Unlock Your Potential: Meet the Collinge & Co Training Team

04.03.2024

For over 40 years, we've been training passionate young stylists and setting them up with skills for life. Delivering our renowned training are a super team of tutors, curriculum managers and admin staff who keep our training programmes run smoothly. 

Our training team are devoted to ensuring the best outcomes for our talented apprentices and are constantly striving to increase the skills and confidence. 

Say hello to the Collinge & Co Training Team!

 

 

Alison - Apprenticeship Director

I have been in hairdressing and hairdressing training for many years starting as a stylist and moving into teaching. I have worked for hairdressing specialist training providers for some time and am pleased to have been in my Apprenticeship Director role within Collinge and Co Training since August 2016.

Working for a family company that places people at its heart and always wants to provide the best quality training and support, is a real pleasure. I love the varied and interesting work activity and in particular benefitting from the skills and experience of my training team colleagues.

As Apprenticeship Director I rarely teach apprentices, but I do instead enjoy planning, arranging and delivering sessions for training team colleagues.

Thom - Curriculum Manager

I have worked for Collinge & Co for 19 years, and I have worked in many roles within my time of employment. I was previously a branch manager, alongside my role as a senior style director and tutor. 

My current role is the Curriculum Manager for the Hair Professional Standard and the Advanced & Creative programme. I work with the Apprenticeship Director to look at ways to constantly improve what we deliver within Collinge & Co Training.

I am very invested in Collinge & Co as a brand. I believe in everything we do on a day-to-day basis and I believe we are in the training business for the right reasons. We provide individuals with skills of the highest standard for successful and sustainable employment within the hairdressing industry.

Kimberley - Data and Compliance Manager

I would say I have an approachable, happy personality. I have a few hobbies that I enjoy, such as walking, reading, shopping, and being around my close friends and family.

I have worked in FE for about 14 years. I started working as a Hairstylist after leaving school and I then took on an extra job in an admin role.

In my early 20s whilst working, I returned back to college to gain my Admin Qualification, which led me to work for my first Training Provider. Since then I have worked for a number of Training providers within admin and funding roles.

Faye - Tutor

I started as an apprentice at 17 years old and achieved a distinction before specialising in colour. I was then self-employed for 10 years after completing my Level 3 Hairdressing certificate, building a business from scratch. At 26 years old I decided to complete my Cert Ed at UCLAN and went on to get a job teaching apprentices. I have my Level 2 certificate in Barbering.

I joined Andrew Collinge in 2018 and am now a senior tutor, safeguarding officer and internal quality assessor. I love working with young people and helping them to develop their skills, it’s great to see the difference two years makes and I’m always really proud once they complete their end point assessment. I love teaching colour theory, it’s always been my favourite unit to teach.

Laura - Tutor

I began my own journey with the company straight from school in 1995, being an apprentice and working my way through my NVQ level 2 and 3.

I have enjoyed many different roles within the company working my way through to a senior style director in the salon and also a salon manager in my career and a tutor for many years. My current role is a senior style director in Heswall, a senior tutor and an internal quality assessor and I have just completed my Level 5 teaching qualification.

The best part of the job is helping the apprentices develop their skills over the programme and watching them growing into the stylists that they become. Seeing the learners achieve their end point assessment is such a proud moment to know that you have helped them through their hairdressing journey. I love teaching all aspects of the qualification and supporting the learners through any difficult times. 

Laura - Tutor

I joined the company when I was 16 years old straight from school, going through my level 2 and 3 training. I then worked my way up to become a tutor and managed a graduate salon for many years. 

I also took on the role of an ERRO which I really enjoy as I love visiting different salons and seeing how the apprentices grow and become confident stylists on the salon floor. I also teach one day a week and hairdress in the salon one day a week. I really enjoy my roles as I get to see all sides of the company and I get to support the learners through their qualifications at every stage. 

Hannah - Tutor

I started hairdressing 17 years ago and gained my level 2 and level 3 qualification, winning best level 3 hairdresser in my year. Once qualified I progressed from junior stylist right up to salon manager. I then gained my Assessors award by age 22 and went into teaching full time. During this time I gained my Cert Ed and qualified as a teacher in my subject specialism, hairdressing. I then went to work in Dubai for 18 months in a prestigious salon and loved the experience of working with different cultures and living in another country.

I joined Collinge & Co two years ago and I really enjoy watching the progression of learners from the beginning of the course as a first year to them flourishing and becoming confident hair stylists. I particularly enjoy teaching the styling and finishing units and cutting techniques.

Erin - Tutor

My first taste in hairdressing was at 14 as a Saturday girl. I decided I loved the hairdressing industry so I joined Andrew Collinge in Heswall as an apprentice. In August 2023, I was promoted to senior stylist and took on a teaching role in the October of that year. Since then, I've been teaching second year classes and I love it!

It's nice to meet different types of people every day from all walks of life and get to know my more regular clients on a more personal level and see them walk out of the salon with a boost of confidence.

Teaching is also very rewarding as you see learners build their confidence with the skills they've learnt every day. I love teaching the cutting unit the most so far. There are so many different ways to interoperate your skills and I love showing students how to be versatile with their skills and show creativity.

Jill - Training Admin

I've worked for the company for a number of years, but more recently I've taken a more active role in the training team supporting the team and apprentices, in particular the recruitment of new apprentices

I graduated in 1997 and worked primarily in banking and finance, prior to joining Andrew Collinge’s Training Salon as a part-time receptionist. I have since undertaken IT training and became the IT co-ordinator. I'm responsible for making sure the company's IT systems are well designed and function smoothly. I also support the salon teams as the salon stock controller.

I love the atmosphere of working ‘within a family’; a lot of staff have worked within Collinge and Co for a very long time and some very good friendships have been made.

Becky - Tutor

I started at the company straight from school as an apprentice myself in 2013. I completed my 3rd year at Graduates and stayed there as a stylist. Whilst working in the salon, I joined the training team as a tutor and maths specialist. I currently teach two days a week on the Hair Professional Apprenticeship programme and work one day as a Senior Stylist in Castle Street. The thing I love the most about teaching is seeing the apprentices grow into confident, fully qualified hair stylists on the path to achieving their dreams. My favourite part of teaching is providing practical support to apprentices.

Visit apprenticeships for more information about Collinge & Co Training

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