Apprenticeships on the agenda for uk salons

UK salons have given National Apprenticeship Week a major boost with the news that the £7.1 billion UK hair and beauty industry is set to create more than 28,000 apprentice positions in the UK this year. The news – contained within Salon Services’ fourth annual Beautiful Britain report – reveals that one in five salons in the UK already employ an apprentice, and more than half (53%) plan to take on at least one in the next year. This compares with just one in 10 of the country’s businesses as a whole. In addition to apprenticeships, the industry also plans to add a further 23,000 jobs to the UK economy in 2015, with more than a third of salons (37%) also planning to hire additional staff this year. These figures come as 93% of UK salons report high levels of optimism, with Wales, Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands emerging as the most positive regions for growth in 2015. Commenting on the research, Simon Rowlands, Spokesperson for Salon Services UK and Ireland, said: “As an industry, we’re known for our role in nurturing of young talent, and apprenticeships are a key part of that. I’m delighted to see our industry investing in the best and brightest; it bodes well for our sector’s growth in years to come.”