Long Road To Success For Graduate

Long Road To Success For Graduate 

2008 regional top apprentice Dorien Van Den Burg admits it has been a long road and she has had to work hard to get to where she is now.

Van Den Burg graduated from Whitireia Community Polytechnic in 2005 with a Certificate in Beauty and Hairdressing. She has just completed her apprenticeship at Reds Hair in Pukerua bay, a salon which was awarded Top Performing Salon in New Zealand 2008.

“You have to really want to be a hairdresser, says Van Den Burg, who trained at the Kapiti campus. I have worked hard to be a top apprentice and to be working in a top salon, it’s not something that happens easily.”

Reds Hair owner, Dianne Beaufort, is dedicated to training apprentices correctly and thoroughly. “They have to have the right attitude. It is easy to teach someone something, but they need to have the passion and the gusto to learn it well and excel at it.”

To gain an apprenticeship, students need to have some experience or a relevant qualification and then must train under a professional hairdresser. The course offers work experience which is often a foot in the door to the industry for students.

In light of the current economic situation Beaufort says it makes excellent customer skills and quality service all the more important. “People haven’t stopped getting their hair cut; it just means they are more appreciative of quality for their money. It is great chance for the hairdressers to learn about business practices as well.”

Van Den Burg has fond memories of her studies at Whitireia and is still friends with all the other students in her class.  “The course was great. It taught me a wide range of skills and put me in good stead for whatever career I might choose.”

Whitireia offers a Certificate in Beauty Therapy, Certificate in Beauty Services, Certificate in Beauty and Hairdressing, National Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 2) and a Certificate in Retail and Cosmetic Services. For more information contact Whitireia Customer Services Team on 0800 944 847.

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