Ellie Jeffrey-Davis has recently joined the team at Hardysalon in Portsmouth as a trainee stylist.
The salon’s owner, Rachel Hardy, who runs the salon with Yasmin Leigh, said that investing in a younger team member has boosted the team and is urging others to consider doing the same.
She said: ‘We’ve found that by investing in younger team members, we’re really bringing something new to our family. They’re so eager to learn and get hands on, picking up new skills every day.
‘Ellie has been an amazing addition to the team and it has been very positive to have a fresh young mind with lots of ideas and enthusiasm. It’s great for Ellie too as she is able to do what she loves and work in an environment that will help her reach her career goals.
‘Ellie is busy growing her client base within the salon day by day, offering colour and styling services and looking forward to seeing her flourish.’
Ellie, 17, is soon to graduate from Haha Training Academy in Portsmouth.
She said: ‘It’s great to be in an environment where I’m appreciated and I’m able to put my skills to work every day. It’s so nice to feel a part of a team so early on and I’ve learnt so much already.
‘Being able to come to work every day and love it is such a blessing. From day one Yasmin and Rachel have encouraged and mentored me, which has given me the confidence to grow as a Hardysalon family member.’
Rachel said that having a new member of staff has allowed her to focus on growing the business and has enabled her to put future plans into place.
She said: ‘Because Ellie’s been working so hard, I’ve been able to plan for new services and concepts and got the wheels in motion to make them happen. We’re planning on launching something new in the next couple of months and we wouldn’t have been able to do that if it weren’t for having another pair of hands.
‘I’d urge every salon owner to consider investing in newly-qualified or trainee hairdressers.’