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ANDREW COLLINGE HAIRDRESSING
RECEIVES ROYAL RECOGNITION
Andrew Collinge Hairdressing has been honoured for
its commitment to upskilling its workforce with a 2018
Princess Royal Training Award. since graduating. In 2012 Peter Collinge, the founder of
the company, received an OBE from the Princess Royal for
services to hairdressing.
Chairman and Creative Director Andrew Collinge
personally received the award from HRH Princess Anne
at an awards ceremony in St James’s Palace. The prestigious
awards honour UK employers for their outstanding
training and development programmes, which have
directly resulted in measurable success. Commenting on the awards, Charlie Collinge, Andrew
Collinge Managing Director said: “We are particularly
proud not only to be the first hairdressing company to
receive a Princess Royal Training Award but also the first
Merseyside-based company to be awarded. I am very
pleased for our Graduates Salon teams, and the Graduate
Apprentices themselves, to be recognised. They are hard
working and talented teams."
The company received the commendation for its unique
Graduate salons concept. Created by Hazel and Peter
Collinge in the mid 1980s, who believed that training
should be at the heart of the business, a Graduates salon
is akin to a finishing school for hairdressers. All newly
qualified Andrew Collinge apprentices go through a
Graduates salon. These stand alone salons allow newly
qualified stylists the chance to hone their hairdressing
skills and to be given responsibility to help run the salons
on their own; which sees them flourish and gain invaluable
confidence. This successful programme has not only
resulted in improving client retention year-on-year and
fast-tracking careers but has also ensured the company has
a solid base of loyal home grown talent.
There are six Andrew Collinge salons and two Andrew
Collinge Graduate salons, all situated throughout the
North West. To date, 83% of all Andrew Collinge stylists
have been through the Graduate programme and almost
half of all stylists have been with the company for more
than 10 years. Trained from within, 63% of all current salon
managers have worked their way up through the company
Chris Jones, Chief Executive of the City & Guilds Group
added: ‘In an ever changing world, it continues to be critical
for Britain’s businesses to invest in training to boost their
productivity, address skills gaps and further develop their
teams. We are delighted that Andrew Collinge is among
a diverse group of organisations achieving the Princess
Royal Training Award standard in 2018. I congratulate
them, and all of the organisations who presented examples
of the innovative, inspiring and impactful training. They
are truly worthy recipients of this rigorously assessed royal
award and it is fitting that their achievements have been
rewarded.’
The Princess Royal Training Awards, delivered by the
City & Guilds Group, are now in their third year. Each
of the applications were assessed against three Hallmarks
of Excellence by the Princess Royal Training Awards
Commission, which comprised of HRH The Princess
Royal and seven leading figures in the business and
training community.
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