We finally made it out of Covid and everyone has been working their socks off ever since, getting caught up with their qualifications and assessments and through their End Point Assessments after months of being in lockdown!
The results are coming through thick and fast, and as you would expect with all the effort everyone is putting in, they haven’t disappointed. A fantastic amount of you have been gaining distinctions and progressing onto greater things.
We have been amazingly proud of the dedication and determination shown by employers, apprentices, and educators in pulling together and supporting each other to come out the other side and with such tremendous results.
It’s also been over a year since we received our fantastic OFSTED inspection result of OUTSTANDING in all areas, again! And nearly a year since we were voted the Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship Training Provider of the year for 2022.
But that’s enough of looking back, I’m now looking forward to another amazing year in 2023, with all the usual challenges and celebrations but with the added excitement of a full rebrand.
A new name, a new look but the same outstanding service!
2023 will be a year of growth, not just for Kleek but for everyone who is Part of the Kleek. Our business grow’s when your business does, our team develops as you and your teams develop and we will be there every step of the way to offer advice, direction, support and someone to chat to.
Here’s to a great Christmas and a fabulous 2023 and Welcome to The Kleek!
7,000 TRAINING
Over 7000 apprentices have been trained by Kleek Apprenticeships in the 20 years we have been providing outstanding training.
We currently work with over 400 salons nationwide helping them to build their team and develop the next generation of stylists and therapists.
Over 97% of apprentices who take part in their EPA have a successful outcome with either a pass or a distinction.
400 97% 92%
Over 92% of apprentices who succeed in the apprenticeship go onto a positive destination, either staying with their salon or moving to another role in the industry.
So, Saks Apprenticeships’ name is no more, and Kleek Apprenticeships is the future!
But many of you will be wondering why we are changing, what are we doing and how are we doing it, and, in this section, we hope to answer all those questions and more!
Why did we choose to rebrand?
How our brand sounds, speaks, looks, and feels is one of the most important things we use to attract the next generation of apprentices. As we move forward as a brand, we need to become more aligned with the younger generation, their ideals, their problems and their way of working.
We are fantastic at what we do, in fact, Ofsted tells us we’re ‘outstanding’!
We can therefore be extremely confident that what we do, shown to the right audience in the right way is going to be very well received indeed.
With this understanding, we felt that a review of the whole look and feel of who we are and what we do was needed to help us stand out and be the go-to place for apprenticeships.
Firstly, we had to take a long hard look at ourselves. Were we projecting the right image considering that our ‘end-user,’ so to speak, are generally young people at the beginning of their chosen career path? Could our brand look and feel more attuned to those young people, to resonate more?
Our answer was YES.
Could our tone of voice and brand narrative be more relevant?
Again, a very clear YES. ‘You can’t talk to people if they’re not listening!’
By walking the walk and talking the talk, we believe more and more people will look to us as their preferred option when it comes to learning the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to succeed in their careers.
Educators will instinctively know that this will provide a platform to deliver great training and education. Salons will see the benefit of sending their apprentices to what is and will represent the pinnacle of hair and beauty training across the country.
Right, that’s why, so now, what do we change and how do we deliver?
What’s in a name?
Our experience has told us that a great bond can be created between students and educators. A bond that will be looked back on fondly by the professionals of the future.
We wanted to emphasise this genuine sense of community and belonging. We wanted people to feel proud of their time with us as they complete their apprenticeship training.
Working with the idea of being part of a tribe, and after narrowing down a wide field, we decided on the name: KLEEK Apprenticeships.
Derived from the noun: ‘Clique’ to mean a narrow, exclusive circle or group of friends, it will help our apprentices, employers and employees to feel part of something bigger and give them the feeling of security and confidence this group provides.
We have adopted phonetic spelling to create a more memorable, contemporarysounding name that will jump to the front of the mind when thinking about hair and beauty apprenticeships.
As you will see, we have given the entire graphic design, typographic and photographic style a young, slightly contemporary feel to resonate with the young people looking to be expertly trained as hairdressers and beauticians.
Combining our ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating with the idea of being in the Kleek, projecting a message of community and quality, where people looking to start apprenticeships, are already part of or have achieved with the Kleek, all think the same thing:
Why would you go anywhere else?
Our recent re-brand, moving away from Saks Apprenticeships to Kleek, was all about being more attuned to our audience. Whether that be students, hair and beauty salons or educators.
Kleek, we feel, is now a more youthful, energetic and passionate brand. These are also qualities we would want to see reflected in a new generation of hair and beauty professionals.
With that set firmly in our minds, we wanted to further ignite the enthusiasm and passion of selected Kleek apprentices by giving them a glimpse into, what could be, their own exciting future in hair and beauty.
A competition was set in motion by posting the call-out for entries on our exclusive Kleek Facebook group earlier this year. The apprentices were invited to enter and be in with a chance of attending a photo shoot to work on top models to create content for an upcoming Kleek digital campaign. This would give them invaluable experience working with industry professionals, an experience that would give them a real insight into what it would be like working in hair and beauty at the highest level.
“Overall, my experience of the photo shoot was amazing I was thrilled to be selected for it in the first place and was excited because I had never been to London before, it was definitely something that I was proud to be a part of and something that I want to pursue in the future. I gained a lot of knowledge that weekend, and I felt that the way in which Luke explained and showed his skills was easy to follow and was able to bring that experience and knowledge back to my salon, I’m forever grateful for that opportunity with Kleek and my apprenticeship as a whole has been successful. I would like to thank Kleek and John Anthoney, my salon owner, for the enjoyable journey to get me to where I am today.”
John Anthoney Hair
The competition was open to Kleek apprentices across England for both hair and beauty. To enter, they needed to comment on the competition post with a picture or video of their work based on the theme of a ‘Hollywood look.’
7 apprentices were then chosen from the entries and won an all-expenses paid trip to London with an overnight stay and, of course, the full-day photo shoot.
In May this year, the winning apprentices were taken along to the photography studio in Notting Hill, West London accompanied by the Kleek team. The shoot was directed by Luke Pluckrose, Creative Director of Saks UK, and his hand-picked ensemble of photographers, videographers, hair stylists, make-up artists, nail technicians and wardrobe stylists.
It was an unforgettable experience, taking in the full-day shoot and assisting the stylists with the look and feel and, of course, seeing top models in action.
It is days like this that encourage and inspire all involved but particularly those young apprentices just starting out on their journey in their chosen profession of hair and beauty.
“It was amazing to be able to give this outstanding opportunity to some of our up and coming apprentices. The chance to work with some of the biggest names isn’t just something we say to get people on board, it’s something that any of our apprentices can do, with a bit of dedication and determination.”
TINA OCKERBY Managing Director
Christmas is always a busy time in the hair and beauty industry, therefore its important to make sure you look after yourself – both physically and mentally. We know its coming every year so how can we prepare for it?
• Get a good nights sleep – Don’t burn the candle at both ends
• Connect with people - Remember to put your phone down and spend quality time with your friends and family
• Be Active - Go for a short brisk walk to de-stress
• Avoid unhealthy habits, don’t rely on smoking, alcohol or caffeine to get you through the day
• Have some me time – Take a bath, book a massage, read a book –anything that will stop the stress response
MANDY DURKIN Kleek National Training Manager• If your feeling stressed, talk to someone, don’t keep it in. We’re always available to chat and you can talk to any of our safeguarding team on these numbers
Mandy Durkin 07899 950872
Tina Ockerby 07968 869213
Nicola Aviolet 07703 702146
Mark Grainger 07525 966978
Follow a few of these simple steps and when Christmas Eve rolls around you will have the energy to enjoy the festivities and face whatever 2023 has to throw at us!
What is the Level 3 Diploma in Advanced and Creative Hair Professional?
The advanced apprenticeship is the current level 3 hairdressing apprenticeship which was introduced in July 2020 to replace Hairdressing NVQ level 3. It was developed to upskill Level 2 qualified hairdressers to a more advanced level, offering salons more specialised stylists and opening more career opportunities for the apprentice.
Who is the advanced apprenticeship suitable for?
Advanced and Creative Hair Professional Apprentices want to develop their skills to be more creative, passionate, and driven professionals who can work without supervision, managing themselves and others when required. They provide a high-quality service, whilst working to the highest standards and continuously developing their personal and professional skills.
What Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours will an apprentice learn?
The level 3 hairdressing apprenticeship covers all the core knowledge and skills needed to become an advanced and creative hairdresser, including:
How is it assessed?
The apprentice will gather evidence showing a collection of hairstyle looks which will cover all the knowledge, skill, and behaviour requirements of the apprenticeship. The evidence will be made up of a variety of mediums includingcase studies, photos, videos, and witness testimonies which showcase your best work. This evidence is then submitted to the End Point Assessment organisation ready to be reviewed and used during the End Point Assessment.
What is involved in the End Point Assessment?
• Knowledge test (40 questions) - 80 mins
• Observation and questioning - 1 x precision cut (this cut must be reproduced from your collection of looks) and 1 x creative colour conversion – 5 Hours
• Professional discussion – A 45 minute discussion using the portfolio of evidence and collection of hairstyle looks to inform the professional discussion and explain how each
Maintaining effective and safe methods
Giving clients advice on future services and products
The advanced apprenticeship is the current level 3 beauty apprenticeship which was introduced in February 2021. It was developed to offer apprentices the opportunity to learn advanced wellbeing and holistic therapy skills as well as business skills. This in turn offers salons more specialised therapists and opens more career opportunities for the apprentice.
Who is the advanced apprenticeship suitable for?
Wellbeing and Holistic Therapist
Apprentices want to develop their skills to be more specialised and focussed professionals who can work without supervision, managing themselves and others when required. They provide a high-quality service, whilst working to the highest standards and continuously developing their personal and professional skills.
The level 3 wellbeing and holistic therapist apprenticeship covers all the core knowledge and skills needed to create, implement and adapt tailored holistic and wellbeing experiences, these skills include
How is it assessed?
The apprentice will gather a portfolio of evidence which will cover all the knowledge, skill, and behaviour requirements of the apprenticeship. The evidence will be made up of a variety of mediums including - case studies, photos, videos, and witness testimonies which showcase your best work. This evidence is then submitted to the End Point Assessment organisation ready to be reviewed and used during the End Point Assessment.
What is involved in the End Point Assessment?
Knowledge test (44 questions)80-90 mins
Observation and questioning3 treatments on 3 clients covering Indian Head Massage, Wellness and Holistic Massage Treatment and Thermal Therapy Treatment typically taking around 4 Hours 15 mins
• Professional discussion – A 45 minute discussion using the portfolio of evidence and focussing on the themes
This made me feel confident when I did this independently, so I hope my talk inspired everyone to do the same - to try do things independently and learn new skills.
I talked about what apprenticeships are & outlined my work in the salon along with the practice & assessments I do with Kleek Apprenticeships, the training providers who work with Bliss.
It was great to share my favourite things I’ve done so far - I’ve worked in all 3 branches of Bliss & met everyone who works there. I enjoy perfecting my skills on the practice heads, talking to the clients at the backwash, learning lots of new skills and having fun with the team.
I was asked to help deliver deaf awareness training and basic British Sign Language to the team at our last conference day and I’m now working on real models and really enjoying learning all the colour and styling techniques Bliss is known for.
Kleek apprentice, Natasha Bloor who works at Bliss Hair in Nottingham, was recently invited back to her old school to talk about her career in hairdressing, here she gives us a few words on this fantastic accolade.
“Last month, I went to visit my old school to talk to deaf pupils about my work journey at Bliss and how I got to where I am today. I am deaf and have a cochlear implant fitted. I am fluent in BSL and use speech and lip reading to communicate with the team and clients in the salons.
Firstly, I explained how I applied for the position of apprenticeship and how I got into contact with Nick, who is the salon owner, by myself, I met him previously when he came to give a talk to my class about his artwork, which has some deaf themes & he also talked about his hairdressing career at Bliss.
I’ve learnt so much about myself and my confidence has really grown.”
Natasha, who is part way through her hairdressing level 2 apprenticeship offers up an amazing example of what can be achieved with the right attitude and is doing fantastically well with her apprenticeship at Bliss Hair. We are proud to be associated with such a inspirational person and are looking forward to helping her achieve the greatness she deserves.
If you would like to follow in the footsteps of Natasha and the other amazing apprentices with Kleek Apprenticeships we have many great salons with new apprenticeship opportunities available right now on our vacancies pages and if you are in the Nottingham or Loughborough area take a look at blisshair. com to find out more about their stunning salons and the tremendous training opportunities.
Art Director Luke Pluckrose told us about his career in hairdressing.
What made you choose to start out on a career in hairdressing?
I always had a passion for hairdressing, I used to blow dry my mum’s hair for her before she went out, and whenever I was in a salon getting my hair cut it was always full of young cool people and I thought this is the type of place I want to work.
What are you doing now and how did your apprenticeship help you achieve this?
The creative environment of the apprenticeship has really helped me, the people I worked with were super creative, travelling the world and doing massive shows. This showed me what I could become and drove me to where I am now.
What roles did you work in before you reached the position you are in now?
Believe it or not, I was an air conditioning engineer before starting out on the apprenticeship. Once I decided to get into hairdressing, I started with the general salon duties such as sweeping, washing hair, and helping the team, I then started as a junior stylist moving up through the ranks to become an art director.
I then became an educator teaching all the skills I had learned to new stylists and apprentices. Now I travel the world doing shows, photo shoots and campaigns working with celebs like Kim Kardashian.
What is the most exciting/memorable to happen in your career?
There are lots of memorable things that have happened to me in my career so far and hopefully a lot more to come. If I was to choose a few top highlights obviously being able to do Kim Kardashian’s hair a couple of times is a definite highlight. Being asked to do the Loreal colour Trophy Grand Final show, where you can push your creativity to the limits, was a big hairdressing highlight. Having grown up seeing how much of a big deal these shows are it was a massive honour to be asked to do this.
What advice would you give to apprentices to help them succeed in their career?
Set your mind right, focus on completing your training and getting the fundamental skill set right, these are key.
Then decide on which direction you want to take your career, do you want to stay in the salon, own your own, follow me into session styling with celebrities and shows, focus your mind on how you are going to get there, ask the right people the right questions and get in front of people who do what you want to do, message them offer to assist them, you might have to work for free at the start but the visibility and experience is worth more in the long run.
“Love the job, learn the job and avenues will open up for you.”
This can flare up after using chemicals just a few times. More commonly it develops gradually through frequent wet working or working with milder chemicals like shampoo. This is often a vicious circle. A patch of skin may become sore after being in contact with an irritating substance. This causes skin damage, once damaged; the skin is more easily affected by irritants. So, further contact, even with small amounts of the substance, may cause further inflammation and damage and so on.
Hairdressers are prone to irritant contact dermatitis and up to 70% of hairdressers suffer from work related skin damage such as dermatitis at some point in their career. In most cases this is absolutely preventable.
Contact dermatitis is an inflammation caused by your skin reacting to a substance it has come into contact with. In hairdressing this could be shampoo or chemicals and you may need a patch test to identify the substance causing the problem. A steroid cream will usually clear the rash. However, avoiding contact by using gloves is the best prevention, especially when hairdressing.
This can develop quickly after only a few contacts with a substance like shampoos or colours. Sometimes it can take months or even years for the allergy to develop. Once you are allergic it is highly likely you will be allergic for life and this could happen at any time, even if you have had no problems previously in your career. With allergic contact dermatitis, the things you can become allergic to at work might well also be in things you use at home - like your shampoo, or your household cleaners. So if you become allergic to something in the salon it could well affect all aspects of your life.
STEP 1 - Wear disposable non-latex gloves when rinsing, shampooing and colouring.
STEP 2 - Dry your hands thoroughly with a soft cotton or paper towel every time they get wet.
STEP 3 - Moisturise after washing your hands, as well as at the start and end of each day.
Did you know that sexual orientation discrimination and gender reassignment discrimination are both illegal in the UK and are listed as protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. They arise when someone is unfairly disadvantaged for reasons related to their sexual orientation or because they are transsexual – their gender identity differs from that which was assigned at birth.
But still many LGBT+ people still feel as though they are unable to be themselves at work.
Over one third of LGBT staff say they must hide their sexual orientation at work and 20% have experienced negativity from work colleagues in the past because of their trans identity.
As salon owners and employers there are things you can do to take steps towards building an inclusive and diverse culture in your place of work.
• Do your employment policies and practices help to celebrate and encourage differences?
• Are there processes in place to allow your employees to voice issues about inequality and voice their opinions on what needs to change?
• Are your other policies genderneutral and inclusive. Include practical examples of unacceptable behaviour, clear policies can help to reduce cases of bullying
• Work closely with your team to ensure they know how to support trans colleagues
• Work with your LQBT+ team mates in a positive way, ensuring a two-way dialogue to help develop your policies, processes and salon culture
Sexual Harassment has been in the news a lot recently with high profile reports including the story of Sarah Everard and the increase in attacks of girls and boys in nightclubs to name a few.
Kleek Apprenticeships are always on the lookout for new and innovative ways of helping their apprentices, employers, and employees to protect themselves against all types of discrimination and in 2021 they supplied many of our apprentices with attack alarms to make them safer in their everyday lives.
• Butt slapping, ogling, making sexual comments or sexual gestures
• Spreading sexual rumours about an employee
• Leaving sexual, romantic or unwanted gifts
• Repeating hugs or such unwanted touching
• Discussing an employee’s sex life in front of another
Disclaimer:
• Making offensive gestures
• Negatively talking about someone’s race, ethnicity or religion
• Wearing clothes that offend a particular ethnic group
• Ridiculing someone and sharing inappropriate jokes
• Passing comments on an employee’s skin colour or ethnic traits
It is quite easy to spot the law-breaking behaviours in these examples, but did you also know that sexual harassment happens everywhere and it is common in the workplace? It can cause stress and hostility in the workplace, and over time, it can lead to physical and emotional problems, like headaches, nausea, cystitis, depression, anxiety, problems sleeping and eating, and loss of self-confidence.
So what exactly is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel distressed, intimidated or humiliated. It can take lots of different forms. It can include or be called sexualised bullying.
If any of these are happening to you, it is not your fault and you are not being unreasonable. The harasser is to blame and is abusing their position of trust and power.
It is down to everyone to call out any form of harassment, especially in the workplace and if you feel as though you can’t speak to someone at work your Kleek Educator or Safeguarding team, who’s details are on the following page, are always available to you. Or you can get in touch with one of the many helplines available such as ACAS on 0300 123 1100 or Galop on 0800 9995428.
SAFEGUARDING AND WELFARE AT KLEEK APPRENTICESHIPS
Kleek Apprenticeships promote the welfare and the safeguarding of all young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to their care.
It is important that everyone associated with Kleek Apprenticeships are protected from abuse, neglect or significant harm and the welfare of our learners, educators, salon owners and staff is paramount to us.
To ensure all safeguarding and welfare concerns are given the highest priority Kleek Apprenticeships have a dedicated safeguarding team who can be contacted to discuss any safeguarding and welfare concerns or offer advice and direction.
If you would like to contact one of our safeguarding team, they are available at any time.
Email: safeguarding@ kleekapprenticeships.co.uk
Mandy Durkin 07899 950872
Tina Ockerby 07968 869213
Nicola Aviolet (Maidstone) 07703 702146
Mark Grainger 07525 966978
If someone at risk is in immediate danger call the Police on 999
British values is a term which has been mentioned pretty frequently recently, and is something you’ll be hearing a lot more often throughout your apprenticeship studies, but what does it mean?
British values refer to the actions of ‘accepting’, ‘respecting’ and ‘tolerating’ others. There are four fundamental British values’, and these are democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.
So that’s what the British Values are but what do they mean?
DEMOCRACY - A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
HOW DOES THIS HELP ME?
This means you have the right to have your say in one way or another in everything that affects your life rather than being dictated to. You can vote to help decide the people who make the laws are people who have similar ideas as you and can represent you in government.
THE RULE OF LAW - The principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced.
HOW DOES THIS HELP ME?
Laws are put into place to protect us. For example, there’s laws about maximum number hours you should work, the minimum amount you should be paid and there’s laws in place that protect you from discrimination.
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY - The liberty of an individual to exercise freely those rights generally accepted as being outside of governmental control.
HOW DOES THIS HELP ME?
This means you can make your own choices and not have someone tell you what to do. Basically, it means no one can force you to do anything and that you have the right to be yourself.
MUTUAL RESPECT FOR AND TOLERANCE OF THOSE WITH DIFFERENT FAITHS AND BELIEFS AND FOR THOSE WITHOUT FAITHRegard for or admiration by each of two or more people or groups about the other.
HOW DOES THIS HELP ME?
This means that even though people may not agree with you on everything they will respect each your opinion therefore stopping it becoming an issue. This also works the other way everyone must respect the opinions of others.
By following and understanding these values we will be better equipped to live our lives in an accepting, supportive, tolerant community.
Well-shaped and maintained eyebrows have a fantastic ability to frame and change the way your face looks in seconds, they define your eyes and can make you look years younger. Your brows are first to show your current mood whether you are happy, sad, confused or angry.
Many top beauty experts call the eyebrows the most dynamic feature of your face so looking after them and maintaining or even changing the shape is a great way to achieve the overall look your client is after.
These simple steps will help you decide the best shape for your clients’ eyebrows by giving you a guideline of where to remove and not remove hair.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
• Orange Stick (or an implement with a straight edge)
• Tweezers
MORE TOP TIPS FOR THE PERFECT BROWS
• Apply a warm towel to open the pores making it less painful when plucking
• Dab some highlights within the arch of the brow to add definition
• Avoid black tint as this may make the brows look unnatural and flat, the colour should be two shades deeper than the natural hair colour.
1. Place your orange stick vertically from the corner of the nose up to the inner corner of the eye. This is the place where the eyebrow should start, any hairs on the outside of the stick should be removed with your tweezers.
2. Move the top of the orange stick to the outer corner of the eye, keeping the bottom anchored to the corner of the nose. This is where the eyebrow should end. Remove any hairs outside of the stick.
3. Ask your client to look directly forward and align the orange stick so it goes through the middle of the pupil. It is here that the eyebrow arch should be at its highest point.
4. You can further improve the look by ensuring that all stray hairs from between the eyebrows and under the eyebrow, towards the eyelid, are removed, leaving your client with a smooth and defined shape.
Don’t forget you are your clients guide and you should advise the best treatments and procedures for them to get the look they desire but also what will suit the shape and structure of their face.
Be open, honest, and positive. Start with a positive comment about your client and always listen to what they are saying. Taking notes if you need to.
Always try to keep eye contact, it shows you’re listening and taking their comments on board.
It’s not just about what you ask, but how you ask it. Keep an open mind, pay attention to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Ask open ended questions - What do you have in mind today? What do you not want? What types of products do you use at home?
Try to repeat what they are saying back to them, again it shows you are listening and give them a chance to change an answer.
Finally make sure they’ve got accurate expectations about how the final look will be and how to maintain it.
Consultations, a service that is used in all of our apprenticeships, is the very first service your clients will receive and possibly the most important.
Each person who walks into your salon will have unique combinations of conditions, history and requirements and it is down to you to professionally assess these differences to be able to determine the best course of action, products to use and maintenance regime to be able to provide the best service for your client.
Here are some key aspects to any great consultation!
Welcome your client into the salon, introducing yourself and use their name, and let them sit first. Make sure you are sitting at the client’s level and make good eye contact, don’t talk to them through a mirror. Don’t give them a gown just yet, what they are wearing will give you an insight into their lifestyle and preferences.
Once you have found out what your client wants it’s time to find out about any problems they might have, any allergies they know about or products they can’t use.
This will help to re-assure your client and show that their care and aftercare is one of your priorities.
Clients can interpret your suggestions differently to you so it’s important to show them exactly what you’re hearing from them or options on how they can expect to look. Use photos from magazines or colour charts to make sure you both agree on what the final look should be.
Remember the consultation should be the most important part of the service and even if your salon has a pre-determined consultation length you should take as long as your client needs to make sure they get the best service possible.
We each have some of it and we all need to look after it.
This is where a budget comes in, put simply, a budget is a way of keeping an eye on your money to make sure you can achieve your goals without spending more than you earn.
The following tips will help you to list both your income and expenses and to help you manage your money better.
1. WHAT’S YOUR INCOME?
To plan your budget, one of the first things you’ll need to do is work out your takehome income. Most people know how much they earn, but it’s your take-home pay you need to think about; that’s the money you receive after tax and other deductions. You can find this on your payslip or through your employer.
If you’ve got any other consistent streams of income, such as rental income or another job, include those too, as it’ll make your budget more accurate.
2. ADD UP YOUR SPENDING
Where’s your money going each month?
Itemise all your regular spending. Once you’ve worked out how much you earn and how much you spend, find the difference and see how much money you have left over. If you’re spending more than you’re earning, find out how to create healthy spending habits here.
3. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ‘NEEDS’ AND ‘WANTS’
Needs could be bills, debt repayments and other essential living costs, while wants might be things like eating out, holidays and new gadgets. Needs and wants can overlap, and it’s easy to lose sight of the difference between the two. For instance, we need housing, but we might want a larger home in a more desirable location; we need food, but we want to eat at a restaurant.
Have a look through some of your expenses, and work out which ones fall in each category. To help, ask yourself whether you need it to survive, or whether it’s something to make your way of living more enjoyable. If you need to reduce your spending, the ‘wants’ are where to start looking for changes you can make.
Typically, it’s good to use some of your earnings to repay any debts you might have as well as trying to add to your savings each month.
Most lenders charge interest on any money you borrow from them. This means you repay a larger amount than you borrowed and the longer you take to pay the money back, the higher the amount you’ll pay in interest. So, in most cases, it’s best to prioritise paying down debts before saving –particularly short term, higher cost borrowing such as credit cards and your overdraft.
Savings are great for avoiding the stress of last-minute expenses and becoming a bit more financially comfortable. If possible, try and set some cash aside wherever you can. Pick an amount you’re comfortable with and adjust it according to your budget.
Sometimes, setting unrealistic goals means you end up worse off than before. For example, saving half of your income would help you achieve a savings goal in a shorter time. That may be ideal, but If that meant you couldn’t pay back costly debts and you couldn’t cover your essential bills, it wouldn’t be practical.
There’s a popular budgeting rule called the ‘50/30/20’ rule, where 50% of your income would go towards your needs, such as bills; 30% towards your wants, like holidays; and 20% towards your savings. While this is a well-known technique, it might not work for you – and that’s okay. Your budget should work for you, not the other way around. It doesn’t matter if you find yourself spending or saving more (or less) than others – the important part is that you can afford what you do.
Another significant part of budgeting is maintenance. Things change, expenses go up and down all the time, and you may get a new job with a different salary.
It’s important to monitor your spending. You can do this through some mobile banking apps or budgeting apps that work alongside your bank accounts and track your purchases.
If you think there’s something that would affect your overall budgeting progress, it’s probably worth having another look at what you’ve worked out and what you need to change.
So you’ve decided to create a monthly budget, congratulations, that’s your first step to a healthier bank balance.
The best place would be to have a chat with your bank they all offer support for helping you manage your money, there are also free services online such as Money Helper, www.moneyhelper.org.uk, that can help with everything from online budget planners, savings and benefits advice and other great support services.
Paris was sitting her second mock EPA with our beauty therapy assessor, Rae-Marie, and passed with flying colours, with some fantastic comments from Rae-Marie...
“Paris has worked extremely hard and completed online courses during lockdown including a Clear start course with Dermalogica. Backed by her employers at Beauty of Bedford, who supported her with new kits as she developed new skills, Paris completed treatments in preparation for her mock EPA.
Paris always listens to development feedback on my salon visits and actions these. This ability to strive to be the best she can has really impressed me when I assessed her for her mock EPA and despite the nerves, Paris passed!
Keep up the good work Paris!”
enjoy doing all the treatments, I don’t feel as nervous this time and the mocks are really helpful as I get so nervous. The two mocks have really helped me prepare for my end point assessment.”
Former Kleek Apprenticeships barbering apprentice, Nicky Tolhurst, has realised his dream of opening his own barber shop, establishing Origin Barbers in Snodland, Kent. This was the result of years of hard work, determination and passion which started when Nicky, who was 14 at the time, started helping at his local barbers. During the early years of his blossoming barbering career Nicky found it hard to find the support he needed, commenting that:
“My school weren’t very helpful in helping me pursue a career in barbering. Even though I’d already been helping in a barber shop since I was 14 and was really enjoying the atmosphere, they were trying to push me towards a career in construction or computing which really isn’t something I’m good with.”
Luckily, his dad was as supportive as they come and encouraged Nicky to follow his passion with some fantastic advice:
“If you can find a job you love, your never have to ‘work’ another day again!“.
Nicky’s dad found Kleek apprenticeships online and enrolled him onto the barbering apprenticeship trailblazer scheme to help him develop the talent he obviously had and hone his self-taught skills.
All this training and support alongside Nicky’s own determination and passion was building up to Nicky opening his own salon, where he could develop his own individual brand and bring his ideas to life, and when the opportunity came he grabbed it with both hands.
“It was perfect for what I had in mind and I managed to refurb and rebrand the shop in only 4 weeks”.
Now he is fully established in his relaxing and modern barbers shop Nicky is looking to the future and will be hoping to expand his team and give new barbers the same chance he has had very soon. In the meantime, he offers some amazing advice to aspiring apprentices looking to break into the hair and beauty industry.
“ I can’t stress enough the importance of just watching, everyone wants to get straight in with cutting but I think it was the early years of just watching that taught me the most! You learn so much without knowing, so put them phones away and start taking notice of the way your colleagues cut! “
If you are looking for an exciting and rewarding way to start your own business a Kleek Apprenticeship will give you the start you need to excel in the industry of your choice.
We are always adding new opportunities to our vacancies page so pop over and take a look to find your perfect placement.
Did you know Kleek Apprenticeships can help find your next superstar stylist?
If you have an opportunity in your salon for a new apprentice, we can help you publish, promote and place your new apprentice with our amazing recruitment service.
Your vacancy will be displayed on the Kleek Apprenticeships own vacancies portal, the Governments Find an Apprenticeship website, social media and search engines.
All you need to do is have a chat with one of our fantastic recruitment team who will get all the information they need to add your opportunity to these high traffic locations online and collect all the applications for you.
Once the team have done a few checks to make sure the applicant is suitable for your role they will be forwarded direct to you by email so that you can contact the applicants and arrange interviews.
So if you have a vacancy you are looking fill already, are thinking about hiring a new apprentice in the near future or your current apprentices are nearing completion give us a call today on 01325 281295 to set up your advert!
Did you know that Kleek Apprentices get their very own hairdressing, barbering or beauty kit to help them start their hair and beauty career?
We have brought together some fantastic items that will come in very handy as apprentices progress through the qualification and help them to achieve their goals.
This amazing kit is given out to apprentices after they have completed the first three months of their apprenticeship and is a great way to celebrate reaching this fantastic milestone.
Don’t forget to show us what you’re up to on your journey by tagging us into your social media posts and we can share them to our 20,000 followers.
Hit us up on all your favourite platforms @kleekapprentice.
As an apprentice you can also make hundreds of pounds worth of savings with the NUS Apprentice Extra card.
Available to all apprentices the NUS Apprentice extra card is the only discount card for apprentices and be used at hundreds of high street and online brands. Helping you stay fit, eat healthy and keeping your mind and body active whilst making your hard-earned cash stretch a little bit further.
For just £11 for 1 year and £19 for 2, you get discounts from the likes of The Co-op, Amazon, Mindful Chef, Alton Towers, New Look and much more!
Get yours today at www.apprenticeextra.co.uk.
Despite the obvious problems of 2021 Kleek Apprenticeships apprentices still pulled out all the stops to achieve some outstanding results in their apprenticeships including seven amazing apprentices who all joined the 100 club with their top score distinction passes.
We had a quick chat with each of these perfect performers to find out about their apprenticeship journeys.
Imogen sat the EPA for her Level 2 Hairdressing in May not long after lockdown ended so she was happy that Kleek Apprenticeships kept on training during the covid enforced break, despite all salons being closed.
Imogen was full of praise for the training she received from both her in salon trainers and he Kleek Apprenticeship Educator, Karon.
“I had a great experience with my assessor Karon and my teachers in the salon as I found them very approachable and willing to help me with every detail as many times as I needed. I’m so grateful to my assessor Karon, my salon colleagues and Kleek for my amazing training.”
Imogen Sillito ToothBecky started her level 2 hairdressing apprenticeship as it offered her the security of being able to earn a wage whilst learning her trade and gaining the experience that is sought after by employers up and down the country,
Becky found the course to be enjoyable even if it was intense and challenging at times, and she felt that “this set me up well for the workplace and the job she is in now”, alongside this she was able to make good friends and meet new people due to the in-work learning format of the apprenticeship.
When it came to the EPA, as with most people going through some of the most important parts of their career, she felt nervous beforehand but during the assessment she was made to feel at ease and relaxed.
Becky has her sights firmly set on the future and as well as moving onto her level 3 qualification she is looking to develop her skills even more by completing other courses.
“I would like to continue my education and train in hair extensions and barbering, my short-term goals are to build a full clientele at my current salon whilst developing my confidence and skills.”
Becky Ellis
After scoring 100% on her EPA offered up this advice for apprentices wanting to do the same.
Research your chose apprenticeship to ensure you receive outstanding practical learning. Working with Kleek Apprenticeships was great due to the high level of practical training which has helped me to be confident when working with clients.
Maisie, who completed her Hair level 2 apprenticeship received glowing feedback from her EPA assessor who commented that she left her clients with elegant and creative hairstyles.
She spent the build up to her assessment fine tuning her techniques and skill to ensure she had the best chance of getting that distinction and gave some sage advice for apprentices looking to follow in her footsteps.
“My advice to anyone would be work hard, take everything you can within your stride, Slow and steady wins the race. And if at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again because practice makes perfect!“
MAISIE DIX Stylers in Dover
Jamie started out on her level 2 hairdressing apprenticeship because ever since she was younger, she was interested in doing hair and she wanted to follow her passion. Even with this natural passion for hairdressing she still found the course challenging at times when it came to something she wasn’t familiar with but rewarding when she was finally able to complete those tasks without struggling.
During her 100% EPA Jamie was a bit nervous but as she put it...
“In the long run it was so worth it and I’m so glad I put in the effort to do it the examiner and my trainer Emma made me feel very comfortable while doing it”
Now that she has completed her apprenticeship Jamie is looking forward to being able to further her career and develop her skills with even more education and courses. She also offers up this fantastic advice to other apprentices.
“Just relax and take your time make sure you’ve perfected something before trying to complete other things. “
Both Maisie and Alice sat their hairdressing level 2 EPA’s in November and both got an fantastic early Christmas present in the shape of perfect 700 out of 700 scores in their Hair Level 2 apprenticeships.
Maisie found learning through the pandemic a difficult experience but with some obviously fantastic training from her salon trainers she was proud to be able to achieve her amazing EPA result.
“I’m very proud of the results of my End Point Assessment! Finishing my apprenticeship throughout the pandemic proved to be quite difficult but I had a lot of guidance and support from my salon training team at Myla and Davis (specifically Jess Gartland and Jose Agullo). I’ve always had a huge passion for curly and textured hair and I was proud to reflect that in my restyle final assessment! I’m now looking forward to extending my training and knowledge of all things hair and working as a junior stylist on the floor at Myla and Davis.”
Alice who went into the apprenticeship with confidence issues and doubts about her own abilities was guided through the training and the EPA by the fantastic team at her salon and the experienced training from her Kleek Apprenticeships educator Anna.
‘My level 2 hairdressing apprenticeship at Kleek Apprenticeships has been such a long journey due to Covid - 19 putting a spanner in the works and there were many times that I felt I’d never get to the end point assessment, but luckily I had my salon teachers pushing me through alongside Anna my educator who kept me on path all through the lockdowns.
We had weekly lessons of both theory and practical which I think actually really helped me when it came to achieving a distinction in my EPA as I had lots of information about the EPA and the key factors for achieving the best possible grade explained to me weekly.
I had always lacked confidence throughout my training and doubted my ability, but gaining a distinction grade with Kleek Apprenticeships has given me confidence and shown me that anything is possible if you really put your mind to it!’
After completing their, covid delayed apprenticeships both Maisie and Alice have started exciting careers at their respective salons and are both very respected stylists within the Myla & Davis family.
Everyone at Kleek Apprenticeships was delighted with the effort and dedication from these amazing apprentices and that they were able to secure these outstanding achievements. We are looking forward to helping them become the best stylists they can.
ACROSS
4. Cutting technique to remove weight
9. Outside part of the hair
10. Product containing oil used to style hair
11. Type 2 hair
12. Test used to check for allergy to colour
13. Hair product used to give hold when finished
DOWN
1. Type 1 hair
2. Hair grows into a point at the front hairline
3. Massage technique-deep kneading
5. Cutting technique with no tension
6. Hair grows in different ways on the top of the head
7. Type 3 hair
8. Hair test to check cuticle condition
U V M M E A R A R U X N L R U F Z U
K O N A G O E E Z U N A O I B V Y H A Y S Q N A
X B W W S E D R Q S D H A G N R C D T R X X X L
H I N G I G Y L P W M X N D E T L F L L Y K S T
O C U A C A Q H V Q W I Q D Q D R G X Q V L X D
M R C S P N O O Z Y N A N N E D V S B F R S L P
O Y L F C B K M G O K E Z M S V U V E T T N N A
P S O K I T G Z I O G P I F U Y B I S X Q M Y N
H P S C V M V T D S F B D Z V O T I I G Z W Y S
O R E G H T S Y N M O T Y N H Z I X N C J A N E
B K T H H E X A U Y H E V G Q J F G J D P A C X
I Q E J U T R D I U L F R E D N E G E H I R V U
A V D Q S T G A Y L A U X E S A M D E B V N Q A
Y R E E U Q R E D N E G F B E N M H S A I O G L
N Z N O A L C R P A X M G K A I E E T E N H V X
I A L Q L S U O N Y G O R D N A L M T F V G G I
Head Office and Kleek Academy Darlington; Call: 01325 281295
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