From education to employment

Barnsley College Barbering Apprentice styles his future

@BarnsleyCollege apprentice, Dan Ogden, is celebrating after reaching the final of the first ever Concept Hair Apprentice of the Year competition where he impressed the judges with his barbering skills and battled it out with 45 other talented apprentices.

The Concept Hair Apprentice of the Year competition provides the next generation of hairdressers and barbers the chance to be recognised for their hard work and skills.

Dan, a Level 2 Barbering Apprentice, secured his place in the final after winning the regional heat in February 2020. The live final was originally planned to take place at the L’Oréal Academy in London in March but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was re-scheduled to October and changed to a virtual event where the competitors were required to complete their entry at home, work or college.

The theme for Dan’s category was either Peaky Blinders or The Great Gatsby. Opting for the Peaky Blinders style, Dan was given just 45 minutes to use his expert barbering and styling skills to do a full restyle and create the look on a real model.

He completed his competition entry at his place of work at Leslie Frances’ Salon, The Barber Shop in Barnsley and then submitted his entry online for judging.

The judging panel consisted of leading professionals within the industry, including celebrity hairdresser and former Barnsley College student Andrew Barton, Fellowship for British Hairdressing Chancellor Ashleigh Hodges, Wahl Global Artistic Director Simon Shaw and VTCT’s Apprenticeship Business Development Manager Jacqui McIntosh.

Dan said: “Although I didn’t win, I was really happy and proud to reach the final and to take part in the competition. Barbering is my passion and it’s always nice to be involved with something in the industry that shows off what barbers do.

“My two College tutors Claire and Charlotte have been really good in providing help and support with all aspects of my College course. No way would I have been able to do all of this without them or the College.”

Claire Schofield, Curriculum Leader for Hair and Beauty and Dan’s College tutor, added:

“We are so proud of Dan. We entered him into the competition because of his natural flair, commitment and drive he has for barbering. The hard work and effort he put in prior to the competition and throughout his apprenticeship is a credit to him. He is a very talented barber with a great future ahead of him. Well done Dan!” 


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