Francesco Group (FG) is a franchise operation of 31 hairdressing salons across England. The partnership between FG and Walsall College was formed nine years ago when the FG Training Model of Excellence was implemented
Their approach to vocational training has resulted in a programme which brings together Francesco Group’s hairdressing technical ability with the educational expertise of the college tutors in a partnership that is committed to maximising potential in young people and making it one of the Midlands’ most respected training providers.
The programme offers a commercial environment to equip students with business skills, including a true working environment with structure, opening hours, revenue, customer service, client retention and financial targets.
Within Walsall College specifically, for NVQ Hairdressing Level 2, there were historically poor student retention levels (60%), low conversion rates to employment (50%) and virtually no conversion to Level 3. FG set about spearheading a campaign to ensure students were attracted to hairdressing and equipped with the highest skill levels to meet the needs of the industry as it is today.
Highly skilled graduates provide a work-ready recruitment base for local salons with around 15% of Level 3 graduates taken on by the FG Group salons each year. Further employment opportunities will also arise from the seven other vocational academies set up by Walsall College on the back of the FG success
Over 60% of Walsall College’s student intake is from areas of high unemployment and there is an entry programme for special needs young people, who are able to enter the college on the salon services course rather than at NVQ Level.
FG has used the proven Model of Training Excellence formula, to establish similar strategic partnerships with four other colleges (Derby, Somerset, Stafford and Wolverhampton). A pilot schools scheme in Codsall, Staffordshire is underway where an on-site salon is currently being installed for 14-16 year olds (NVQ Level 1) – this will feed into the Government’s 2008 new Specialist Diplomas initiative.
