Member Article

College launches male hairdressing campaign

With a national shortage of male hairdressers, one North East college is launching a campaign to encourage more men to enter the profession. South Tyneside College is producing a DVD specifically targeted at men to try and address the gender imbalance in the hairdressing industry.

Currently less than 10% of hairdressing apprentices nationally are male. South Tyneside College’s itself currently has only three male apprentices out of a class of 96 and five men out of 250 on full-time courses.

The College has now decided to change this trend by actively promoting the benefits of a hairdressing career to young men. Using music and images specifically selected to appeal to men, the DVD will be used at a number of open events throughout the North East, as well as in schools and on the college website.

Senior hairdressing lecturer, Andrew Parkes, said: “It’s sad that many men don’t see the bigger picture for a hairdressing career. There are so many opportunities out there from working in a prestigious salon to working in film, theatre, in training or on cruise ships.

“Men who enter the profession have a natural flair for it so it’s no coincidence that many of the top stylists such as Toni and Guy, Trevor Sorbie, Andrew Collinge and Nicki Clarke are male. With these role models, the sky really is the limit for young male hairdressers today.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .