The modern barber and hairdressing apprentice has access to an incredible volume of hairdressing content and education that’s beyond the comprehension of apprentices of less than generation ago. This raises the question, particularly for us of how to best access and filter that content, and how to use it to enhance the education journey and avoid the pitfalls that are associated with disappearing down the rabbit hole that is the internet.

The benefits of platforms such as YouTube, and Instagram, comes from watching those online education and absorbing those resources. It works really well with apprentices who are at the same skill point as the type of content that they’re consuming. From a training perspective, we see that this can often turbo charge and really enhance the learning experience. In addition to that, though, the recurring theme from all the apprentices that we work with is how they like to access and use that content can be quite individual. And to this end our college approach has a number of layers in order to allow them to do that. The apprentices and students we train are asked to watch technical videos, they’re asked to go to our YouTube channel as well as engage with other similar online content and then we bring that into our education spaces.

Our training rooms have large screen so that the content can be viewed in a practical learning environment. So once our visual and auditory learners are able to engage this way, we can then quickly move to a demonstration phase, which then moves on to getting in having a go. As a college we’ve had great success with hands on training that blends both digital and practical and the students that we work with love this approach. The beauty of a blended approach to, in developing skills is that it allows the apprentice to take a little bit more control of their learning, in line with how they engage and use the online world. Students can look to be prepared before class if they want. Or alternatively they can revisit online materials after attending to refresh or consolidate. It allows them, particularly those with a greater passion for a particular area to gain greater exposure, to drill down and dig deep into areas that they really are passionate about.

Conversely, those areas where potentially their salons don’t do a great deal of work, they can also consolidate their skills. Another upshot that weve found with embracing digital content is the capacity for us to engage more with salons, to provide them with resources, so that they can build the training capacity of their teams. And what it allows us to do is to create resources that focus and meet the needs of their teams and to demystify what we do at college. This combined with hands on workshops for salon owners and mentors has been a real bonus for us and it means that we have a consistent and really dovetail relationship with the salons that we work with. While the world of online hairdressing education is limitless, and it can be all consuming. The clear message from those that we train and from the salons that we work with, is that a blended approach to education is the key. So accessing online resources that are combined with hands on demonstration and practice is what quality education looks like the digital age.

At MIG, we work with many household names in hairdressing and we work with them to build capacity of their teams and their technical skills. If you’re looking at different opportunities, or would like to contact us to see how we can provide advice, or potentially work together, it’d be wonderful chat, give us a call. Thanks.