Training has always been a huge part of our success as a salon (Renella) and became agreater part when | started MTA academy for hair and barbering apprenticeships and training.

Over the years within my industry, we have had amazing places to train and develop in apprenticeships, from Tektra, with the Retson family, who had the foresight to see the need, (I myself went through my training with them, as did so many of us back then), then latterly Athena took over this mantle locally, supplying  so many of us with qualifications in hairdressing.

When | first started the academy, it was because we wanted to do the same as the others had so successfully started; for ourselves and for others too, as | truly believe that education is, and always has been, the way forward.

Being able to bring it alive and in a physical capacity is amazing. Having a place, an academy in our local area of Falkirk is such a central and fantastic area to have one, as we don’t only supply this for local salons; we also supply training to the whole of Scotland with many sending their apprentices or privately sourcing training from us from far and wide every week to get their qualifications.

Many in this industry have had to use places further afield in the cities, whereas we have a local academy on our doorstep to be able to attend and have easy access to.

This is only possible with an amazing team at the back of it all.

Building the team we have has allowed us to really develop our resources, our ability to deliver the best training and to grow the academy into many areas.

Having a building of the physical size we now occupy is allowing us to look for and bring various other training areas to the academy, with the desire and hope to bring all this good to our local town and help make a positive impact on various companies that need us and individuals that want to learn while providing jobs for people too.

With the appointment of an experienced academy manager in Kate Da Silva, along with her team of Heather Henderson, Kirsty Kirkwood and Heather Miller, many of whom you will know from the times spent in other places, you will realise that, with this incredible team, MTA has a great future. Under them, we will be using all the technical and non-technical knowledge we need to develop and educate as an academy.

MTA is bringing the ability for so many hair and barbering salons and individuals to get the qualifications they need and deserve to have.

We are here waiting and ready now with a physical academy that you can attend, whether you are a salon looking for your apprentices to gain the qualifications or an individual that would like to enter the industry, or perhaps you are already in it and need support and refreshing — we have lots to offer you.