Free haircuts a win-win for kids and barber students

WITT barber students have launched a community project to provide free haircuts in schools – a move they say is a win-win for all.

Kids get free haircuts they might not otherwise be able to afford while students get plenty of practice to hone their skills.

Marfell Community School was the first to welcome WITT student barbers enrolled in the New Zealand Certificate of Commercial Barbering (Level 4) earlier this month. Last week at Devon Intermediate about 100 students queued for haircuts with barbering and hairdressing students. The WITT barber team will be at Patea High School next and is planning to visit other schools across the region.

The idea came about when barbering tutor Ben Allen asked his class for ideas on offering haircuts in the community. Going into schools was a top favourite.

Ben is aware that the cost of getting a haircut at a salon or barber can be prohibitive for some kids and their families with the cost-of-living crisis and he’s happy the project is helping to bridge socio-economic inequities. The first outing at Marfell was a huge success, he says.

The value of a good barber cut goes beyond tidying up shaggy locks. A good haircut boosts self-esteem and confidence. “’Look good, feel good’. It’s a mantra for barbers generally in the industry,” he says.

Cutting edge service

Devon Intermediate principal Jenny Gellen says the initiative has a two-fold impact. “Some of these kids are going to end up being barbers – when they see these young guys and girls doing their thing, they’re thinking ‘I could do that’. It’s also good for them to know what it’s like to go to a real barber – they’re excited about it. “

“The hair thing is big at their age and some of them can’t afford to go to a barber. To have the opportunity for WITT students to come in and practice their craft and for our kids to get a good cut – it’s a win-win.”

There’s more to being a barber than a steady hand as they wield clippers, razors and scissors for a cutthroat shave, wet shave, razor work as well as shampooing and head massage. Barbering students learn how to communicate with a variety of people and develop interpersonal skills with clients of all ages and backgrounds. Navigating language barriers and tricky customers is all part of their skill set too.

Often a barber becomes a confidante, even like a therapist/counsellor for some regular clients.

Students have even discussed the professional perils of phone addiction and how it interferes with learning. Being a professional barber, do you answer your phone during a haircut?  The answer? – NO!

Much of the training focusses on self-improvement; “by hopefully giving the guys the tools so they can talk to people, be open, be a good person and strive to be good at what they do, not just the cutting but personal communication skills as well.," says Ben.

“I teach the students that you’re going to get all sorts of people who walk through the door, and sometimes there’ll be a tricky customer or a person you don’t gel with. So, it’s about having the tools to be professional. You’re there to provide a service.”

Cultural diversity

Barbering student Jubei Pao didn’t get his first haircut until he was a teen, in keeping with his Niuean heritage.

“I had my first hair cut aged 16, and that’s something I appreciate about barbering – I’m able to do my cousins’ haircuts at their ceremonies.”

He sees barbering as a great career. “It’s about learning. You get to meet new people, hear their stories. It’s a trade that you can take anywhere. It’s an ever-changing industry so you’re constantly learning.”

Barber history - how hippies killed the barber shop

While predominantly a male environment, there are two women in the current class of nine.

In New Plymouth and globally, barbering is taking off.  Ben has worked for 25 years in the industry, starting in Auckland then London. Back in Auckland he taught hairdressing and barbering at Cut Above Academy, before moving to Taranaki several years ago. He is the first to teach the Level 4 barbering qualification at WITT, building on a micro credential.

Barbershops are not a new thing. Students did an assignment on the history of barbering and the death of the barbershop. Long-haired hippies were to blame, says Ben.

“It was the 60s – it was when rock ‘n roll and The Beatles and everybody started to have the lookalike cuts. Men started going to hairdressers because barbers weren’t really equipped with just scissor work to deal with length and styles.”

“We get men in their 40s and 50s who’ve never had a cutthroat shave before. They’re experiencing that for the first time and they love it. They enjoy the whole service – full hot towel, cutthroat shave, face massage, moisturiser afterwards. It’s the ultimate pampering for blokes.”

Barbering can be a game changing career for some who’ve struggled to find work and can’t find something to commit to, says Ben.

“It’s a great trade,” says Ben. “COVID has proven everybody needs a good haircut, even when we’re going through hard times.”