for emotional intelligence, resilience, self-direction, and above all creativity. Gaps in technical skill can be met with training, provided you have the building blocks to work with.
Thirdly, quality salons partner with their college. The reason they do this is to access those people, the best and brightest that are coming through. Being able to access quality graduates when required, being able to access those who are still within a course looking to build skills and to work in industry allow salons to be able to in some ways, access a production line of the next best and brightest. It also allows them to try before they buy. Vocational placement and industry trials mean that quality people find their way into the best businesses.
Finally, salons we work with that have the most success grow their own. I know when I say that there’ll be many of you that say never again when it comes to hiring an apprentice, and I understand all the difficulties that that has and what it entails. But at the moment, there’s never been a better time to put an apprentice on. Government incentives post COVID are almost 50% of the first year’s wage. Those dollars alone make it an important time to maybe rethink and relook at what the options are in relation to growing your own staff and to building a business from within. At MIG we’re really lucky. We work with many household names in hairdressing to build their teams including the capacity, the technical skills, the knowledge and the interpersonal personal skills that go with that. If it’s something that you’d like to talk to us about or seek some advice or to get a better understanding what your options are in relation to building your team and training your staff. We’d love you to give us a call. Thanks again.
The Australian Hairdressing Council welcomes the video series REALITY BITES. This is a weekly release of short videos covering everything you need to know when running your business. Experts from all around Australia and beyond give tips and tricks for salon success. MIG’s very own Anthony Gray has a short video covering Progressing Apprentices. Enjoy!
In case you missed it, Hair Biz magazine had an amazing article called” THE NEW CREATIVES” which dives deeper into Caitlyn McMillians journey to Ella & Jade and how it all started at with a YMCA school program and ended in a full time apprenticeship at the prestigious boutique salon in Algester.
MIG were lucky enough to catch up with Gavin Hinton from Freedom Suites and find out all about his Luxury hair and beauty spaces at Freedom Suites in Paddington Brisbane.
Recently Freedom Suites has opened at a new location in Stones Corner with 19 beautifully furnished lux suites up and running. Gavin is not slowing down and has plans to expand even further with Everton Plaza opening in Jan 2020 and then expanding down to the Gold Coast in the near future.
It’s the salon with the crazy name…Horse Meat Disco Salon…which is actually owner Mikey Forster’s favourite London DJ as well as the brand of his beautiful boutique salon in Stones Corner. Since entering the Brisbane hair scene in 2012 and growing organically over the past seven years, today the Disco team sits at 12 and is a creative collective of passionate and talented stylists who completely love what they do.
As a new generation young salon owner, Mikey had a strong vision for what he wanted to present to the marketplace when it came to launching his own brand. A business that was cool and edgy, but never pompous or elitist. A welcoming hub for individuals seeking quality yet attainable hair. A playground to showcase creative aptitude upon a foundation of exceptional education and technical skills. A fun, family-like culture with outstanding client service. A salon where hairdressers loved to work and grow. A destination to BE, not to be seen.
Sticking true to his vision, the Disco (as it is affectionately known) has a sterling reputation amongst industry and clients alike. Education plays an important role, with Mikey holding the role as an Australian Colour Ambassador for Wella Professionals in Australia and New Zealand and also being one of the youngest members of Wella’s exclusive Colour Club amongst some of the industry’s finest hairdressers. His own professional development and that of his team is paramount in keeping themselves ahead of the game.
“Education is how we all grow as professionals,” Mikey tells. “I pay for all of my team’s education and I’m happy to do so, as I know it’s progressing them in their careers, plus our clients and team members are benefiting from their knowledge as well. This year I flew one of my team members to the Sassoon Academy in LA and I’ve put another stylist through the DCI Mentor Program. I’m actually attending the Not Another Academy program at MIG later this year too. These are just a few of the educational platforms we invest in.”
Mikey takes a holistic approach to education to keep his team happy and motivated. “We recently just had a wellness day at the salon that involved Dario Cotroneo coming to do a presentation on hair psychology and consultations, then we went to Total Fusion at Newstead and did a beautiful VinYin style yoga class. It’s important to look after ourselves and our minds, so doing something like this I find very helpful for the whole team. It also creates a great team environment.”
Horse Meat Disco Salon has been working with MIG Training since February 2017. The salon has signed off three apprentices and currently has two more enrolled at the college. “We left our previous RTO as the communication we had with them was zero and the content the apprentices were getting taught we felt was dated,” Mikey says. “Since changing to MIG our training is on track and we work closely to ensure that together, we are helping our apprentices as best as possible.”
MIG’s relationship with its salon clients is very much a partnership. Bespoke education programs are created to suit the apprentice as well as the salon schedule and can be a mix of college and in-salon training depending on each business’s requirements.
“My directors and I have recently created a full training schedule from start to finish for our junior stylists,” explains Mikey. “We work very closely alongside MIG to ensure we are both on the same page with training and how the apprentices are progressing. For example, we will work on solid form for approximately three weeks in in-salon training, then once deemed competent, we move them on to the next stage. If they are stars and they are competent quicker, then we progress them faster. We don’t hold anyone back.”
When it comes to looking for apprentices, Mikey says he’d choose personality over skill every time. “Finding an apprentice at the moment is the hardest it’s been for me since I opened the doors seven years ago. I’m looking for someone with an outstanding personality, and that can be tough. It’s our job to make you an amazing hairdresser, but I can’t give you a better personality or make you fit in with the team more smoothly. I have two apprentices at the moment and both of them are mature age. It costs me more, but what they bring to the salon is life experience, knowledge on how to work hard and common sense.”
So what advice would Mikey have for salons to optimise their relationship and outcomes with their chosen apprenticeship provider?
“Flexibility and communication! What we love about MIG is that we were able to take training into our own hands and do it (mostly) ourselves under their guidance. Every Tuesday evening we have in salon training nights for all of our juniors. We work closely with MIG and reference our training plan so that we are working on the same things around the same time. Once a month or so, Nicole from MIG will come to the salon and assess the team on what they have been working on. We love the way this works for the salon and couldn’t think of a better way to be training or with a better RTO!”
Mikey and his long term team member Darby hosted an up-close-and-personal colour workshop called ‘Creating a Disco Queen’ in October, showcasing four signature Disco colour techniques to nine enthusiastic attendees. They had a look’n’learn session in the morning and a hands-on session in the afternoon, where the duo helped the students to create their own Signature Disco looks on their models. According to Mikey, the feedback was incredibly positive…which no doubt means there’ll be more Disco education on the cards in 2020.
And why not? We all need a little more Disco in our lives, don’t you agree?
She’s vivacious, she’s funny and she’s also a world of knowledge when it comes to making salon businesses work. So we are thrilled to welcome the wonderful Lisa Conway to MIG Training on Tuesday 3rd September from 6pm to share her secrets on how to elevate your salon retail sales. And best of all, this seminar is 100% FREE.
At this special event, Lisa will explain how client loyalty is directly connected to retail sales. “Building rapport with your clients builds trust,” she explains. “You don’t need to SELL, just TELL them what you know!”
People buy from and return to those they know and trust – don’t we all? During her seminar Lisa shows you how to build that trust – and fast!
Founder of The ZING Project, author of The Naked Salon, Your Salon Team, Your Salon Retail and an inspirational keynote speaker, Lisa is passionate about taking salon teams everywhere from good to great. She knows the core business skills that most hair and beauty professionals were never taught, which can make all the difference. She learned the hard way – through trial and error – and she worked out how to make things work.
Seats to this FREE seminar are STRICTLY LIMITED, so book your place NOW by calling MIG Training on (07) 3349 6538 or email info@migtraining.com.au
MIG PROUDLY PRESENTS LISA CONWAY OF THE ZING PROJECT Date: Tuesday 3 September 2019 Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm Venue: MIG Training Organisation Cost: FREE
For more information on the MIG Education Calendar as well as our apprentice training, barber training, school based training, hairdresser training, THE CRAFT teacher training and refresher short courses visit: https://www.migtraining.com.au
Due to popular demand, the PILOROO Salon Assistant training program is coming to Queensland – and we are so excited that as Piloroo partners, MIG Training will be the host! We are holding an information evening on Monday 9 September with Piloroo founders Clive Allwright and Kelly Kent, who will let you know how Piloroo works and answer all of your questions.
In case you are not familiar with the Piloroo Salon Assistant Training Program, the aim is to provide salons with an extra pair of helping hands via a fully trained salon assistant who can be casually hired at times of need via the Piloroo website.
The salon assistants are given two days of hands-on training in a hair salon and/or hair salon training academy (ie MIG Training), where they are taught how to shampoo, massage, greet and manage salon clients, clean and tidy. They are also given an optional day of mentoring in a real salon to build their skills and get work ready. Approved graduates are listed on Piloroo.com so whenever your salon needs some additional support in salon, perhaps during staff holidays or busy periods, all you need to do is book them via the website and presto, your extra set of hands is on standby and ready to go!
Piloroo is also looking for QLD salons to mentor the new Piloroo Assistants on Wednesday 11 September. This will involve a Piloroo Assistant coming to your Salon for the day. Please email kelly@piloroo.com and Kelly can send you some more information on this part of the program.
MIG PROUDLY PRESENTS CLIVE ALLWRIGHT AND KELLY KENT FROM PILOROO Date: Monday 9 September 2019 Time: 6.00pm – 7.30pm Venue: MIG Training Organisation Cost: FREE
To book your seat at this FREE Piloroo information seminar, CLICK HERE.
For more information on the MIG Education Calendar as well as our apprentice training, barber training, school based training, hairdresser training, THE CRAFT teacher training and refresher short courses visit: https://www.migtraining.com.au
Since Day 1 MIG Training has been associated with the Sunshine Pro Series hairdressing and barbering competitions at the Brisbane Hair & Beauty Expo – that’s five years now and two years for the barbering comps – and it has become one of our favourite events of the year! Over time it has grown to be an incredible showcase of current and future industry talent, supported by the best of Brisbane’s hairdressing community.
This year’s event on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th July attracted more than 140 contestants competing across hairdressing, barber and online photographic categories over a jam-packed two day schedule. Both the apprentice and senior sections were heavily favoured, particularly the live hair competition arena, which gave stylists and barbers of all levels the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a live audience. From cutting and colour through to upstyling and avant garde, there truly was something for everyone on show. And with an amazing prize pool of cash up for grabs from the event’s generous sponsors, we knew the competition would be as fierce as it was fabulous!
To say that MIG’s involvement in the BHBE event is a team effort is quite the understatement. The competitions continue to grow and flourish each year under the careful management of Nicole Gislingham, who along with team MIG start work on the event around four months out. Nicole coordinates and organises the barber and hairdressing competitions and liaises with event boss Jason and his colleagues Rebecca and Grace from the Major League team, so is basically up to her eyeballs in phone calls, spreadsheets and prize collections as the weeks turn into days until the event kicks off. On Saturday we pack up the MIG salon and equipment and transfer it by truck to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre so we can have everything set up and ready to go for the big day.
When the doors open on Sunday morning all the MIG crew have their dedicated roles and responsibilities. Laura mans the microphone on stage for the hairdressing segments whilst Davide is the MC for the barbering comps. Anthony schmoozes with the salons and participants and Nicole finds lost competitors and last minute styling tools to support the entrants. The energy is one of excitement and nerves as the creative juices flow.
Some of the most memorable moments? The barber and his model relaxing over coffee in the cafe, having no idea that the barbering competition was being held up for him whilst he was MIA. And Tognini’s Joshua Congreve, who laid his model on the floor so he could sew his handcrafted headpiece onto her avant garde ‘do. Oh the life of a creative!
We were super proud of MIG’s Tracey Ronlund, a quiet achiever at MIG College who always gets her work done without a fuss and never complains about anything. Tracey prepped hair for three full days under Neil’s guidance and support and was rewarded with a well-deserved win in the Futuristic Colour Apprentice category. Another highlight were the young girls chosen to be a part of Laura Macleod’s Rising Stars Team, who despite being so new to the industry, worked incredibly hard and produced work as good as any seniors we’d seen when they presented their show on stage. Emily Rodger from Ella & Jade said it took her four hours to complete her hairstyle – now that’s dedication! “The girls were an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Laura. “For their very first main stage show they were impeccably prepared and very calm throughout the whole process. They are so lucky to have incredible salons that are supporting their career dreams.” We couldn’t agree more Laura!
Once the event was done and dusted, it was time for team MIG to kick back and relax with a wine or two and reflect on the massive two days of high energy and hair that was BHBE. The vibe of the whole Expo and competitions was one of gratitude and fun. We would like to thank the broader hairdressing and barbering community for getting along and showing so much support and appreciation to everyone who competed as well as our esteemed panel of judges who gave up their valuable time. Finally, to Jason and the Major League team, whose commitment to providing a platform for industry to shine is incredibly dedicated, thank you for taking the risk to showcase the best this great industry has to offer.
CLICK HERE for a list of all the winners and place getters across the weekend. Congratulations to everyone who entered and we look forward to seeing you at the Brisbane Hair & Beauty Expo in 2020!
If you need a little dose of motivation and #inspo in your life right now, here is one seminar you’ll be mad to miss. And best of all, it’s absolutely FREE!
Dario Cotroneo is one of the country’s leading hairdressing educators and travels Australia and the world teaching thousands of students and sharing his passion for our industry. Dario is all about being grateful, and one way of giving back to the industry that he says “was so generous in providing me with my incredible career” is to conduct inspiring education seminars free of charge, just like this one coming up at MIG Training.
Dario has generously offered his time to inspire and motivate our students, teachers and clients on TUESDAY 20 AUGUST from 10.30am – 12.30pm, where he will present an inspirational one hour video on why hairdressing is an amazing career, narrated and produced by current and twice awarded British Hairdresser of the Year Sally Brooks. This video is a fascinating way to connect students to the big picture of where hairdressing can take them as a brilliant career path.
Following the video presentation, Dario will demonstrate a beautiful haircut, showcasing his editorial cutting approach to hairdressing, and talk about the skills and rewards you can acquire with hard work and dedication. To conclude, he will also share news about the DCI Education 2020 scholarship (valued at $2600)and how students can apply for this amazing opportunity.
Seats to this FREE seminar are STRICTLY LIMITED, so book your place NOW by calling MIG Training on (07) 3349 6538 or email info@migtraining.com.au
From a very young age, Elle Schoemaker had a genuine interest in hairdressing. She entered the industry through a school-based apprenticeship and started building the skills that formed the foundation of her future as a hairdresser. However it was when she joined Stelios Papas Toowong in 2010 that the trajectory we see Elle travel today truly began.
The last 12 months have been a whirlwind of awards and achievements for Elle. She received finalist accolades in the Australian Hair Industry Awards, Australian Hair Fashion Awards and also Hair Expo. Winning the 2019 AHIA Salon Stylist of the Year award and also becoming a member of the 2019 Hot Shots Team were amazing accomplishments and really the icing on the cake for Elle…but hey, the year’s not over yet so who knows what else she comes up with!
“I flourished under the guidance of industry legend, Stelios Papas,” Elle explains about her early hairdressing days. “My persistent nature and dedication to my craft were the catalyst for the
precision cutting style that I developed. With continued education and professional development, I progressed within the salon to my current role as Salon Director plus Stylist and Cutting Educator.”
“I have assisted my colleagues and mentors by styling a number of their industry award submissions and photo shoots. With this experience I developed the courage to step into the limelight myself. Recently, I began building my own industry profile and accolades. I thrive in the familiar salon environment; however our industry holds endless opportunities that I’m excited to explore. I believe that true success lies outside the boundaries of my comfort zone.”
With Elle so obviously on fire professionally, we thought we’d ask her for some tips and advice on how young hairdressers can really succeed in the industry. Joining a salon that offers ongoing quality training is naturally a big bonus, as is receiving all the support you need to achieve your goals and aspirations. Combine those with a big dose of drive and motivation and you will certainly be on your way!
“I certainly don’t feel like I have reached my full potential yet! Our industry is alive with opportunities and I always strive to continue to learn and evolve my skills to see where they take me. The establishment of the independent training program that I conduct with Kristie Kesic, Flawless Education, gives me a platform to share my passion with other hair stylists. I love expanding my reach through education and investing in growing in-salon talent. It’s very rewarding to play a part in the development and growth of other stylists.
Elle Schoemaker’s top tips for success:
1. Work with purpose.
No matter what your role within the salon is, you ARE important. We are all part of a big, working mechanism and we all rely on each other. Whatever task is at hand, do it with purpose and carry out each duty, job and detail with pride. Even with a small responsibility such as sweeping the floor, your commitment to performing that task well will flow into other aspects of your career.
2. Know your craft.
Ongoing education is vital to a successful career in our industry, as it is always changing. Plus, with knowledge comes confidence! The best way to build a loyal clientele is to have the ability to apply each skill or technique with purpose and know that you will achieve your desired result.
3. Say YES!
Immersing yourself in industry events and opportunities is rewarding on so many levels. Yes, sometimes these events may be volunteer roles, or on your own time, but the potential for industry networking, skill growth and personal development is invaluable.
4. Be a cheerleader.
I was introduced to competition and creative work through assisting and supporting my boss Kristie! Not only can it open doors, but also being supportive of your peers means their success is shared success. Even if you are cheering from afar, when someone achieves success through work that you genuinely admire and appreciate, it feels good!
5. Hustle, then go home.
I am a big believer in work-life balance. To make the time you spend at work count, make sure you value your personal time just as much. Investing energy into your friends, family and yourself will reflect through your individuality and enthusiasm at work.
As an RTO we are well placed to see the success of salons that have a strong internal training culture and have a systematic way the practical skills training is delivered to all stylists. Conversely we see the impact that time pressure, staffing issues and the strains placed on running a salon business has on training and building productivity.
At MIG we identified that whilst the education options available to salons has never been more exciting, there is little in the way of education for salon owners, seniors and mentors in how to train and develop their staff.
To address this problem, earlier this year MIG Training launched THE CRAFT, a FREE ‘train the trainer’ education package exclusively for MIG salon clients that encompasses a blend of hands-on workshops and video tutorials for in salon trainers and seniors in charge of building the skills of their salon team. “While our day job is the education of apprentices, what happens at College is a very small part of building excellent Hairdressers and Barbers of the future,” tells MIG CEO Anthony Gray. “An apprenticeship is a true partnership, so investing in the salons we work with creates industry dividends where everyone is a winner.”
The aim of this professional development program is to refine salon educators’ cutting and training skills and also teach them a few trends and new tricks so that they can keep ahead of the education game and produce outstanding results for their team.The program was introduced as an additional service to MIG salon clients but also to extend the training that MIG conducts with its apprentices back to the whole salon team so that what is taught and the methodology are consistent and fluid. “Our observations with our salon clients over the years indicated that they are so busy training their salon teams that they forget about their own professional development,” Anthony continues. “THE CRAFT is essential for all in salon trainers, mentors and seniors who are responsible for training emerging stylists and building the skills of the team.”
Included in THE CRAFT program are the fundamental building blocks that make up the craft of cutting – solid, layered and graduation – presented in one of three full day workshops at MIG Training in March, July and November. Participants also receive full access to MIG’s Employer Lounge’, which includes access to a suite of online education resources to develop those conducting the training in the salon and to support training delivery to the whole salon team. The Employer Lounge includes online video tutorials and step-by-step CUT101 learning resources.
The first CRAFT workshop held in March received fantastic feedback. In addition to the fundamental building blocks of cutting, the workshop focused on how to train apprentices and junior staff in order to create great stylists. Additionally, all participants were provided access to a full suite of step-by-step cutting videos and glossy Learners Guides to use as training resources in the salon.
Here’s what some of the participants had to say:
‘The Craft is excellent. It explains where the apprentices are coming from.’
‘It was great to revisit the foundations and understand how to deliver the basic structures.’
‘Highly recommended for anyone who has a training role in the salon.’
‘Very clear and easy to understand. Definitely can take away a lot and share with the salon. Thank you!’
‘Great to get back to basics and learn the terminology. Thank you for sharing your learning resources.’
DON’T MISS OUT! Spots in our upcoming CRAFT sessions on 8 July and 25 November are filling fast, so if you haven’t secured your spot, do so NOW by booking HERE.
We have also been busy filming some more cutting videos for the MIG Employer Lounge. Here’s a sneak preview of The Steph and The Chloe.
You can also read the great article about THE CRAFT in the latest issue of HairBiz HERE.
We’ve all heard the old saying you need to crawl before you can walk…but did you know that the same rules apply when it comes to colour work? One lady who waxes lyrical about exactly this is the amazingly talented Kristie Kesic, a multi-award winning colour maestro, who will be conducting a full day class on the fundamentals of colour and balayage at MIG Training on Monday 12 August.
Kristie is the owner and director of Stelios Papas Toowong, a guest artist for Wella and also a member of its elite Colour Club. When it comes to awards, Kristie and her team have a score of accolades under their belts, this year alone reaching the finals in the Australian Hair Fashion Awards, Australian Hair Industry Awards and also Hair Expo for Colour Technician of the Year and Salon Team.
Kristie has recently launched her bespoke in-salon colour education program Flawless Colour, abespoke in-salon training platform that highlights the importance of mastering fundamental colour skills before striving for more advanced techniques. And it’s this subject precisel that Kristie will be covering in her full day workshop. “I will demonstrate how mastering the basics of our craft is essential for a strong skill set, “ Kristie explains. “Perfecting these foundation skills is an integral part of successfully servicing and satisfying your salon clientele. In particular, participants will discover the opportunity that foiling confidence can have on a business’ success.”
WHAT KRISTIE WILL SHOWCASE
The importance of consultation
Why it is important to personalise your colour services
Why technique and precision are everything
Why you should embrace foiling
Salon relevant looks used every single day in the salon
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
How to create a platinum blonde look with foils
Multi-dimensional blondes
Natural blondes
Foil techniques and patterns to suit every haircut
WHAT YOU WILL WALK AWAY WITH
A love for fundamentals
An appreciation for in salon work
An array of foiling techniques you can incorporate into your salon work
DETAILS
Colour and Balayage Fundamentals with Kristie Kesic
Date: Monday 12 August 2019
Time: Full day, lunch and head block provided
Level: Apprentices and those wishing to master their colour fundamentals
