South Cumbrian Hairdresser proves she's a cut above with Adult Learning Grant

4 January 2010

A mum from Milnthorpe is urging other adults to follow up their New Year resolutions and return to college after she signed up for her dream career as a hairdresser with help from the Adult Learning Grant (ALG).

Ashley Beeston, aged 19, enrolled for a National Diploma in Hairdressing at Kendal College after she became pregnant with her second child. Now nine months pregnant, Ashley juggles her studies with a part-time job and bringing up her son Rhyley, who is nine months old.

She said: “Having my son gave me the confidence to return to college and study for a career in hairdressing. I used to be really shy, but after I had Rhyley, I realised that if I could bring up a child, I was capable of doing anything I wanted! The Adult Learning Grant has really made a huge difference, without that extra money I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go back to college.

“The first time around I dropped out of college when I was 16, I was really immature. Now I love my course and am learning all the latest hairdressing techniques. If any other mums out there read this and are considering returning to college I would urge them to go for it.”

Ashley works part-time at Mirror Mirror hairdressers in Milnthorpe and receives £30 per week ALG to help pay towards her costs of studying.

ALG can offer up to £30 per week to adults aged 19 and over, who go back into learning and training, to help out with those extra costs - from travel and books to materials and childcare.

You can use ALG to study for a wide range of qualifications, including BTECs, NVQs, GSCEs and A-levels across a huge range of subject areas: from business to construction, science to hairdressing and childcare to publishing. Wherever you want to be in life, you can find the course for you.

Since the national roll out of ALG in September 2007, more than 72,000 people have benefited from the grant.

So if you are thinking about improving your skills by going back into learning in 2010, now is a good time to start looking at your options and find out if ALG could really help you too.

Paul Donbavand, LSC Provider Development Manager, said:

“Whatever you want to do, having the right qualifications can give you a real head start. People who go back to learning later in life often find that they’re more focused and determined than they were the first time around, and tend to have a clearer idea of what they want to study.

“However, costs for things like books, materials, transport and childcare can discourage them from taking that first step. The Adult Learning Grant, of up to £30 a week, is a great way of making learning more affordable and helps people focus on getting where they want to be in life.”

To find out if you could be eligible for the Adult Learning Grant, visit www.direct.gov.uk/alg or call the learner support line on 0800 121 8989.