Our students are an important part of the Matters in Gray family and over the years we spend training them, we are blessed to develop special bonds with each and every one. So when our apprentices achieve success and kick goals, well, we feel just like proud parents!
A perfect example of how we empower our students to be the best they can be is one of our recent graduates, Josie Horner, whose passion for photo shoots and editorial hair resulted in her becoming a finalist in not one but TWO industry competitions – the 2018 Australian Hair Fashion Awards and the 2018 Australian Hair Industry Awards – for ‘Apprentice of the Year’. We caught up with Josie to get the low down on life post-MIG and the secret to her competition success.
MIG: When did you know you wanted to pursue hairdressing?
JH: I always wanted to be a hairdresser. When I was younger I loved doing hair, whether it was on my family or myself. I’ve always had the passion for hairdressing in me!
MIG: Tell us about your salon and how you came about training at Matters in Gray
JH: I work at Globe Creative in Paddington. My duties are to take care of my clients and to personalise a different style to each individual. The salons I have worked at introduced me to MIG and since the very beginning to the end of my apprenticeship I have been training with them. I graduated from MIG in February this year.
MIG: What did you enjoy about your MIG education journey?
JH: I liked how every trainer was dedicated to the students and their individual needs. It was also great to train in the salon area on real clients. It gave me the opportunity to further my skills and gain confidence.
MIG: What did you learn that you use most in your salon?
JH: I learnt many skills while training at MIG but the main thing I learnt was to trust myself and be confident with what I am doing.
MIG: Congratulations on reaching the finals of both the AHFA and AHIA for ‘Apprentice of the Year’, can you tell us about your experience?
JH: My boss Joshua Magee encouraged me to enter both competitions for ‘Apprentice of the Year’. He knew how much I love doing photoshoots and he thought it would be a good opportunity for me to show what I can do. The six months of planning for the photoshoot was stressful, as I had never done a big shoot like this before. Every night I would be researching themes and ideas for it. I thought I had everything organised, but on the day of the shoot it never really goes to plan. To begin with, I was going to do a New York grunge theme all in colour, but when we took the photos it didn’t look right, so we ended up changing it to a global beauty vibe in black and white. I think the main thing to remember when doing a photoshoot is to be open to change. We were shooting from 6am – 7pm for two days straight, and although they were very long days, I loved every moment of it. We had such a great team to work with, which always makes it easier.
MIG: Any final words?
JH: Just that I would definitely recommend other students to train at MIG. I couldn’t have asked for a better college to support me through my apprenticeship!