New Pontefract hair and beauty academy to offer flexi-learning to give career-changers the cutting edge in the industry

Pontefract hair and beauty salon Headhunters, on the top floor of the existing salon, has recently launched its new academy which will provide courses for those wanting to get into the beauty industry as well as professionals wanting to upskill.

The courses will accommodate flexible learning, so that those in full-time work can fit the course around their busy lives, as well as complete theory components online.

Owner Jenine Hunter said she frequently hears of people who wanted to get into the hair and beauty industry, but work, money and family commitments prevented them from doing so.

She said: “You can follow your dreams. They feel that they can't do it, but they can do it with the flexible learning that were going to be giving.”

“I want to deliver training where people can get a real career at the end of it. [Students] will get real experience – they’ll be working alongside other hairdressers and beauticians.

"Once they’ve got so far into training that they’re on live models, they go down to the shop floor, working in a salon environment, not classroom environment.”

Jenine said many hair and beauty courses do not give students live salon experience, and as a consequence students can lack the confidence and speed sought after by employers.

Headhunters will offer City & Guilds accredited National Vocation Qualifications (NVQs) which Jenine said are recognised internationally. The academy will offer a wide range of courses including barbering, hairdressing, hair extension courses, balayage courses, and nail acrylics courses.

Headhunters’ nearby men’s site, The Gentlemen’s Quarter, will also be included in the new project, with those learning on the barbering courses able to get hand-on experience in the salon.

Jenine said renovating the Headhunters site has been a three-year long project, with the academy being the final phase. She said the design has deliberately been kept in keeping with the rest of the salon, to avoid a traditional classroom environment and provide fun and stimulating surroundings for students to achieve their qualifications.

Find out more at Headhunters’ website.