HAIRDRESSING seems to have lost its allure for school leavers. Robert Simmons, president of the Irish Hairdressing Federation, says that for the past 18 months salons are finding it very difficult to recruit sufficient apprentices. A similar situation pertains in Britain, he adds.

The public perception of the job, says Simmons, is that it is poorly paid with long hours and unstructured training. Parents are also setting higher goals for their children and the numbers going to third level are increasing.

Although the minimum rates of pay recommended by the Joint Labour Commission are very low, Simmons says that, in fact, most salons pay substantially more. For instance, his own salon pays first-year apprentices £65 a week as opposed to the recommended £42.

Minimum basic wages for qualified hairdressers are not a good indication of actual earnings, he points out, because commission is a big part of salary. In fact, some hairdressers are paid by commission alone or opt for a small wage with increased commission.

Similarly, the actual wages earned by qualified hairdressers are often much higher than the recommended levels, he says. Hairdressing is an exciting career with much to offer those interested in fashion. Students thinking of choosing it as a career should not be deterred by what they read about low wages, according to Simmons. He suggests that prospective hairdressers should spend some time in a salon before making up their minds.

A number of training options are available. FAS offers a six-month course and graduates usually do an apprenticeship afterwards or you could simply begin an apprenticeship in a salon without any preceding course. Some salons, such as Peter Marks, have their own structured training programme. There are also a number of private colleges offering hairdressing courses.

An increasingly popular route into hairdressing is offered by the expanding Post Leaving Cert sector. In the past girls - it is a female-dominated profession - usually left school after the Intermediate Cert and went directly into a salon to train. Today PLC courses require a Leaving Cert standard or equivalent. Many of these courses combine hairdressing with cosmetic studies.

Maura Clarke, of Crumlin College of Business and Technical Studies, Dublin, which has one of the biggest hairdressing schools in Ireland, is concerned at the chronic shortage of apprentices when hairdressing offers excellent opportunities. The shortage means that salaries are negotiable, she adds.

There are also opportunities for travel. "If you have a scissors and comb in your hand, you can go," says Clarke. "Once you have the skills and tools, travel becomes a possibility."

It's not just about going into salons anymore - there are also opportunities in other areas. For instance, Stena Sealink is coming in to the college to interview hairdressing and beauty therapy students.

While this is bad news for the hairdressing industry, it is obviously excellent for anyone considering hairdressing as a career. Clarke says that the advantage of opting for a PLC as opposed to going directly into a salon is that students are taught basic hairdressing skills as well as interpersonal skills - if they went directly into a salon they might not have the opportunity to do any hairdressing in first year.

The course at Crumlin combines hairdressing with cosmetic studies and students spend one day a week on work experience. Most students opt to sit the Department of Education Junior Trade Certificate exams as well as getting their NCVA qualification. After graduation most students will return to the college at night to sit their Senior Trade Certificates the following year. They can further specialise in subsequent years.

Students of Dun Laoghaire Senior College's PLC course follow a similar pattern, sitting Junior Trade exams after one year full-time and senior trades a year later after attending college on day release. Both courses include work experience.

Frances Kelly, co-ordinator of Dun Laoghaire Senior College's hairdressing and beauty care course, explains that students also study DTP and customer relations. "Being familiar with DTP means that students can produce their own flyers, letterheads and poster," she says. There are no fees for PLC courses but no maintenance grants are available either.