An apprentice hairdresser from Monmouth is preparing to spend five days at the famous Vidal Sassoon London Mayfair salon later this month after being selected as the first recipient of a new scholarship, which will be awarded annually.

Jessica Sayce, 20, who works for Hair by Jones in Monmouth, secured the scholarship awarded by Shirley Davis-Fox, chairman of award-winning Bridgend-based learning provider ISA Training, after impressing during her interview.

ISA Training is the largest independent hair and beauty training provider in Wales.

The scholarship will cover the cost of Jessica’s five-day ABC Cutting course at the London salon from October 17, which is devoted to the touchstone techniques used by Sassoon trained stylists.

The course provides the foundation for boosting skills and knowledge, as stylists are immersed in hands-on practical work sessions and detailed tutorials for highly qualified instructors

Jessica, who has been working for Hair by Jones for four years, says she can’t wait for the experience of learning from some of the country’s top stylists.

Looking forward to her first visit to London, she said “It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn new cutting techniques and different trends. In hairdressing, you never stop learning and I am lucky that the lead stylist in the salon where I work, Elita Hippolyte, is Sassoon trained.

“Hopefully the course will give me lot more confidence and I will be able share what I learn with others in the salon.”

She says she has always wanted to be a hairdresser, loves working for Hair by Jones and enjoys supporting other apprentices in the salon. She hopes to complete her apprenticeship with ISA Training early in the new year would like, sometime in the future, to own her own salon and possibly become a trainer.

Inspired by fashion, she enjoys competition work and has agreed to share what she learns on the course with other ISA Training apprentices at a creative workshop next year. To secure the scholarship she had to complete a detailed presentation on the history of Vidal Sassoon and aspects of his work that inspired her.

The scholarship is an integral part of ISA Training’s Oyster strategy, which is based on the saying ‘The world is your oyster’. The strategy aims to enhance the learning experience of apprentices, increase their confidence and broaden their career horizons.

“We try to make undertaking an apprenticeship programme with ISA Training a memorable and rewarding experience and always like to give our apprentices something to aim for,” said Mrs Davis-Fox. “All the employers we work with are fantastic at training but the new scholarship offers something different.

“It’s an opportunity for an apprentice to spend time out of their salon learning from some of the best stylists in the business. I am delighted that Jessica is the first recipient of the scholarship, which is awarded on merit and look forward to hearing about her experience at Vidal Sassoon.”