Apprentices hire themselves for the top job

Meet the former apprentices that have put themselves in executive seats.  Jessica Burns and Danielle Maullin have just opened Willenhall’s newest salon, The Ivy.

The partnership is the result of the hairdresser and beauty therapist becoming friends while training at the same salon and at Walsall College.

For Jessica, the new business is up and running just three months after she completed her apprenticeship.

“Danielle and I used to talk all the time about going into business together – we just never imagined it would happen so soon,” said 21-year-old Jessica.  “Our aim is to build a solid client base and then develop the business around the demand for particular services.

“I’m really excited to be in this position.”

The opportunity to be a salon owner happened when Jessica was looking at renting chair space in local salons and realised that renting premises with someone would cost her almost as much.  Danielle, who had been working from home for the last 18 months didn’t hesitate to get involved in the business venture.

The 22-year-old said: “The apprenticeship gave us the grounding to be successful professionals and now it’s down to us to see what we can achieve.  People prefer to get their hair and beauty treatments from the same place.  This is why we think our one stop shop approach is going to attract a lot of interest.”

Laura Ratcliffe, Apprenticeship Manager at Walsall College added: “It’s fantastic to see Jessica and Danielle fulfilling their professional ambitions so early in their careers and showing just what apprentices can achieve.  During their training, they understood the importance of maintaining high service standards and showing excellent client care.  They’re sure to continue putting these skills to excellent use.”