A barbering apprenticeship is one of the hardest apprenticeships to secure, and the reason is quite simple: most barbershops don’t actually need an apprentice.
Taking on an apprentice is expensive. The barbershop is responsible for paying the apprentice, and when much of the early work involves making teas, sweeping up, answering phones, and assisting the barbers, the cost can outweigh the benefit – especially now that apprenticeship wages are higher than ever. For many shop owners, it’s simply not financially viable.
That’s why only a small number of barbershops take on apprentices officially. In the local area, shops such as Bonds Barbershop, Mint Barbershop, and a select few others do offer structured apprenticeships with official wages – but opportunities are very limited.
If you are lucky enough to secure a barbering apprenticeship, the goal is to get you shop-floor ready as quickly as possible. Unlike many other apprenticeships, barbershops usually take on an apprentice because they see them as a long-term investment. While an apprenticeship doesn’t always guarantee a job, in barbering it often does – because the shop needs you cutting hair and contributing to the business once you’re trained.
For this reason, if you gain a barbering apprenticeship, it’s important to be confident that you’re willing to stay with that barbershop for several years to repay the time, money, and effort they’ve invested in you.
Your typical role will include:
Most barbershops will try to progress you onto the shop floor quickly so you can begin cutting hair, bringing money into the business, and helping to cover your wages.
This is very different from hairdressing apprenticeships. Hair salons often rely heavily on apprentices for daily operations such as mixing colours, shampooing clients, and assisting stylists. In barbering, there is simply less routine work for apprentices to do, which is why opportunities are so limited.
If you’re a young person fresh out of school and everyone tells you to “get a barbering apprenticeship,” but no barbershops are taking anyone on, there is another route.
At Mike Taylor Education, you can apply for our funded programme for 16-18-year-olds. We have a limited number of funded places where we train you to become shop-floor ready. After completing the year, you can move into a barbering apprenticeship or even start working as a self-employed barber.
During the course, you’ll also work towards your English and Maths qualifications – just as you would in an apprenticeship. We cover essential workplace skills, including British Values, and we even take students to the gym because we believe mental health and wellbeing are just as important as technical skill.
At Mike Taylor Education, our aim is to give young people a strong foundation – building confidence, discipline, and real-world readiness – so they are fully prepared for the workplace and a successful career in barbering.
