Hairdressers help uplift others

About 300 practising hairdressers attended the United Hairdressers Beautician Association of South Africa workshop at the Ivory Park North Hall on 12 August.

The main aim of the workshop was to unite hairdressers from across the country to create jobs for the unemployed and train those that are unqualified to be qualified.

Chairperson of the Midrand and Tembisa branch, Shoki Ndaba said, “We are going to train the unqualified hairdressers and prepare them for a trade test. I will be training candidates from Tembisa and Ivory Park areas.”

Ndaba added that close to 30 unqualified hairdressers who have been in the field for more than five years will receive a three-month training course this year. “We want to improve the standard of hairdressing and make it a professional industry. A lot of people are practising but they are not qualified.”

Training will commence soon and qualified participants will receive certificates in Afro hairdressing accredited by the Sector Education and Training Authority.

Ndaba said one of the challenges that are currently facing the industry was the lack of cooperation from foreign hairdressers. “Some foreign hairdressers do not want to learn and engage in the processes of qualification which becomes a great challenge in the development of the hairdressing trade. We would also like the government to re-open the facilities at Lazarus Nhlapho TVET College in Tembisa, which is currently closed, for the hairdressing course.”

He further stressed the importance of government to monitor the hair products that are imported into the country. “There are cheap and damaged products that are smuggled into the country which pose a big risk for clients. Products need to be tested before distributed.

“There are also salons that are being used as a front to sell drugs. The programme of qualifying hairdressers will also assist in controlling illegal salons and allow law enforcers to shut them down.”