Hair's an option after O levels
ITE College East's new two-year course trains aspiring hairdressers
January 25, 2008

WOULD you like a 'crop', a 'bedcut' or a 'point' cut?


ITE College East's students look on as a visiting professional gives a demonstration. Picture: LIANHE ZAOBAO

These are some questions that might crop up when you step into the Hair Design Training Centre at ITE College East.

Offered by the School of Business and Services, this two-year Nitec course in Hair Fashion & Design kicks off this month.

It received an overwhelming number of 274 first-choice applicants after the N levels, competing for the limited 40 training places.

The second round of application is open now. This time, to cater mainly to O-level students interested in carving a niche for themselves in the hairdressing industry.

N-level students can still apply.

The training centre has a large total floor area of close to 5,000 sq ft. It has 84 workstations in three training studios, complete with state-of-the-art equipment.

The entire set-up cost is $540,000, excluding contributions from beauty products giant L'Oreal.

There are even computerised LCD monitors which allow students to view demos or training videos from their own workstations, allowing them to follow the lecturer's pace in class.

Said Dr Ricky Tam Yin Jun, principal of ITE College East: 'The hairdressing industry is growing at a rapid rate. It has become a career of choice for an increasing number of young people.'

As such, the training centre has a strategic partnership with L'Oreal Singapore. This means students can keep up with the latest trends and techniques hot from fashion shows and catwalks.

According to Mr Eugene Goh, General Manager of the L'Oreal Professional Products Division, hairdressing is all about 'personalisation and communication'.

Hence, of the nine core modules which students must complete to graduate, there is one module on Professionalism & Customer Service.

Second-year students also have an industrial attachment in a commercial hair salon.

Application for the course starts today and closes on Monday.

Teo Chin Ghee, newsroom intern