FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ For Parents and Guardians
If you are a parent or a guardian of a young person who is looking at a career in the Hair and Beauty industry and would like to find out if this is the right choice for them, please take a look at some of the most frequent questions asked below. If you need further guidance please call our recruitment team on 01302 813900, they will be happy to assist you with anything you may need
My son/daughter is interested in a career in the hair and beauty industry. Is this a good career option for them?
The hair and beauty industry is a multi billion pound industry with many different career pathways. Being a predominantly ‘customer service’ industry it is essential that your son/daughter likes people! To work in the industry you need to have a real passion and interest in it; many jobs available will include long hours and weekend work and they will have to work hard to gain recognition but it is worth it. Being at the centre of a continual creativity network of people and having the opportunity to work in vast amounts of career pathways means that it truly is an inspiring industry to work in.
Can you give me some examples of the career pathways? Salon work is one of the first jobs many hairdressers/beauty therapists work in. Many continue to work in salons throughout their career, continually updating their skills and knowledge and adapting their techniques to keep at the cutting edge of industry trends, many eventually progress into being Salon owners. Other parts of the industry include working in health spas or cruise ships, working for product companies, retailing, and working in theatre or TV. Some progress onto higher education to further their skills in management, teaching or to follow a career in product development or physical therapy. The list is endless and development of good customer service skills will mean that your son/daughter will have essential skills that can easily transfer in to any industry.
What is the upside of wanting a career in the hair and beauty sector?
Being part of an every changing, ever evolving industry is very exciting. Learning new techniques, meeting people from all different backgrounds, working as part of a team are all motivating and inspiring. Progression is constant and you will never get bored of what you are doing.
What is the down side of wanting a career in the hair and beauty industry? This industry is very competitive. Although there are a high number of job opportunities, there are also a high number of individuals wanting those opportunities. Your son/daughter will need to be motivated and inspired and really want to progress. The hours are long, the initial pay is not great and working with the general public is extremely tiring.
What level of programmes do Oracle have?
Oracle run programmes from level one entry/taster programmes right up to advanced level 3 programmes.
What is the difference between an Apprenticeship framework and Apprenticeship standard? The new Apprenticeship standards were introduced in May 2017 and are to eventually replace the old frameworks. The new standards have been set by industry and include a final end point assessment to help grade learner’s competence at the end of their programme. All apprentices attend Oracle for their ‘20% off the job’ training one day a week and work in a salon for the rest of the week.
What is the current salary for an Apprentice? For the current Apprenticeship minimum wage please go to: www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage. Most of our Apprenticeships will start on the national minimum wage but many of our employers increase their wage once they start to learn the skills required within the salon. Apprenticeship learners must work a minimum of 30 hours per week, which includes their training day (off the job). As an employee of the salon, they will be issued with a contract of employment in their first few weeks of work.
Who are Oracle Training Consultants?
Established in 1999, Oracle is a work-based training provider specialising in programmes for the hair and beauty sector. We are one of South Yorkshire’s largest specialist providers and have training centres in both Doncaster and Rotherham town centres. We work directly with over 150 employers in the South Yorkshire area.
What other activities will my child be involved in at Oracle?
At Oracle we are very much advocates of ‘valued added’ activities. All learners learn wider skills such as math and English and take part in activities to improve their knowledge of equality and diversity and British Values. We regularly have external visitors/experts come in to give workshops on product knowledge to personal health and well being. All learners are encouraged and invited to go to exhibitions throughout the year and over the years learners have had the opportunity to travel abroad on Learner exchanges to experience wider career opportunities and to learner wider European skills.
What is the difference between work-based and school or college? A work based provider works closely with employers to provider a true vocational ‘work based’ pathway. The majority of our learners are Apprenticeship or Traineeship learners which mean they are all either in employment, as an apprentice or have a placement within a salon, as a trainee. All our programmes involve work or work placement with a local salon to support the learner in developing the skills they need for employment. Some college do offer Apprenticeships but many other programmes are more work related which means they are predominately class room based.
What safeguarding measures does Oracle have to help ensure the safety of my child?
Oracle has a safeguarding policy that is available from both centres. We work with young people from the age of 14 and the safety of everyone of our learners is of paramount importance to us. Measures are in place throughout the centres and include; security locks and key pad/buzzers on all external doors, a thorough induction process enables learners to understand the importance of keeping safe and who they need to contact if they need support. Oracle has a pastoral care officer who is on hand to support any learner needing help and Oracle operate a risk register to ensure all learners remain safe. All staff is DBS checked and risk assessments are carried out on all external visits. Oracle also carries out quarterly fire and terror drills to ensure all learners know what to do if an incident should arise.
Apply Today
If you wish to apply to one of our courses you can get in touch with our brilliant recruit team on 01302 813900 or click the button below to apply through the website.