Michelle in final four for UK-wide Lecturer of the Year accolade

Coleg Llandrillo lecturer Michelle Jones has been shortlisted for a national accolade after students secretly nominated her.

Michelle, who teaches hairdressing at the Rhos-on-Sea campus, is in the final four of the Concept Hair Lecturer of the Year Award, which attracted entries from across the UK.

She will discover whether she has won at the Concept Hair College Recognition Awards Ceremony in Solihull, near Birmingham, on Thursday, May 22.

Concept Hair Magazine hosts an annual ‘Learner of the Year’ competition, in which Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students have had success in recent years.

However, this will be the first time it has hosted a separate ceremony for exceptional educators in the creative hairdressing and barbering community.

“All the students were saying I should enter it,” said Michelle, who was shocked to be shortlisted. “I love to see the students doing competitions because I know how much I valued them when I was younger, but I’m more happy to be in the background, helping them.

“So I wasn’t going to enter, but they did it anyway! They all got together and each put in a little statement about me in the nomination form. It was lovely of them.

“I was shocked to get the email to say I’d been shortlisted to the final four, because I know there’s fierce competition in hairdressing.

“But I was more overwhelmed by what the students had written and the fact that they’d done it for me. Just to know that the hard work we put in is appreciated, and that they value the time we take to talk through things and support them, it was really nice.”

Michelle’s students included examples of her teaching materials in their entry for the competition, and also sought out commendations from past learners, her fellow hairdressing lecturers and even her manager to go with their own nomination statements.

Heather Wynne, who studies Level 3 Hairdressing and has won several awards herself, was one of the learners who helped compile Michelle’s entry.

She said: “Michelle has gone above and beyond to help and support me through college. Whether it’s signposting for childcare, driving me down to London on her day off for an audition, encouraging me to enter various competitions, or pushing me out of my comfort zone to enable me to achieve bigger and better things - I have never come across a tutor who is so kind-hearted and passionate about her learners as Michelle.”

Kayleigh Blears, a student at the Rhyl campus, won the Level 2 styling category at the Concept Hair Learner of the Year UK final earlier this year.

She said: “Michelle has motivated and encouraged me throughout the year, treating me like one of her students even though I’m not a student at Rhos. When doing competition hair she has amazing attention to detail and gives the best advice. Michelle is a very caring tutor and goes above and beyond for her students no matter what.”

Past student Meredith Coulton said: “Michelle was a big part of me leaving college feeling confident. She was amazing at helping me start my own business ready to rent a chair. Even now I’m no longer on the course, she still doesn’t hesitate to help and offer her expertise and support. Thank you for everything Michelle!”

Do you want to work in hairdressing, barbering or beauty therapy? Grŵp Llandrillo Menai provides training in state-of-the-art salons using the latest techniques and products. Learn more here.