Newcastle College is excited to announce its partnership with the ABLE programme (Andrew Barton London Education), an innovative initiative endorsed by VTCT and led by renowned celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton.
This transformative two-year programme aims to address the industry’s skills shortage, inspire the next generation of stylists, and equip aspiring hairdressers with the essential tools for a successful career.
With more than 1,000 students across the UK already benefiting from ABLE’s impact, Newcastle College is proud to join this groundbreaking collaboration.
With over 200 students enrolled in hairdressing and barbering courses at various levels—from Entry Level to Level 3, including 16-18 programmes, adult part-time courses, and apprenticeships—Newcastle College is a cornerstone of hairdressing education in the North East. The college boasts a team of eight dedicated lecturers and state-of-the-art learning spaces, including fully equipped training salons and the commercial salon The Retreat, housed in its vibrant city-centre campus.
The partnership kicked off with a visit from Andrew Barton himself, where students, staff, and local employers got the chance to meet the industry legend and explore the opportunities the ABLE programme brings to Newcastle College.
Andrew Barton shared his excitement:
“At ABLE, we care passionately about supporting hairdressing colleges in their pursuit of training the future of British Hairdressing. We know that many of the icons and stars of the hairdressing industry started their journey being trained in colleges like Newcastle. My own career began as an apprentice in a village salon and was shaped by my local college. I’m delighted to welcome Newcastle College to the ABLE programme and look forward to inspiring their students to build extraordinary careers in hairdressing.”
The ABLE programme offers lecturers exclusive resources to enhance their curriculum and align with advanced and creative hair professional apprenticeship standards. Students benefit from unique tools such as bi-monthly video tutorials featuring Andrew’s expertise, an in-depth printed manual of salon principles, and personal engagement opportunities with Andrew.
The programme has three clear aims:
* ABLE the qualifying student to be hairdressing salon ready.
* ABLE the qualifying student for employment within the hairdressing industry.
* ABLE the qualifying student for an aspirational career in hairdressing.
Beth Gubbins, Head of Newcastle College’s Hairdressing Department commented:
“We are delighted to work in partnership with Andrew and the ABLE team to develop a college curriculum that meets the needs of the hairdressing industry.
“We are delighted to work in partnership with Andrew and the ABLE team to develop a college curriculum that meets the needs of the hairdressing industry.
“Working in collaboration with industry is at the heart of Newcastle College and is key to developing a skilled workforce for the future. Our previous work with Andrew and Barton Bespoke has helped our learners develop new skills and confidence and is a fantastic example of the positive impact that working with industry has on young people.
“The ABLE programme will provide our staff and students with access to resources, training and hands-on experience, and we are looking forward to working together to produce the hairdressing experts of the future.”
This collaboration highlights Newcastle College’s ongoing commitment to offering top-quality education and training environments that help students excel in their careers.
