At Crate Cheshire, barbering is more than just a profession – it's a craft, a passion, and a community. Since the launch of Crate Cheshire’s Academy in 2022, this dedication to the art of barbering has taken on a new dimension. The Crate Academy offers a range of programs from NVQs in barbering to refresher courses, all designed to equip aspiring barbers with the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
We recently spoke to Crate Academy’s founder, Charles Rose, and one of Crate’s previous students, Jess Shaw, to hear what you can expect when enrolling into the Academy, and the pivotal role that Jess now plays at Crate’s Northwich Salon after completing a course with Crate Cheshire.
Charles Rose, Founder of Crate Academy
How long have you been running the Crate Academy and what inspired you to get it started?
We have had the academy at Crate Cheshire since 2022, where we offer NVQs in barbering, refresher courses, and both one-to-one and group sessions. The Crate Academy was born as I really wanted to give back to the industry. We all have to start somewhere in our barbering careers, and I love seeing people grow and learn within the industry. It has therefore been brilliant to run the NVQ Level 2 in Barbering as part of the Crate Academy, and to be a part of the career journeys of new barbers, helping them achieve their career goals and ambitions.
If someone is considering enrolling into this NVQ course, what can they expect?
If you are looking to take the first step in your barbering career, an NVQ Level 2 course is a great place to start. Our course is designed for complete beginners and will leave you extremely prepared to start your career in barbering.
During the course, we aim to be as approachable as possible and will always go at the student’s pace. We start by teaching scissor work, before diving into clipper techniques so students leave with a rounded barbering education. We never set time limits with our teaching – if a student needs longer to learn something, we will give them all the time they need. This way, we feel we can give new barbers the chance to reach their full potential.
The course is very interactive, and students will spend the majority of their time working through practical training in a real salon environment and interacting with clients. Upon completion of the course, we also support students in securing full time work, and on occasion, offer students the opportunity to stay on full time at Crate Cheshire.
We still have a couple of spaces available for our September NVQ Level 2 course, so make sure to visit the Academy section of the Crate Cheshire website to find out more information.
What achievements or milestones are you most proud of since the academy's inception?
Each year we aim to run more NVQ courses and as far as I’m aware, everyone we have taught previously is still barbering, which is brilliant to see! I’m also incredibly proud that two of our previous Crate Academy students, Jess and Toby, are now both senior employees at Crate Cheshire.
Jess Shaw, previous student at Crate Academy
When did you first enrol in the Crate Academy?
I first began my training with Charles and the Crate Academy in the February of 2022.
Tell us about your experience with the academy?
The academy was brilliant. It involved three months of intense but really enjoyable training and one-to-one sessions. The academy also had a great balance of providing help when you needed it, but also gave you the time to learn independently and gain confidence.
What did you most enjoy about the course?
The course was extremely thorough and professional. The most enjoyable part for me was when I had almost completed the NVQ, and all the training began to click into place. It was a great feeling to be confidently putting my learnings into practice. Charles and the team were also extremely helpful during the entire process of my NVQ and I felt really fortunate to be learning in such a supportive and friendly environment.
How did you come to be a full-time employee at Crate Cheshire?
Charles approached me after I had completed the course and offered me to be a part of Crate! I was thrilled to be staying on as a member of the team, and since joining, it’s brilliant to still receive help and acknowledgment of the work I’m doing from Charles. There’s always something new to learn, so it’s great to be able to do this in the environment where I first trained.
If you would like to find out more information about the Crate Academy and their upcoming courses, head to www.cratecheshire.co.uk.
