Jess used to be a Hairdressing student at EKC Sheppey College, and is now one of our Hairdressing Lecturers, teaching our students the skills that they need. We spoke to Jess about her experiences and how she is transferring these to today’s learning.
What do you teach in our Salons?
I mainly teach our adult learners, delivering the Hairdressing Level 2, Barbering, and the Hairdressing Level 3 qualifications to them. I also teach our 16-18 Level 2 students Hairdressing in their second year where they go onto more advanced techniques.
How did you get into Hairdressing?
When I first left school, I studied the NVQ Level’s 1 – 3 in Hairdressing here at EKC Sheppey College. I went on to work in a salon straight after, as well as doing mobile hairdressing. I came back to College when I was 27 and studied the VRQ Level 3. This is now my fifth academic year that I have been teaching.
How has EKC Sheppey College help get you to where you are today?
When I finished school, I didn’t have many GCSE’s as I wasn’t really in school that often. Coming to College effectively gave me a second chance, in that whilst studying I could not only get my Maths and English GCSE’s, but also I could study in an area that I was really passionate about. I was able at College to prepare myself to be in a job role that I really wanted, and the course led to my first employment in a Salon.
What was your best achievement whilst at College?
I loved taking part in Hairdressing competitions, and I took part in KFE4Skils and Worldskills, both which taught me so much. I came 2nd in KFE and was 1st place in the Worldskills Regional stage, which was a really big achievement.
As a former student, what do you hope to bring to the next generation of students?
With my work as a lecturer, I have that first opportunity to help people get into the hairdressing industry and give them the skills they really want. I ensure that the students are up to date with current trends in the industry, and that their knowledge allows them to have the opportunities that I had. Alongside the stuff we learn in the curriculum, I also help students learn skills they may not get at other Colleges. At the moment our students are learning about hair extensions and we invite in a variety of guest speakers and industry experts to help with different types of hair alongside textured hair. This will help our students stand out in the busy job market.
Learn from Jess and build your skills with our range of Hair and Beauty courses at EKC Sheppey College.
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