A 17-year-old barbering student from a leading Hertfordshire further-education provider has been named Learner Barber of The Year by the Men’s Hairdressing Federation.
Judges asked for an editorial cut and finish, with photos of the front, back and side views. The competition was open to any students or apprentices who are currently in education.
North Hertfordshire College’s level two student, Nathan Armstrong, completed an editorial haircut and style of his own choice, took professional photos, and submitted them to the judges. A representative of the competition reported that they were “completely overwhelmed by both the number and standard of this year’s applications”.
Despite the competition, Nathan’s submission took home first prize and secured his title of Learner Barber of The Year 2024. Nathan won the opportunity to visit a professional photography studio in London to have his work captured by Desmond Murray, a member of the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame and multi-award-winning photographer. Nathan had a team of make-up artists and clothing stylists at his disposal to emphasise his award-winning look.
He commented: “This was my very first experience of editorial work. I had a great day over in London and it was such an eye-opener for me. I met some great people from the industry. It’s great that the College gave us the opportunity to do this competition and I’m happy to have won it. I can’t wait to see where barbering takes me next.”
North Hertfordshire College embeds industry-focused learning opportunities such as this into their curriculum delivery to help students gain insight into the industry and understand current trends.
