Apprentice tasks

[stoley]

Hi all

Was wondering what tasks apprentices do in your salon?

Do they prepare and pass up foils to the stylists? Do they make drinks for clients?

It strikes me as a little pointless an apprentice passing foils to a stylist, surely it is just as easy for a stylist to do this?

Would appreciate thoughts from stylists and apprentices as to your views on this.

Many thanks!

 

[persianista]

Passing up means that the apprentice watches the stylist at close quarters, and has to concentrate.

 

[Brownie]

All cleaning duties, shampooing reception duties, finish off blow dries if the stylist is running late.

 

[Bluerinse]

A good junior/apprentice runs a salon, they are there on the floor first in the morning greeting clients, cleaning salon from top to bottom including scrubbing the skirting board and tiles/grouting with a tooth brush!! Cleaning retail daily, mirrors, brushes, assisting stylists with anything and everything!! Doing the lunch run, and then you are the last to leave at night!! If you hate your boss because you do little meaning less jobs instead of hair related, be thankful!! It's all good practise for years to come when you have your own salon!!

 

[persianista]

A good junior/apprentice runs a salon, they are there on the floor first in the morning greeting clients, cleaning salon from top to bottom including scrubbing the skirting board and tiles/grouting with a tooth brush!! Cleaning retail daily, mirrors, brushes, assisting stylists with anything and everything!! Doing the lunch run, and then you are the last to leave at night!! If you hate your boss because you do little meaning less jobs instead of hair related, be thankful!! It's all good practise for years to come when you have your own salon!!

Glad I don't work for you!!!!

 

[danni1984]

Glad I don't work for you!!!!

This is exactly what it was like for me as an apprentice xxx

 

[Alex-Lydia]

I think it is really easy to underestimate how important being in the salon is when you are a trainee, you are soaking up information without even realising it.

As a trainee you learn from everything that you do and see (yes even cleaning, you do need appreciate how important 'clean and tidy' is) and you take in stuff on a sub conscious level, as well as stuff from direct training like college, product courses and training night.

You do get all the horrible jobs, but it is for a limited time, and though it is unpopular to say it, we have all done it. This does not mean you can be treated like a slave. You should have a contract and terms of employment that state exactly what is expected of you, so you your boss and other staff know what is acceptable and what is not.

Nothing is the same in the learning process as practice, practice, practice and being immersed in what you do. Hairdressing is really hard on lots of levels and if it's not for you you usually realise quite soon, if it is you just get on with it and remember you will not be a cleaner for ever (or a foil hander upper!).

x

 

[SteffiMc]

This is exactly what it was like for me as an apprentice xxx

Me too but I still strangely loved it lol x

 

[crazybek]

The apprentices are viewed as just as important as the stylists and owner where ive worked for the last 16 years.
The duties to be carried out by them make our job possible.
Our apprentices are expected to be at a stylists side passing up foils/colour etc unless needed elsewhere and we always encourage them to ask questions about what we are doing and why as this is how they will start to base their knowledge so concentration is definatly the key in our salon.
We are really lucky as both of our apprentices work really hard and are currently thriving in the salon and learning loads.
Im also currently completing my a1 accessors award aswell so they are also helping train me!:lol:

 

[30sharon]

Hi all

Was wondering what tasks apprentices do in your salon?

Do they prepare and pass up foils to the stylists? Do they make drinks for clients?

It strikes me as a little pointless an apprentice passing foils to a stylist, surely it is just as easy for a stylist to do this?

Would appreciate thoughts from stylists and apprentices as to your views on this.

Many thanks!

Can i ask what you think the tasks in the salon for an apprentices should be ?
I have had so many apprentices over the last few months as they feel they are shampooing & cleaning too much the last one is away to work in the pound shop .
I feel im the stylist i am today because my boss made me clean, shampoo and pass up foils .I also had to hold the sections while he cut the hair but i picked up so much from watching me all the time .

 

[stoley]

Thanks for all your great responses....very interesting and good to hear. I agree with all of you.

30Sharon - As a bit of background I am a Salon Owner, I am not a hairdresser and I have never been a hair apprentice. We want to make sure that our apprentices are treated correctly but at the same time doing what they would be expected to as an apprentice, as well as get the best training we can give them. Our apprentices do everything from reception and stylist support through to Shampoos and (in some cases) Blow Dries plus cleaning, tidying, sweeping and keeping the salon looking amazing. So pretty much all of what's been mentioned in this thread.

Thanks again everyone for your responses....

 

[30sharon]

Thanks for all your great responses....very interesting and good to hear. I agree with all of you.

30Sharon - As a bit of background I am a Salon Owner, I am not a hairdresser and I have never been a hair apprentice. We want to make sure that our apprentices are treated correctly but at the same time doing what they would be expected to as an apprentice, as well as get the best training we can give them. Our apprentices do everything from reception and stylist support through to Shampoos and (in some cases) Blow Dries plus cleaning, tidying, sweeping and keeping the salon looking amazing. So pretty much all of what's been mentioned in this thread.

Thanks again everyone for your responses....

We i think doing all the the above things will help make them great stylists i still muck in with all the cleaning i think it also helps them realize how important a clean salon & great customer serve is all part of running a great salon