Dame Louise Ellman MP visited The City of Liverpool College’s Duke Street Centre to meet Alan Woods OBE, Chief Executive of the Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT), Elaine Bowker, Principal at the College, and the team that deliver VTCT’s technical qualifications and apprenticeships to learners in Riverside.

During their visit, Dame Louise and Alan discussed the importance of technical education to the UK’s economy, and the crucial role it can play in tackling poverty and deprivation. They also met with a number of learners who are studying for VTCT’s qualifications and apprenticeships in Level 2 Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy and Barbering, and had the opportunity to watch them in action, testing out their skills in training.

In light of recent revelations by Ofsted that Level 2 service industry courses including beauty and hair were identified by colleges as giving learners the ‘greatest chance’ of progressing into employment, both Dame Louise and Alan had the opportunity to hear first-hand why so many young people are choosing to start a career in this sector, which is a thriving space for young aspirational professionals seeking a long-term career in the industry.

Dame Louise Ellman, MP for Liverpool, Riverside, said:

“Thanks to VTCT and the staff and learners at The City of Liverpool College for having me today. It was great to look around the College’s hair and beauty training facilities and find out more about how VTCT’s technical qualifications and apprenticeships are upskilling learners in my constituency.

“Providing our young people with high quality education and technical training is crucial to ensuring they have the skills they need to take up new jobs in our economy, to boosting social mobility in areas that have been left behind and to tackling the UK’s marked skills gap.

“The City of Liverpool College is a vital provider of technical education in our city, and I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to speak to learners about their skills and future career aspirations. We must drive a culture shift to promote technical qualifications and apprenticeships as valuable routes into rewarding careers.”

Alan Woods OBE, Chief Executive of VTCT, said:

“I was delighted to meet Dame Louise and speak with the learners who are working hard towards completing our technical qualifications and apprenticeships.

“VTCT is leading in the provision of high-quality technical awards and assessments and it was fantastic to demonstrate our hugely valuable work to Dame Louise.

“The Government must lead from the top by promoting the value of technical and vocational education, and by making sure that colleges like The City of Liverpool College, and the employers they works with, are able to fund and accommodate the three-month work placement requirement of the new T Levels.

“This will be crucial in ensuring that the Government’s post-16 Skills Plan achieves its intention of delivering lasting change within our technical education and apprenticeships system.”

Elaine Bowker, Principal, The City of Liverpool College, said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Dame Louise to The City of Liverpool College today to showcase the range of VTCT courses we deliver to learners, helping to ensure they are equipped with the skills they need to pursue their career of choice.

“Providing young people with the opportunity to develop their technical and professional skills, through high-quality qualifications, is essential to helping them achieve their full potential.”

The third edition of the unscripted series THE SHOP, from HBO Sports and UNINTERRUPTED, starring LeBron James and Maverick Carter and featuring a diverse lineup, will debut FRIDAY, DEC. 21 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. Joining James and Carter in THE SHOP will be Grammy Award-winner Mary J. Blige, groundbreaking screenwriter and actress Lena Waithe, rapper Nas, plus late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Los Angeles Rams’ star running back Todd Gurley, NBA champion Chris Bosh and rapper, writer and actor Ice Cube.

The show is also available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.

HBO Sports is collaborating with James and Carter’s award-winning digital media company, UNINTERRUPTED, to present this innovative, unscripted series. The program offers unfiltered conversation and debate with some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment and airs periodically throughout the year.  The first episode was filmed in Los Angeles and debuted August 21.  Episode two was produced in Washington, DC and aired on Oct. 12.  The third installment takes place in Los Angeles.

In issue five we cover a wealth of topics, from music in the barbershop to the new and growing world of hair enhancement. Read More …

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BARBER PRO are very excited to announce another win for their newly launched BARBER PRO SKIN RENEWING FOIL mask with Hyaluronic Acid and Q10.

The foil backed mask, which intensely hydrates the skin, won “Best New Male Facial Product” at the 2018 Beauty Awards with OK! Magazine.

The mask is applied with the foil on the outs. Within the 20 minute treatment, the natural body temperature will radiate from the face and reflect against the foil. This process creates a warming sensation, which helps accelerate the penetration of ingredients into the skin.

Ruffians is heading to New York City and they’re bringing their best-of-British barbering A-game with then… and they couldn’t be more excited about it!

With six years leading the revolution in men’s barbering and grooming in the UK under their belts, they are bringing the Ruffians experience on those unsuspecting yet discerning Big Apple punters.

On announcing the news, Andrew Cannon, Ruffians co-founder, said:“Almost exactly five years ago, we launched Ruffians in Covent Garden – bang in the centre of London. Since then we’ve expanded with stores in some of our favourite areas: Marylebone, Soho and Shoreditch. People love what we are doing, and this has been recognised in all the awards we’ve won along the way. But we have always wanted to push the boundaries, so we’ve decided to dip our toe into international expansion – and where better to start than New York?!”

So, on Saturday 15th December, Ruffians New York City will open its doors for one day only – thanks to their friends at O.N.S Clothing. O.N.S are hosting our pop-up barber shop in their menswear haven in the heart of SoHo, the most exciting and dynamic shopping district in the city.

“Teaming up with O.N.S was a no brainer for us. We love their mindset and culture, and we believe they complement Ruffians perfectly. Their Soho store is beautiful – it’s the perfect launchpad for Ruffians in the USA. We could not be happier to be teaming up with them to bring our award-winning British barbering to the States!”– Andrew Cannon.

O.N.S customers picking out party outfits and Christmas gifts will also be offered the full range of Ruffians services including haircuts and trims, beard tidies and facials. They will also be able to enjoy a bottle of the signature Ruffians pale ale while their barbers get to work doing what they do best!

The pop-up will be hosted by Ruffians’ Creative Director Denis Robinson, who brings years of experience at the top of British hairdressing, and Ruffians Shoreditch manager and all-round superstar Tommy Cunliffe – previous winner of the British hairdressing’s Rising Star award. Both of whom are incredibly excited to be representing Ruffians in the US:

“I’ve been to NYC for work many times, but there’s something hugely humbling about being chosen for Ruffians’ first foray into North America. As well as the pop-up shop which will be a great learning experience and lots of fun, we’ve also got some exciting editorial shoots lined up, so it’s going to a full-on few days”. – Denis Robinson, Ruffians Creative Director.

A new range of male grooming products is being launched by kidney transplant patient and Richmond barber George Angeli with half the profits going to charity.Read More …

A few months in to the Wahl Fade It Forward program, the chosen students have found that the support from UCAN, a Chicago social service organization, has given them a leg up at His & Hers Barber School.

“The four-week mentorship program prior to starting class gave me a head start on cutting because I learned about everything in the first five chapters of our textbook prior to classes starting. It helped out a lot,” said Andre Whittington.

Now in their fifth month of the 13-month program, Mikayla Harper, Andre Whittington, Quientin Crump, and Sebastian Moore, are able to fully understand the benefits of the Fade It Forward program. Wahl’s Fade It Forward Mentorship Program presented each mentee with a full scholarship to His & Hers Barber School, a mentor and the continued support of UCAN. The Wahl Fade It Forward Program was created when Wahl Education & Artistic Team (W.E.A.T.) member Garland “G-Whiz” Fox and a few others began to think about how they could give back to the community. They decided to find some at-risk youth that need a chance and give them an opportunity.

“Wahl really wanted to truly affect people’s lives with this venture,” said Lance Wahl, Global Vice President – Professional Products, Wahl Clipper Corporation. “We know that to really succeed in this industry, you need to have a strong foundation. The mentors that Garland and UCAN found for these students are really helping them grow as professionals and people. When you combine the mentorship with the strong school system that His & Hers provides, it gives us high hopes for their future in this awesome industry.”

Initially, the promise of a scholarship to attend His & Hers Barber School gave the students the most excitement. As they’ve gotten more into the ins and outs of barbering, having a professional mentor on call has been a great help.

“I have reached out to my mentor for a lot of customer service questions. I had a client that wanted me to do something different than what they had described to me, so they got mad at me. I went back to my mentor and asked them what to do to handle those situations,” said Sebastian Moore.

The partnership with UCAN provides the students with transportation and community assistance. The students know if they need anything, they can reach out to UCAN and get support. His & Hers has also given the students an opportunity to give back to their community by arranging back-to-school cuts for kids in need.

The students are on track to graduate in August 2019. With the confidence from the Fade It Forward program, the students look forward to graduating, getting into the work force and eventually becoming mentors themselves.

Professional haircare brand OSMO has appointed barbering talent, Myles Lewis, as one of its latest Brand Ambassadors.Read More …

Wahl Professional USA / Wahl Professional UK has released the 100 Year Clipper to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the company.

With a nod of thanks to its loyal customers, the 100 Year Clipper is the company’s pledge to honor the past, look toward the future and never stop innovating.