Hairdressing Collaboration Reaches New Tides

An innovative idea from Hampshire Apprenticeship Hairdressing Academy (HAHA), with the support of Shaping Portsmouth, has seen a collaboration with Portsmouth International Port and SAGA Cruises drop anchor for hairdressing apprentices to see the career opportunities on board.

The visits so far, on 3rd and 19th March 2024, saw apprentices boarding The Spirit of Adventure to be greeted by the ship’s highly accomplished salon team who took it upon themselves to welcome the upcoming future industry talent. They were given a tour of the facilities and demonstration of the services offered onboard the ship, followed by an inspirational presentation and Q&A session.

Kate O’Mara, who has been teaching hairdressing for over seven years, described the experience as a unique (out of the box) experience for her students to explore new career pathways once they have qualified. Apprentices left the ship begrudgingly as the experience was so inspiring. The only negative that may follow is salons finding their staff wanting a nine-month secondment to experience working on board themselves.

This new collaboration has given HAHA apprentices the opportunity to step into the glamorous world of cruise ship salons, meet industry professionals in a new capacity, and see that career pathways in Portsmouth could lie in the fast-growing international port.

Steven Churcher (CEO of HAHA) would personally like to thank Andrew Williamson, Nigel Stewart, and Shaping Portsmouth for arranging this amazing ongoing opportunity for our apprentices.