How to develop your own training programme

Janet Maitland is a salon owner, City & Guilds external verifier and training consultant. Here she shows you how to develop a training programme that drives up standards and empowers your staff

Devote time to apprentices
Forming links with your local training provider is vital. Your apprentice will have a better understanding of each NVQ unit if you teach the practical in salon while the training provider is delivering the theory. For an insight into the best training provider in your area log on to www.ofsted.gov.uk. This site will give you details from recent government inspections and point out its strengths and why trainees like or dislike it. Your apprentices are your stylists of the future. Spend time with them, train them and empower them so they work the way you want them to.

Invest in resources
Teaching a set of classic haircuts is a fantastic start to improving your team’s performance. Find team members who will be dedicated to learning these cuts and who will then enjoy demonstrating the knowledge to the rest of the team. This can have a massive effect not only on skill levels but also on staff confidence and a knock-on effect in reducing customer complaints. Other resources for your salon include text books, training software, the internet and the latest fashion collection DVDs.

 
Plan ahead
Use annual or six-monthly appraisals as an opportunity to identify your staff training needs. Spend time with your staff in private on a one-to-one basis to look at their ambitions and how they fit with company plans. Each task on their job descriptions should be listed and before the appraisal both parties should identify any training needs to form the basis for discussion. An agreed training plan should be drawn up and it should then be the responsibility of the salon manager or owner to ensure these needs are fulfilled. Look at your year and plan training for quieter periods.