Telford College’s hairdressing students turned on the style for their annual competition – impressing judges from local salons with their confident and creative designs.
Students on level two and three courses took part in a range of themed challenges at the Wellington campus.
Level two and fast-track students were challenged to come up with creations under either a ‘fantasy’ or ‘festival’ theme, while level three students were given ‘avant garde’ as their theme this year.
More than 60 students took part in the competition, which was judged by representatives from local salons including Martyn Hinchley of Rio Hair Studio in Wellington, Maddison Jones from Jenny Spoon’s Salon in Dawley, Polly Jones of Pamper Me Pretty in Oakengates, and Viktorija Sakyte from Couture Lounge in Wellington.
Jodie Allen, learner manager for hair, beauty and catering, said: “The standard of work they produced was exceptional – creative, technically precise and delivered with real confidence. You could see how much pride they took in every cut, colour and finish.
“What really impressed us all was the preparation behind the scenes. They researched trends, practised techniques, refined their timings and really pushed themselves.”
She added: “Competitions like this are incredibly valuable because they mirror the pressures and expectations of the professional world.
“Students have to plan, problem‑solve, communicate and perform under time constraints, which are exactly the skills employers look for. It’s a safe but stretching environment that accelerates their growth.
“Seeing them rise to the challenge gives us huge confidence in their next steps. Whether they’re heading into salons, apprenticeships or further study, they now have real evidence of what they can achieve.
“This experience strengthens their portfolios, boosts their self-belief and prepares them brilliantly for the careers they’re building.”
The winner of the ‘fantasy’ challenge for fast-track students was Eve Stuart-Thompson, with Alex Roberts runner-up and third place going to Rachael Bellerson.
In the ‘festival’ category for level two students, top prize went to Keira Richards, with Liv Curley in second place and Mickaela Dimitrova in third.
Cerys Evans was the ‘avant garde’ winner in the level three category, with Poppy Baldwin runner-up and Abbie Bennett in third.
A fourth category themed around ‘decades’ was won by Lilly Corbett, with Julia Kusz in second place, and Kendra Francis third.
Jodie added: “We must say a huge thank you to the judges for giving up their time – their feedback helps to prepare our students for industry, particularly as many are ex-students who have experienced the competition themselves.”
