Qualifications pave the wave for hairdresser Josh to work with the rich and famous
Josh Rees Hole – vocational qualifications are the foundation of a career.
Vocational qualifications have paved the way to a glittering career for talented Welsh hairdresser Josh Rees Hole who now counts the rich and famous among his clients.
Josh, 26, is now a director in the elite team at Urban Retreat, the salon at the world famous Harrods store in London and works on glamorous photoshoots and fashion shows.
He is held in such high esteem that clients, including members of foreign royal families and celebrities, fly in from around the world to have their hair styled by him.
He has recently returned to the salon after taking a year out to work in Brazil where he learnt new colouring techniques. He hopes to continue globetrotting in the future, working for clients he has met at Urban Retreat.
His ambition is to open a chain of hair salons in all the UK’s main cities, including Cardiff, to launch a range of branded hair products and to pass on his passion for training to the next generation of hairdressers.
His route to stardom began at The Hair Business, Cowbridge, where he discovered a flair for hairdressing after originally planning to enter the police force. 2009 proved a pivotal year for him as he was named Wales’ Modern Apprenticeship Learner of the Year Award, was selected to represent the British Youth Hairdressing Team and was the overall winner of Salon Cymru, the nation’s premier hair and beauty event.
He has not looked back since achieving his apprenticeship with Bridgend-based ISA Training, the largest independent hair and beauty training provider in Wales and regularly returns to Wales to give masterclasses for the company.
He’s now working with ISA Training chair Shirley Davis-Fox, a member of the Hair Council, to promote state registration to all qualified hairdressers in the UK to bring more professionalism to the industry.
A strong advocate of vocational qualifications and work-based learning, Josh said: “Vocational qualifications are so important because they are the foundation of your career. You need to understand what you are doing before you have the confidence to execute the skills you have learned.
“I have been lucky to work in some very good salons but I have also worked my butt off to get where I am. You must have that passion and focus to develop. To me, the personality and drive you have are foremost.”
He is supporting this year’s VQ Awards in Wales on June 9 and national VQ Day the following day. VQ Day is a national celebration of people who have achieved success in vocational education in Wales.
Vocational qualifications have never been more important to the economy and the individual; they deliver the trained, talented employees businesses are crying out for and ensure young people have the skills needed to succeed in education and work.
Organised by the Welsh Government’s Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) and CollegesWales, the VQ Awards in Wales help to showcase individuals and organisations that have raised the standard of the services they offer as a result of vocational qualifications. The awards are part funded by the European Social Fund.
There are two award categories: VQ Learner of the Year and VQ Employer of the Year. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony to be held at St David’s Hotel, Cardiff on June 9.
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