Darla found confidence and her dream job through Jobs Growth Wales+.
Finding her passion
17-year-old Darla from Cardiff recently completed her Level 1 NVQ qualification in Hairdressing and is currently working at Henderson & Co. as a Junior Stylist.
Darla said: “I wasn’t very academic at school, but I’ve always been a creative person. I decided to meet with Working Wales to scope out my options and Jobs Growth Wales+ appealed to me because of the work placements and hands-on training that were incorporated into your learning.
“Back then I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my future, so I attended a few taster days to explore different career pathways. The courses on offer varied from childcare to beauty to construction and animal care, but it was hairdressing that I discovered I had a passion for.”
Feeling at ease
Having found her feet, Darla excelled on the programme and quickly proved to her tutors that she was a talented and dedicated learner.
Darla continued: “My tutor, Charlotte, played a huge role in how comfortable and at ease I felt on Jobs Growth Wales+. I was nervous when I first started the programme, but she spent a lot of time helping me build on my essential skills before looking for employment.
“As well as working with me to improve my CV, Charlotte would act out interview scenarios with me to get me used to a real-life environment. This massively helped with my confidence and was a huge turning point for me.
“My Jobs Growth Wales+ tutors saw my potential. Everyone treated me like an adult, and I could tell the programme wanted me to succeed.”
Watch the video
Darla's story
Hear how Darla found confidence thanks to work opportunities.
Watch Darla's story with British Sign Language (BSL).
Stepping out of her comfort zone
With the support she received, Darla soon secured her job at Henderson & Co. in Cardiff and is currently thriving as a Junior Stylist.
She said: “Working at Henderson & Co. has been amazing. I really appreciate the advice the other stylists give me, and I’ve already learnt so much in such a short space of time. When I’m not with clients, I’m either on reception, tidying or doing stock take – I love going to work because no day is the same!"
“I’m really keen to specialise in colour and I’ve been lucky enough to practice different techniques – from block colour, balayage, foils and highlights. I even dyed a customer’s hair red the other day.”
Future plans
This year, Darla will be flying to Budapest with Henderson & Co. to attend a fashion show workshop.
She said: “I feel incredibly lucky to be going with the team to a Kevin Murphy fashion show. It’s another new adventure and an opportunity for me to be taught by the very best influencers and experts in the industry.”
Darla has also got her sights set on gaining more work experience in Australia before returning to Wales to set up her own salon.
She continued: “I’m hoping to progress with Henderson & Co, and maybe in a few years even live and work in Australia to learn new techniques again. At the moment I’m taking every day as it comes but it would be amazing to set up my own salon eventually.”
More information
Jobs Growth Wales+ is a training and development programme for 16-19 year olds that gives you the skills, qualifications and experience you need to get a job or further training.
Not sure what career path you want to follow? This strand of Jobs Growth Wales+ will help you decide.
Need extra qualifications or support to take your next step? Get ahead with this Jobs Growth Wales+ strand.
Want some help to get into work? Get a job with this strand of Jobs Growth Wales+.