This cutting-edge facility, located within Cardiff鈥檚 Ocean Park House, includes a fully equipped hair studio, a dedicated nail and beauty treatment studio, and multiple classrooms. Together, these spaces are designed to create a real-life salon environment where learners can refine their skills and prepare for successful careers in the industry.听

The H&B Academy recently celebrated its soft launch with a festive gathering of partners and local businesses from related fields. The event offered attendees a sneak peek at the Academy鈥檚 facilities and a chance to witness its vision in action. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, setting a promising tone for its official opening.听

To delve deeper into what makes the Hair & Beauty Academy unique, we spoke with Charlotte Sims, the salon鈥檚 Delivery Manager, about the vision, goals, and impact of this transformative initiative.听

The Hair and Beauty Academy is a vital part of the JGW+ skills centre. Learners enrolled in hair, beauty and barbering courses through JGW+ will have access to high-quality, industry-standard salons where they can gain experience and insight not only from their tutors but also their peers. Apprenticeship learners, who are further along in their professional journey, will also benefit from fortnightly workshops with their assessors.听

Charlotte emphasised the importance of working in a salon setting for building both confidence and competence: 鈥淥ur learners start on Entry Level and Level 1 courses,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eginning their training in a professional salon environment helps them develop practical skills and theoretical knowledge, making them work-ready.听听

鈥淭hey practice everything from shampooing and blow-drying to nails, facials, makeup, and more. As they progress to salon placements, we work closely with their employers to ensure their training is tailored to meet the needs of the business.鈥�听

What sets the H&B Academy apart is its personable approach to training. The focus is not only on technical skills but also on employability and personal development. 鈥淲e鈥檝e created a welcoming, supportive environment where learners can relax, make new friends, and build their confidence,鈥� Charlotte explained. 鈥淲e also emphasise the importance of health and wellbeing, as this directly impacts their success in the workplace.鈥�听

The H&B Academy鈥檚 robust support system includes World of Work advisors, learner coaches, counselling services, and Essential Skills development tutors to ensure the underpinning of basic skills like numeracy, communication and digital literacy. These resources ensure that learners are not only developing their craft but also gaining the tools to thrive professionally and personally.听

While the practical setting provides invaluable experience, it also presents challenges. According to Charlotte, building confidence among learners is one of the most significant hurdles: 鈥淪ometimes, learners are hesitant to practice their skills on one another,鈥� she said.

鈥淥ur tutors play a crucial role in guiding and encouraging them every step of the way.鈥�听

However, the rewards far outweigh the challenges. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly fulfilling to see learners grow and excel,鈥� Charlotte said. 鈥淢any of our students come to us after struggling in traditional academic settings. By tapping into their creativity and providing hands-on learning opportunities, we鈥檙e often able to unlock their potential. Some have even gone on to own their own salons, barbershops, and beauty businesses.鈥�听

Despite only launching this month, the H&B Academy has ambitious goals for the coming year. It aims to expand its cohort of learners and deepen partnerships with local salons to provide more placement opportunities.听听

鈥淲e want to work closely with employers to ensure our training aligns with their needs. By doing so, we鈥檙e not only supporting our learners but also contributing to the success of local businesses,鈥� Charlotte explained.听

The H&B Academy is also keen to find new talent. For those considering a career in hair and beauty, Charlotte鈥檚 advice is simple. She said: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e passionate about this field, don鈥檛 be afraid of hard work. Every task you do, no matter how small, contributes to building your future. From arranging product displays to making clients a cup of tea, these moments teach you valuable people skills and business acumen. Most importantly, have fun. Happy, friendly professionals are what clients want to see, so let your passion shine through in everything you do.鈥�听

If you would like to learn more about JGW+ or if you鈥檙e an employer looking to offer a placement to a future stylist or beautician, contact us.

WoW Hair and Beauty are one of the few UK鈥檚 fully LGBTQ+ inclusive and gender-neutral salons. They don鈥檛 just care about hair and beauty, but mental health and empowerment too.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a young person who wants to start their career in the hair industry. You will have the opportunity to complete an Employability qualification with 成人快手 as part of the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme with a potential progression onto an Apprenticeship.

A career in the Beauty sector is really rewarding. It feels so good to be able to use your creative flair to make clients feel happy and confident every day. Our Jobs Growth Wales+ programmes provide the essential hands-on experience that鈥檚 needed to master beauty treatments and techniques.

There鈥檚 much more to the job of听Hairdresser than knowing the latest trends for bobs, bangs and blowouts. Though听a keen sense of style听obviously helps, other听qualities are just听as听important!听听听

听

Are you a natural listener who works well with their hands? Can you be thorough and pay attention to detail?听Can you demonstrate fab customer skills and provide service with a smile?听Are you someone who keeps their cool in stressful situations?听If this sounds like you,听then you听already听have the core skill set needed,听for a life of customers, curlers and colouring!听听

听

A Hairdresser must be personable and friendly, as the customer must trust you at all stages of the process. At 成人快手,听there鈥檚 a fully-equipped听Traineeship听Salon for budding Barbers and Hairdressers听to learn a wide range of skills, all under the watchful eye of our industry-experienced tutors.听听

听

Once you鈥檝e got to grips with the basics,听you can progress onto an听Apprenticeship in a听professional salon,听where听you鈥檒l learn the essentials of the hair-styling game听and how they can be developed, with your own personal flair!听Course units听include:听Style and finish, Set and dress hair, Plait and twist hair, Colour and lighten hair,听plus,听Temporarily attach hair to enhance a style.

Further modules,听like Advise and consult with clients, Fulfil salon reception duties or Develop and maintain your effectiveness at work, will help make you a fully-rounded asset to any hairdressing business!听

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成人快手 Training values the experience of learning – that鈥檚 engaging and captivating – and encourages all to aspire to reach their goals. Suitable candidates even get the chance to participate in top competitions and shows, such as Salon Cymru, the Eisteddfod and Hair & Beauty Wales.听听
听

It might take time for you听to听become the next Nicky Clarke or Vidal Sassoon, but the journey starts听here听and you could be making waves before you know it!

If you鈥檙e aged 16-18,听take a look at our Hairdressing & Barbering Traineeship听programme.听

If you feel that you鈥檙e salon ready, see our Hairdressing & Barbering Apprenticeships.

So, what is the ReAct scheme?
The ReAct scheme, is quite simply a support package that helps people gain new skills, improving their chances of returning to work after redundancy. The package includes a 拢1,500 grant and support to help remove any barriers for vocational training .

Are you eligible?
You qualify for ReAct support if you:

• Have been made redundant in the last three months.
• Are under a current notice of redundancy with a leave date within the next three months.
• Are a resident in Wales.
• Are not currently undertaking any training, which is funded directly or indirectly by public funds.

What is the application process?

• You must apply for a grant and obtain government approval before starting your training.
• Once your application has been improved you must start within 30 days of the agreed start date.

Additional Re成人快手 support
Under the ReAct Scheme you may also be entitled to help with the following whilst training:

• Travel expenses
• Accommodation costs
• Social equipment expenses
• Childcare costs
  

ReAct for employers
The ReAct programme also benefits businesses, by providing a wage contribution of up to 拢3,000 towards the costs of employing an *eligible person for 25 hours a week or more.

Further eligibility information:
Applications must be made before the new recruit starts work and the job must:

• be for at least 16 hours a week
• not be supported by other public or European funds
• be paid at National Minimum Wage (NMW) or above
• be expected to last for at least 12 months
  

Want to find out more? Get in touch!
If you are an individual, or business interested in the ReAct scheme, 成人快手 is here to help! 成人快手 accepts ReAct funding for many of our commercial courses, from Management to Beauty, we can help you update your skills to return to work.

As the employer, you have the power to choose the most suitable training provider! 成人快手 delivers dynamic training designed to meet the needs of your business!

To find out more or to speak to our Commercial Courses Co-ordinator, call 029 2046 4727 or email info@acttraining.org.uk

听

Learners from across 成人快手鈥檚 Traineeship and Apprenticeship programmes secured nine medals in a range of skillset competitions including: Accountancy, Hairdressing, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In total, 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals were won.

Full results from the day were as follows:

Gold Medal

Rebeca Geciova 鈥� Inclusive Skills: Hairdressing

Kathryn Rees 鈥� Accountancy

Mollie Jones 鈥� Accountancy

Ellis Potter 鈥� Accountancy

Morgan Griffith 鈥� Inclusive Skills: ICT

Silver Medal

Kidah Ball 鈥� Inclusive skills: Hairdressing

Coby-Jay Barratt 鈥� Inclusive: ICT

Bronze Medal

Angela Driscoll 鈥� Inclusive Skills: Hairdressing

Alex Beaumont 鈥� Inclusive Skills: ICT

Following on from the success of their performance at Skills Competition Wales, two of 成人快手鈥檚 learners, Alex Beaumont and Rhiannon Fisher are already registered to compete in the World Skills UK Competitions due to take place later this year. Traineeship learner, Alex, from 成人快手鈥檚 Business Services programme, has registered for the Software Solutions for Business competition, with Rhiannon Fisher, a Hairdressing, Beauty and Barbering apprentice, registering for the Hairdressing competition.

Skills Competition Wales aims to raise the profile of skills in Wales and offers students, trainees and apprentices a chance to challenge, benchmark and raise their skills by taking part in competitions across a range of sectors. Successful winners from the competition can qualify for the WorldSkills UK finals and can go on to become part of the UK squad for the international WorldSkills Finals.

Funded by the 成人快手, the competition is run by a dedicated network of colleges, work-based learning providers and employer-led organisations. Speaking about the success of 成人快手 learners at the event, 成人快手 Managing Director, Richard Spear said: “Skills competitions are a great way for learners to realise their potential, whilst inspiring others in the art of the possible. A huge congratulations to our learners, and our dedicated colleagues who support them, on their fantastic achievements at Skills Competition Wales.”

With Qualification Wales and the awarding bodies working closely with training providers to issue new guidance on adaptations to assessment methods, digital learning looks set to become a central feature in learning and development moving forwards. With the world around us changing rapidly now is a great time for employers to consider how they can adapt and develop, not only as a business, but also how best they can plug skills gaps using their employees.

Here are just four of many ways digital learning is an effective way to upskill for the future.

Higher engagement

Studies from IBM have shown that participants learn five times more material in online learning courses using multimedia content than in traditional face to face courses. With many of us balancing busy lives, giving learners the autonomy and control to fit studying around their own schedules, enables them to work at their own speed. Generally, learners work faster online than they would do otherwise, and often take in more information. Concerns that employees will not commit and do the work are completely unfounded. 98% of learners on our Apprenticeship programmes are engaging online. Normally people are busy at work and it is hard for them to find the time to complete a piece of work or do an assessment. The lockdown and working remotely from home, has enabled our learners to complete coursework in their own time and steam ahead with their qualifications.

Accessibility

Learners often struggle to balance their workload with home life, and schedule in time to attend work related courses. The time spent travelling to and from classes can be an obstacle to learning for both employers and employees. A Brandon Hall report on eLearning within corporations found that remote learning typically requires 40-60% less employee time than learning in a traditional classroom setting. It also means learners can break up their work and chip away at sections of their course at times that work best for them.

Interactive digital Support

There are often concerns that learning remotely can be an isolating experience. With Microsoft Teams, Google Classrooms, Nearpod and a whole array of digital platforms and learning support tools now available, it has never been more engaging to learn online. Using Classroom Nearpods (an interactive learning experience that engages everyone simultaneously on their devices) learners are given real time quizzes and collaborations where they can post answers and questions anonymously and get immediate feedback. Assessors can see who posted the answers and flag areas that students are struggling with and provide more information. It removes the fear of speaking out and is a great confidence builder for learners. Using tech in teaching not only improves the learners own digital skills and knowledge but it genuinely enhances the learners experience. It provides learners with more responsibility for their learning experience and avoids a lot of confusion. It also helps keep the classroom experience fresh and exciting for assessors too.

Regular assessment

As well as learning at their own pace, learning online also means assessments become more of a frequent and ongoing part of the process. This is good news for students as regular assessment and check ins with assessors can improve student engagement and enables employers to see how well their employees are progressing. It also enables assessors to spot when a learner is struggling and step in to provide assistance and support.

We are heavily invested in offering digital solutions and alternatives to employers and learners seeking to upskill their workforce. With the world around us constantly changing, it goes without saying education must move with the times too. On enrolling with us, 100% of apprenticeship learners receive a OneFile digital portfolio at sign up. This portfolio includes all framework content and induction programmes. The system is available as both an online platform and a mobile app and the ease of use and accessibility allows all learners with little experience of technology to access their portfolio from either their phone or desktop. Assessors provide one to one tutorial support both over the phone and through video conferencing. The beauty of online learning is that learners can undertake assessments and knowledge criteria through the OneFile system at a pace that works for them. The system and procedures also allow for employers and managers to be actively involved in the programme and to monitor how employees are progressing. 听

You may not have heard of a Traineeship before but it offers a hands-on alternative to the continual demands of essays, exams and studying, that college and university entails. So what can your child expect instead? Read on to find out.

What is a Traineeship?

A Traineeship is a fantastic work-based learning programme that helps 16-18 year olds become work-ready, whilst gaining a Level 1 qualification (Apprenticeships start at Level 2). With your child having spent most of their time in school or college, our Traineeships give them a helping hand progressing from education to the workplace!

What qualifications are on offer?

We know it can be difficult for your child to decide what they want to do after school, and it鈥檚 okay if they aren鈥檛 sure which career path they want to go down. Our programme enables them to try tasters in different routes, with support from our Opportunities Advisors, before settling on the right one for them.

We offer a range of Level 1 qualifications to choose from, which are:

• Automotive Engineering
• Animal Care & Land-based Studies
• Beauty
• Business Services (Business Admin, Customer Service, Retail)
• Care
• Construction
• Hairdressing & Barbering
• Hospitality & Catering
• IT

What is involved day-to-day?

Your child will attend one of our Skills Centres and will have a dedicated tutor to help them progress through their qualification, as well as working on their employability and essential literacy and numeracy skills.

They will also be provided with an exciting work placement, which they will attend when not in the Skills Centre (how many days per week your child will be on placement varies by route and employer).

Your child will also have access to an Essential Skills Tutor to develop key literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills, experience a wide variety of inspirational guest speakers and have the opportunity to go on educational trips.

Care, Support and Guidance

We have a highly skilled team with extenstive industry experience to ensure your child receives all the support and guidance they need to progress through their qualification. This includes extra support services to help all our learners make the most of their 成人快手 experience.

All learners on 成人快手 programmes can take full advantage of the following services:

Additional Support: Learners can access a range of additional learning support to enable them to complete their learning programme. This may include a post enrolment assessment, specialist software, personal support and reasonable adjustments during assessments, such as additional time, reading and/or scribe support.

Attendance and Wellbeing Officers (AWO): Each Skills Centre has a dedicated AWO to support your child with their attendance and wellbeing, and to ensure they are as engaged with their learning as possible throughout their time at 成人快手.

Learner Rep: We have a full-time Learner Rep who is there to represent your child and make their voice heard. If they have any feedback, concerns, or thoughts on their training then they can book in for a coffee and catch up with our Learner Rep.

In-house counsellor: Whatever your child may be experiencing, whether it鈥檚 an issue relating to their learner journey, or problems outside their qualification, our support team are on hand to assist with their welfare. Our experienced in-house counsellor will always provide the time and space needed for your child to talk privately about their troubles and help resolve any issues. Sessions are confidential, maximum an hour in length, and only the individual and the counsellor will be present during the sessions.

Safeguarding Officers: Similar to our in-house counsellor, our team of safeguarding officers are there for learners鈥� welfare and will support them with any problems. If your child has any concerns around this, they can contact their Assessor who will be able to put them in touch with an 成人快手 Safeguarding Officer.

Owen James, father of Traineeship learner, Darren James

鈥淚 would strongly recommend 成人快手 to anyone whose child is looking to find a way forward with education or employment. Staff were encouraging and caring with both our sons; they helped both boys, not only with their education and learning, but patiently helped them to overcome their various challenges. They were supportive and friendly to the young people and parents. Not minding if we contacted them to find out how our children were doing.

鈥淲ith the support from his tutors, Darren was awarded learner of the year in the Motor Vehicle department and is now in his second year of an Apprenticeship with Edwards Coaches.鈥�

Does a Traineeship sound like the right path for your child? Find out more here, or get in touch with our Opportunities team today on 029 2046 4727 or info@acttraining.org.uk

You might also be interested in our Parent鈥檚 Guide to Apprenticeships.

We were delighted to welcome the Llamau choir to open the award ceremony with a fantastic performance, followed by a welcome by our Managing Director Richard Spear. We played a congratulations video with messages for the winners and our Skills Ambassador and rugby legend, Jonathan Davies OBE, presented the winners with their awards.

All the winners have gone above and beyond in their qualification and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to recognise their hard work.

Congratulations to our winners:

Apprenticeships

Business Services 鈥� Harri Shuffley, Career Change Wales

Childcare/Playwork/CYP 鈥� Lauren Williams, Little Song Birds

Cleaning & Environmental Services 鈥� Lisa Bytheway, Pen-Y-Bont Care

Education and Development听 – Amelia Pine, Cardiff Muslim School

Finance 鈥� Chillie Squance, Accounted For Ltd

Hairdressing/Barbering/Beauty 鈥� Adele Fullick, The Pamper Lounge

Health & Social Care 鈥� Natalie Griffiths, Silvercrest

Healthcare/Clinical Health 鈥� Paula Harris, Cwm Taf University Health Board

IT/Digital 成人快手/Social Media/成人快手 –听 Louise Bawtree, Miss Patisserie

Management/Team Leading 鈥� Jennifer Pugh, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Traineeships

Animal Care 鈥� Bethany Fry

Automotive – Megan Nedrud

Business Services 鈥� Devishri Parmar

Care 鈥� Brandon Lee-Jones

Hairdressing/Barbering/Beauty – Natalia Schwartz

Hospitality & Catering 鈥� Jamal Barrett

IT 鈥� Jarrad Chandler

Engagement 鈥� Jason Kilford-Keen

成人快手 Schools 

Adam Boyle

Employers

Cartref

Innovate Trust

Mazuma Money

Special Recognition

Our special recognition award went to a very special individual: Adam Boyle

Adam has shown perseverance and determination beyond all expectation in completing his qualifications.

Kelly Rowlands, Senior Schools Manager, who put Adam forward for the award, said: 鈥淲hen Adam arrived at 成人快手 Schools Cardiff he was unsettled and reluctant to engage. But with the support of the delivery team and his family, began to make real progress in his education. On GCSE results day, we were delighted to find that Adam had achieved our best learner results to date, achieving B, C, D in Maths, Maths Numeracy and English Language respectively. These, alongside the vocational qualifications he also achieved, resulted in Adam leaving our Schools programme with an impressive 8 GCSEs or equivalent. Huge well done to Adam!鈥�

We would like to thank everyone involved in our award ceremony, especially to the judging panel who had the hard job of shortlisting and selecting the winners out of a huge pile of nominations. We would also like to thank Cardiff and Vale College for hosting us and to The Classroom team for catering the event.

A final congratulations to everyone, a huge well done to the winners and thank you to all who attended. Watch this space for 2020!

听Described by the company as a 鈥榯reasured tutor鈥�, Kirsty Keane collected the tutor award while innovative workmate Carly Murray received the assessor award at the ceremony held at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on November 9.

Kirsty originally thought that there was only one award for work-based learning tutors and assessors and was celebrating Carly winning. 鈥淐arly was my assessor so I know how amazing she is and I feel so happy for her,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 feel really shocked and overwhelmed to win the award, but it鈥檚 nice to be recognised. This award is an endorsement of my work and demonstrates to learners that they can trust me.

鈥淭he environment in which I work is really challenging as my learners come from different backgrounds and I want to see them progress and go far in their lives.鈥�

Pregnant Carly, who is expecting a daughter in February, said: 鈥淚 am absolutely flabbergasted. I am on cloud nine and think I am hallucinating because of my pregnancy!

鈥淲hen I was watching what the other finalists had done, I thought I wouldn鈥檛 win, but I am really honoured to be the lucky one chosen.鈥�

Sarah John, National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) chair, said: 鈥淚t is important to recognise the contribution that assessors and tutors make to the learning journey of young people. It鈥檚 evident that the personal relationship that they develop is the key method to motivate and encourage young people to achieve.鈥�

The annual awards are designed to showcase and celebrate the outstanding achievements of learners, employers, tutors and assessors who have excelled in contributing to the development of the 成人快手鈥檚 Traineeships and Apprenticeship Programmes.

Jointly organised by the 成人快手 and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the coveted awards are supported by media partner, Media Wales. The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the 成人快手 with support from the European Social Fund.

Working with 16-18-year-olds as a Health and Social Care and Early Years Care tutor since 2015, Kirsty has successfully supported 91 learners through a Level 1 Traineeship in Care with a 100% progression rate, an outstanding achievement at Traineeship level.

This progression can be attributed to Kirsty making time for her learners, listening to their hopes, dreams and fears, at the same time planning unique learner experiences that exceed expectations for people often with complex needs and barriers.

Still aged only 26, Kirsty has 10 years鈥� experience as a disability support worker and one-to-one learning support worker. Her personal development is outstanding with a PGCE Post-16, BA Hons Degree in Early Childhood Studies and Education and Cache Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education.

Her passion for innovation has seen her attend a seminar on singing for dementia, bringing in a subject expert to lecture her students which in turn led to improvement in 成人快手鈥檚 best practice.

Kirsty also arranged a Golden Oldies afternoon of fun at 成人快手 where Hair and Beauty, Catering and Care learners all gained practical and valuable experience.

鈥淢y real reward is seeing my learners progress onto something enjoyable and meaningful,鈥� said Kirsty.

For the past five years, Carly, 35, has been the Internal Quality Assurance assessor for the education and development team at 成人快手 Limited. She delivers Apprenticeships in Learning and Development and Higher Apprenticeships in Advice and Guidance.

In addition to the 30 learners she trains herself, Carly also works with a team of 14, which comprises assessors, tutors, mentors and advisers, all working in a variety of support-related sectors, to whom she offers support and guidance.

鈥淚 think my background, having been a traveller and missing a significant portion of my early schooling, means I have a deep respect for learner diversity and the ability to learn and prosper in a multitude of ways,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 love learning and think this enthusiasm can be contagious. I鈥檓 constantly exploring theories, ideas and types of practice that can be utilised by myself and my team.鈥�

Carly studied at Queen鈥檚 University, Belfast before gaining her PGCE at Exeter University. She began her career teaching literacy to children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

She branched out to planning and facilitating study programmes which supported young people, who were at risk of offending, into further work and training.听 Carly then undertook adult literacy/numeracy qualifications and became an Essential Skills tutor for Traineeships and Apprenticeships.

With more than 14 years鈥� experience within the education and training industry, she constantly exceeds 成人快手 Limited鈥檚 鈥榚xcellent鈥� assessor target. More than 90% of her learners complete their qualification and she has twice achieved a 100% success rate in the past five years.

Her many achievements include helping to develop a new advice and guidance learning programme for schools with Careers Wales and 成人快手 Limited, which was launched in March.

Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan congratulated Carly and Kirsty together with the other award winners and finalists for setting the gold standard for Apprenticeships and Traineeships.

She praised them for going the extra mile to support apprentices and trainees and for their commitment to the Apprenticeships and Traineeships Programmes in Wales.

鈥淭he 成人快手 regards Apprenticeships as a priority area and, with support from the European Social Fund, has committed to creating a minimum of 100,000 high quality all-age Apprenticeships over this Assembly term,鈥� said the Minister.

鈥淲e have a clear vision for addressing the needs of Welsh businesses, developing skills pathways and increasing higher level skills that benefit the whole of Wales. If the Welsh economy is to continue to grow, then we must work together to equip Wales with a world class workforce.鈥�