Too old for an apprenticeship

[persianista]

This whole post is worrying me! I'm 41 and halfway through my beauty therapy nvq course. I did admin jobs I didn't like for ever, was preoccupied with being a mum and to be honest, before I knew it time had passed and I found myself approaching 40 doing a job I hated. So I took the plunge and am paying my own way for this course. I absolutely love it and really have found my true vocation. I do lots of home based and mobile treatments to keep my skills up and earn a few pounds.
After reading this lost though I'm worried that no employers will touch me which would be a shame as I am very dedicated and would put everything I have into a job.
The college tutors told me my age wouldn't be a problem but are they completely out of touch with what employers are really looking for? I know this is a hair post but i'd appreciate any honest opinions. Worried! :-/

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It is somewhat different for beauty.
This industry is a meritocracy. The ones who are talented get on, the ones that are lacking get nowhere. Employers trade test. If you can pass a trade test then we generally don't care if you are 20 or 40 black, white or sky blue pink. We just want the good therapists/ hairdressers, and there are loads of rubbish ones out there.

 

[annie:)]

I employ lots of people in hairdressing. Have been in hair salons for 26 years and really do speak from experience.

The left wing, almost communist attitudes on this site at times really blow me away!!

FREE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE!! YAY!!

Can I go and get a free degree, and have all my living expenses paid please? Tis my hoomin right!

The only bit i was saying i disagreed with was the fact that younger apprenticers are easier to work with than older ones nothing to do with fees ect,i dont excpect anything for free trust me i scrubbed floors n toilets for my apprentership and have paid thousands into beauty courses!

Sent from my X10i

 

[hartey]

good for you Soosh, and i hope you do well in life. But going back to persianista said, as I understood it the gov.
pays for the wages of those aprentices that salons employ so they are not actually loosing any money.
older newly qualified stylists are not whinners because they are the ones who have more to loose from not learning fast.
so please don't go generalising people into groups because it ofends.
and as topcuts says "it takes a special dedicated person to swallow their pride and start at the bottom", maybe you were lucky enough to start young and at a time when vacancies and opportunities where 10 a penny because qualifications where not a number one priority, but people like me have had to struggle through years of cultural barriers and female opression to get to where i want to be today. and what happened to equal rights? if the gov. wants to increase the retirement age then to balance it out they would equally have to increase the training age for new skills.

The government don't pay for apprentices wages, they might subsidise the course but it is the individual salon owner that pays the wages.

I was looking for an apprentice recently, one came along, ok person, said i would offer her the position after I had Spoken to her training school, after speaking to them and realising that I would have to pay her £95 a week, rising when she turns 18 soon, then another rise in September, I couldn't afford to employ her for the government set hours she would have to do, offered the college to still have her but for only 1 day a week and they said government won't allow,

Guess what I'm getting at is, us salon owners want to give people a chance, but are not allowed to!

As a side note I don't want people to work for free, but I remember when I only got 25 quid a week and was grateful for that and the job!

 

[kellybun]

I have found that being older & qualified salons still dont want to know you if you dont have experience :sad:

 

[JHall]

After reading this post and another which was about being in your prime at age 31 ...... at 42 I think I'm just going to give up on life

seriously though, if something is worth having then its worth fighting for, if you want it bad enough then you will find someway of doing it, being negative is not going to get you there.

Im just starting out in a change of career and at my age I know its going to be a challenge, but that doesn't mean I dont have as much chance as a teenager to succeed.

 

[Penners]

I don't think the discussion is about whether you can succeed if you are over apprenticeship age its that Salons can't afford to pay for over 18's to train.
Good luck to anyone over 40, I'm 40 and still feel as if you could teach this old dog new tricks!!:biggrin: (although my back aches and knees are starting to creak, lol!)
If you're 40 and have the fire in your belly to start again - go for it!

 

[MorganDazzle]

This thread is actually making me feel sick with worry.

Im a 24 yr old married mum of 3 starting L2 Hairdressing in september.

I have wanted to be a hairdresser for as long as i can remember but sacrificed pursuing my career until now as my husband was in the forces and i had to fit around him and go wherever his job took us.

We are now civilians and i have been excited to finally achieve my dream of being (hopefully) a colour technician.

Im not stupid, i know its a long hard slog and i am prepared to work for free just to gain some in salon experience.

But attitudes on here seem to dictate that im not going to stand much of a chance!

 

[Diana-Jane]

Penners thats absolutely how i feel, fired up! I know once i start going for interviews i'll be asked why i left it so late in life to embark on a career in beauty therapy but i hope my enthusiasm and skills will show that my age and my creaky knee are not a hinderance!

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[MorganDazzle]

Penners thats absolutely how i feel, fired up! I know once i start going for interviews i'll be asked why i left it so late in life to embark on a career in beauty therapy but i hope my enthusiasm and skills will show that my age and my creaky knee are not a hinderance!

I like your way of thinking!!!! So i may not have age on my side and i may have children, but it doesnt mean i can be of a lesser value to a salon than a 18yr old fresh out of college/apprenticeship!!

 

[Miss Hair]

It would be really interesting to hear from someone that has actually made it work and gone into hairdressing at an older age and been able to find work! I have looked through old posts on here and read loads of people unable to make it work even though they've gained salon experience and put their all into it! Its really off putting when you read it all and even the tutors at the college I applied to kind of hinted at the same problem. So if there are any success stories out there, please tell us!

 

[hartey]

I have an older student that is doing full time college, and is always requesting to come in and watch, observe and work, and boy does she work, compared to an 19 year old (ancient) full-time college trainee that doesn't show up for training sessions and lazed round if could get away with it, both work "voluntary" but get to keep tips and a weekly bonus even though they only work one day, the younger (19) year old is "more" qualified, being a year in front, than the elder but it is the elder one who I will be employing.

So yes older students do get jobs!

It's not about age but show ability and commitment and who knows?

Sorry for long post but needed to give history! And that's the cut down version!

 

[Miss Hair]

OMG!!!! Finally a positive reply, lol.
I know people are only trying to tell it how they see it and from their own experience but it always seems to be so so negative.
Its nice to hear from a salon owner that has taken on an older student and its worked out well for her.

 

[hartey]

OMG!!!! Finally a positive reply, lol.
I know people are only trying to tell it how they see it and from their own experience but it always seems to be so so negative.
Its nice to hear from a salon owner that has taken on an older student and its worked out well for her.

The point of my last two posts were I would take on any age person if the government weren't so hard on there rules and payment regulations!

Just about earning enough to feed me an me own kids after all the overheads of running a salon come into play, never mind somebody else too!

 

[persianista]

A 17 year old on 95 a week or a 23 year old costing 250 a week (factor the employers ni in). Both do the same job.

I really feel for people trying to break into hair late, but this is what the goverment has laid down as the law.
I cannot afford an employee who doesnt generate salon income on 250 a week. As nice, passionate, hardworking and quick learning as people like to think they are.

At best it would take two years to begin to cover their own wages. That is a £24000 investment which my salon cannot afford. A junior costs me about 10000 over the same period, and at young person's minimum wage, they stand more chance of covering their pay when newly qualified.

 

[hartey]

A 17 year old on 95 a week or a 23 year old costing 250 a week (factor the employers ni in). Both do the same job.

I really feel for people trying to break into hair late, but this is what the goverment has laid down as the law.
I cannot afford an employee who doesnt generate salon income on 250 a week. As nice, passionate, hardworking and quick learning as people like to think they are.

At best it would take two years to begin to cover their own wages. That is a £24000 investment which my salon cannot afford. A junior costs me about 10000 over the same period, and at young person's minimum wage, they stand more chance of covering their pay when newly qualified.

Well said, age doesn't come into it, it's all about the math!

 

[Mrs RSM]

I employ lots of people in hairdressing. Have been in hair salons for 26 years and really do speak from experience.

The left wing, almost communist attitudes on this site at times really blow me away!!

FREE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE!! YAY!!

Can I go and get a free degree, and have all my living expenses paid please? Tis my hoomin right!

Indeed. Want want want.

 

[Lovebeauty14]

Indeed. Want want want.

Pretty sure the OP paid for all her courses. She would just like to earn a decent living doing something she excels in after all that investment through her own money and time. She would just like a chance. It's hardly 'want, want, want'.

 

[Mrs RSM]

Pretty sure the OP paid for all her courses. She would just like to earn a decent living doing something she excels in after all that investment through her own money and time. She would just like a chance. It's hardly 'want, want, want'.

It wasn't directed at the op. It was in agreement with the post I quoted, obviously.

 

[persianista]

It really is all about the cost, not people's age. Maybe take it up with your MP?

Perhaps there could be changes so that older trainees could opt out of min wage for a while to allow salons to afford them?

*puts tin hat on and runs for cover*

 

[MorganDazzle]

It really is all about the cost, not people's age. Maybe take it up with your MP?

Perhaps there could be changes so that older trainees could opt out of min wage for a while to allow salons to afford them?

*puts tin hat on and runs for cover*

No need to run for cover i actually would welcome that change to allow me to gain valuable in salon experience.