Young mum kickstarts her career with a free hairdressing course

From a young mum to an aspiring freelance hairdresser, Jas's journey with Realise has been inspiring and empowering.

A new career

Jasmine Nixon-Faxon, a young mother from Bradford, felt her opportunities were limited after having her child at a young age. However, everything changed when she discovered Realise through a Facebook advert and enrolled in their free hairdressing programme.

The course was delivered to a cohort, and Jas quickly developed friendships with her peers. They started with Dutch braids, a skill not everyone mastered initially. But as Jas explains, everyone pulled together, working as a team to help each other succeed.

Empowerment through learning

Jas told us the course made her feel “empowered.” Seeing a group of women working together to achieve a common goal of bettering themselves for the future showed her that anyone can do it. She praised the welcoming learning environment and the attentive tutors who made her achievements feel valued.

She continued: “It is a lovely welcoming place to learn, and we are made to feel welcome and comfortable in the lessons. Your achievements matter and you get a lot more attention from the tutors compared to a normal learning experience. It felt easy to speak to the tutor.”

Bright future

The programme, run by expert hairdressing tutor Paula-Flint Moffatt, is available to residents of West Yorkshire who meet certain criteria. Paula said, “I’ve enjoyed seeing Jas flourish throughout the programme. She has thrown herself into learning and has developed camaraderie with her peers along the way. One thing is for sure, Jas has a bright future within hairdressing ahead of her.”

Jas is now working towards becoming a freelance hairdresser, which will enable her to use the skills gained at Realise to start her own business and support her family in a sustainable role.

“I have six qualifications and doing this course has helped me to be able to take further steps towards my goal of becoming a freelance hairdresser.”

Jas Nixon-Faxon

Do you want to kick start your career?

Realise have opportunities for all, ranging from short courses to support the transition into a new career, to maths and English programmes, and more! Take a look at what we can offer you.