Student Spotlight - Melissa Martin
“We've got a brilliant class; we range from 17 right up to 45!”
The number of hair and beauty businesses in the UK increased by 2.5% last year.* Our courses here at UHI Perth cover all aspects of technical hairdressing skills and also focus on employability and communication skills. We provide you with the right balance of knowledge and abilities to take on a wide range of hairdressing roles in this expanding industry.
Melissa decided to return to hairdressing after a break in her learning due to ill health. We had a chat with her to find out how the experience has been 👇 ✂️
What is your name and what course are you studying?
My name is Melissa Martin, and I'm doing Level 6 Hairdressing.
What were you doing before the course and why did you choose it?
I was a Hairdresser previously. I did my Level 2 through an apprenticeship at Copperfield’s when I was 16, and I trained there for three years. I then became really poorly and didn’t work for five years. I then had a wee boy and he encouraged me, now that he's at nursery, to come back and restart my career all over again; kind-of putting being ‘mum’ to the side and focusing on me again.
How did you feel when you started at UHI Perth?
I was nervous because I've not really been in a working/learning environment in a while, but I was really excited. I knew what the college had to offer so I was excited and looking forward to getting back into the salon.
What subjects have you studied/enjoyed during your course?
I love being in the salon - being practical and hands-on. We've got clients in on a Wednesday now so we're really doing it, not just on the doll’s heads, so I am enjoying being in the salon and engaging with clients. We're doing a Christmas stall to raise money for the Little Princess Trust as part of our personal development plans that we're doing in theory class, so I am really enjoying that as well.
How have you got on with your classmates?
We've got a brilliant class; we range from 17 right up to 45. I'm in middle of that in my mid 20s, but I think we've got a brilliant class. Everyone gets on, we've been very lucky with our group of girls and guys that we've had this year because we've all become friendly. I’m absolutely loving it!
What do you like about the campus/facilities?
We’re in one of the newer buildings within the college. The facilities are brilliant - we've got a full salon and back washes - we've got all the equipment we need.
We've also got the sports hall and the gym in the ASW, and we’ve got Starbucks across the road in the Webster building - so that's always a bonus as well.
How have your lecturers supported you?
Paula is my main lecturer, she’s so supportive and is on the ball with us. If we’re off, then she makes sure all our work's emailed out to us so we can do it from home. They just make it all run really smoothly.
How has your course prepared you for industry?
Because I worked in the industry to start with, I kind of did it backwards. I learned in the industry and then I've come to college so I'm lucky that I've already had a very good working understanding of how it would be in the real world. We get clients in on a Wednesday in a salon environment and that’s no different than going into a salon in industry so it's totally transferable. I do think it really prepares you for working in a salon, working alongside other stylists, knowing when to ask for help, knowing what equipment you've got available to you. I really think that our practical sessions will set us up for working outside of college.
What are your future plans after your course?
I would love to work for myself. My dream would be to have a cabin salon - working from home and working my own hours - so that’s my plan when I finish at college.
What advice would you give to new students?
You just have to do it, you just get stuck in. It’s scary at first, and you're going to make mistakes, but there’s always something to learn. You have just got to soak up all the information you can, and you can never know enough.
If you’d like to find out more about our hairdressing courses, come along to our Open Day on Wednesday 21 January from 2-5pm
* source = https://www.nhbf.co.uk/about-the-nhbf/industry-statistics/
