Andrew barton announces able education programme

Andrew Barton, creative director of the HEADMASTERS salon group, has unveiled his latest creative and education concept, Andrew Barton London Education - ABLE. ABLE is a unique, contemporary training scholarship which offers further education institutions a comprehensive training programme to their existing portfolio of hairdressing education. The concept was created to meet the needs of full time students or apprentices the and gives students an extended qualification linked to the hairdressing industry and empowers their employment opportunities with an ABLE certificate alongside the traditional NVQ or technical qualification. Andrew said: "After decades of hearing the debate in the industry about raising standards I decided there was a need to develop and offer a link between industry and further education. ABLE will not only lift the experience and aspirations of students but also support lecturers in their pursuit to offer quality education and develop the skill set of the hairdressers of the future." The programme will launch in the school year of September in Andrew's hometown, Barnsley - at the exact college that Andrew qualified asa trainee hairdresser 30 years ago. The ABLE scholarship, created and presented by Andrew, is set to roll out at a number of institutions nationwide over the next three years with a target to become a British product of excellence and exported internationally. Sarah Seaman, General Manager of ABLE said: "ABLE is an innovation in further education. It will help students expand their hairdressing skills and commitment to quality. Plus it will enhance their learning by participating in an exclusive training programme developed by Andrew, improving their skill set and their long term employability. Our industry is challenged by the levels of entry and this initiative is a huge step forward in the progression of the hairdressing industry and its future hairdressers. Andrew is truly passionate about the future careers of young people, the recognition of hairdressing as a profession and improving industry standards and it’s been a pleasure to see his vision come to life."