The Beauty Industry's Future Talent: A New Path for Young Aspirants
The hair and beauty industry has been a significant contributor to the UK economy for a long time, generating nearly £30 billion and employing over half a million people. However, this industry has been struggling to attract young talent in recent years, and the British Beauty Council is taking action to change this.
Enter the Future Talent Programme, an industry-first career development programme designed specifically for the beauty industry. The programme aims to inspire and educate young people about the diverse and lucrative opportunities available to them in the beauty sector. The programme is supported by the Department for Education, The Careers & Enterprise Company, and STEM Learning, and will be seeded out through The Careers Hub Network to schools across England.
The programme showcases beauty and STEM as a route to successful and fulfilling careers, with influential voices like Jamie Genevieve, Plastic Boy, and The Welsh Twins creating short films on beauty and STEM opportunities in cosmetic science, sustainability, fragrance, and technology. With 75% of STEM-based roles currently occupied by men and only 33% of 10-13-year-olds aspiring to have a STEM career, the Future Talent Programme is dedicated to highlighting career pathways to young people and inspiring them to see the value in their education.
The British Beauty Council has also signed a trailblazing Memorandum of Understanding with STEM Learning, enabling the Council to facilitate a Beauty STEM Ambassador Programme, which will see industry leaders visit schools to share their expertise and career advice with the next generation of beauty innovators. STEM skills are crucial to the beauty industry, and the programme is set to promote this aspect of the industry, highlighting the opportunities in product formulation, sustainable packaging innovation, website design, and various other careers.
The Future Talent Programme will reach an estimated 25k schools and 10,424 teachers during its pilot phase, and it will continue to explore different career areas in marketing and communications, buying and merchandising, and beyond. Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, comments, "We want this programme to fast-track young people towards suitable career options, thus ensuring we have a seamless flow of talent."
The Future Talent Programme is a commendable initiative by the British Beauty Council that aims to inspire young people and promote successful careers in the beauty industry. With the backing of the Department for Education, The Careers & Enterprise Company, and STEM Learning, the programme is set to shape the future of the beauty industry and provide a much-needed boost to the talent pipeline.