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Dublin barber tackles the recession at root level

Thursday, 17 December 2009

A renowned Dublin business has been bucking the trend in the current recession by helping those who have lost their jobs to become the next generation of barbers. Knights of the Green has been known as the best name in Irish barbering for many years and the school they run is equally famous for training barbers. Since 1990 they have run classes from their Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street locations and in the last two years they have become busier than ever. As redundancies increase across the board more and more people from all walks of life have been arriving at the classes determined to start an alternative career. Former employees of Waterford Crystal, Intel and Aer Arann as well as everyone from car salesmen, a bookie, financial advisors, crane drivers, taxi drivers and all parts of the construction industry have walked through the doors and into a bright future. Many students have gone on to open their own barbers and have even employed people they were in class with. Work Former graduates have opened outlets in Drogheda, Ennis, Liffey Valley, Longford, Naas, Galway, Athlone and Cork while others have gone on to work in some of the top barbers around the country. According to the school’s manager Greg Koster, people are attracted to the courses for a number of different reasons. “There are no prerequisites to taking the course,” said Greg. “Barbering is comparatively recession proof compared to many industries. Some students just spot an opportunity in their local area and decide to go for it. There's no age limit and it's open to men or women from all over the country.” Greg also pointed out that FAS can provide grants for many people that take the course, depending on individual circumstances. “The people that take the course are typically quite ambitious and have made a decision to invest in themselves and not take the recession lying down,” Greg added. “They are reskilling themselves and trying something new. Our course gives them a way into a new industry.” Greg revealed that over the last 20 years, fewer and fewer young people were starting careers in barbering, as they were attracted to more lucrative trades in construction during that time. “There has been a shortage of experienced barbers in Ireland for years because so few went into the business back then,” Greg pointed out. “This course allows people that have had an interest in barbering to get into it later in life. The six-week course means that they can take a course that is intensive and gets them the fundamentals in the skills. Some people have a natural talent that the course brings out in them. Job “Others have maybe being doing their kids’ hair or their friends and find that this hobby can become a job after taking the course.” The course has been so popular that it has even been featured on RTE's Nationwide and TV3's ‘Surviving the Recession’. The ‘Introduction to Barbering’ course lasts for six weeks, and is run four days week from 10am to 4pm. The next courses start on January 18, 2010 and March 1. The ‘Introduction to Barbering’ evening course takes place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5.30 to 7.30pm. At the end of the course students are awarded a Knights School of Barbering Certificate of achievement. The Advanced Barbering Course is aimed at those with experience in hairdressing or barbering looking to develop their skills. Hot Towel Shave Courses: This is a growing area in men’s grooming and one where Knights are the experts. They run a one-day course in Hot Towel Shaving and Face Massage. This course can be done on a one on one basis or in small groups. Students need to bring their own models to take a shaving class. Tel 086 1528179 or 087 1220775 for more information  log on to the site: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it