COURSE INFORMATION

Being a barber is trendier than ever. As a modern-day barber, you’re no longer bound by the nostalgic cliché punctuated by the red, white, and blue barber pole. Now, barbering looks like hip, modern shops, up-scale clients and premium prices, and accessible shops that people often don’t mind waiting in line or making appointments for.


The purpose of this course is to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to be a junior barber.


It is designed for learners aged 16 years or over and has a variety of practical and theoretical units for you to achieve. You will be expected to gather evidence of both the practical skills and underpinning knowledge for each unit you study and create a portfolio of evidence. You will be required to work in paired activity and bring models in for assessment purposes.

  • You will develop the essential basic barbering skills, along with interpersonal skills required for working in this Industry
  • We will have 2 cohorts per year - one starting in August and one starting in February
  • 18 weeks full time  - August 2024 to January  2025 (cohort 1) 
  • 18 weeks full-time -  February 2025  to June 2025  (cohort 2)
  • Each cohort timetable will be approx 4 days per week in College
  • Evening/twilight sessions (6-9pm) may be included in your timetable

Mandatory Units

  • Advising and consulting with clients
  • Shampooing, conditioning, and treating the hair and scalp
  • Developing and maintaining your effectiveness at work
  • Cutting hair using basic barbering techniques
  • Cutting facial hair to shape using basic techniques
  • Reception duties
  • Drying and finishing men’s hair
  • Creating basic outlines and detailing in hair

Additional / Optional units may include

  • Colouring and lightening 
  • Perming

The course also covers a mandatory work placement in a barber salon. You are encouraged to have this established at the start of the course.

  • You must be 16 years old at the start of the course/cohort.
  • You must have a work placement in a barbershop as part of your course
  • Three National 4s, preferably including English
  • National 5: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (where applicable)
  • You must have a good understanding of the industry
  • Mature students will be considered depending on experience and interview
  • SVQ: Barbering at SCQF Level 6 and above
  • Career as a junior barber - this could be in a barber shop or hair salon. If you progress to SVQ3 Barbering you are fully qualified in all creative & traditional areas of barbering.
  • You will require a £50 deposit for a kit
  • You may be required to take part in an informal conversation as part of the application process. This group/individual conversation may be an information session, a portfolio discussion, or a skills based exercise