She already had her makeup done but her hair had to be pristine so she did that in the salon before she began work at 9am. She started her apprenticeship at the age of eighteen, because she wanted a job and had no idea what career she wanted to go into. She started doing the basics: washing hair, cleaning the equipment, drying hair and getting coffees. It all seems tedious but she gradually worked her way up to attending courses and learning how to colour and highlight hair.

The days were long, especially Thursdays when she worked from 9 to 9. It is like working and being in college at the same time so learning was optimised but so was exhaustion. She had to organise people to come into the hairdressers so she could practice on them while qualified hairdressers supervised her.

She handed in her notice in April, a year before completing her apprenticeship because she realised it was not the avenue she wished to go down. Even though she has decided not to pursue a career in hairdressing, her experience as an apprentice has become an invaluable necessity in life. Her confidence soared and her communicative skills have become second to none.

Apprenticeships are obviously another laudable option to learn and immerse yourself in an area that may interest you but here in Ireland, in 2016, less than 1 percent of the state’s apprenticeships are taken by women.

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: http://www.thecollegeview.com/2016/10/26/girls-yet-get-grips-apprenticeships/