What Is A Hairdressing Apprenticeship?

A Level 2 Hairdressing Apprenticeship is a great way to kickstart your career in hair. Instead of attending a full-time course like in a college, you’ll be working in a salon, learning real skills on real clients, and earning money while you train. You’ll get hands-on experience every day, building your confidence and creativity, while also working towards your qualification with the support of us as the training provider (partners of Cheynes Training)

The education program is hands-on, in-depth and the trainers and educators are all there to help you every step along the way.

Albany Level 2

Do I Need To Be Employed To Become An Apprentice?

To do an apprenticeship, you’ll need a salon to employ you as an assistant. We work with a handful of employers, so happy to send out your CV for positions — though as London is such a big place, it may be better you find a salon to work which is you like and in a location that suits you.

What You Will Be Doing

You’ll usually work full-time: working 4 days in the salon and being released from work to attend the academy on a Monday for your off-the-job training. Your apprenticeship will take around 21–24 months to complete, and once you’ve finished, you’ll have your Level 2 Hair Professional qualification — your first big step into becoming a fully qualified stylist, with the option to move on to Level 3 afterward

Course structure

You will concentrate on the following six aspects:

Consultation
Shampoo, condition and treat the hair and scalp
Cut hair using a range of techniques to create a variety of looks
Style and finish hair using a range of techniques to create a variety of look
Colour and lighten hair using a range of techniques and basic colour correction
A choice of one optional unit

Plus you’ll learn and develop the following skills, knowledge, and behaviours which are embedded within the hairdressing units:

Professionalism and Values
Behaviours and communication
Safe working practice

Assessment and Hairdressing Kit

Assessments: Once all the units above are complete, you’ll take your End Point Assessment (EPA). The assessment allows you to demonstrate your skills using a variety of techniques on clients to an independent assessor. The EPA is broken down into three parts:

- Practical assessment (1day)

- Professional discussion, presenting a portfolio of evidence

- Knowledge test (multiple-choice online exam)

Kit: You will need to purchase a kit before starting the course. A list of hairdressing tools needed can be found in the Gina Conway Hairdressing Kit List.

Wages: As an apprentice, you earn as you learn and you will be paid for your training time. You’ll be released from work one day a week to attend your course.

An apprentice’s wage will vary depending on your employer, though this rate cannot go below the apprenticeship minimum wage. A full breakdown of this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates.

The following wages apply as of 1st April 2025:

21 and over: £12.21

18 to 20: £10

Under 18: £7.55

Apprentice: £7.55

Start Dates

We are currently accepting applications for these upcoming start dates:

Monday 8th September 2025

Monday 6th October 2025

Monday 3rd November 2025

Apprenticeships Funding and Terms and Conditions here.

So, are you ready for your new career challenge?