Sheryl goes to great lengths for hairdressing students

With more than two decades worth of experience mentoring students located in Toowoomba and across the wider Darling Downs and South West Queensland region, Sheryl’s dedication to her craft is a cut above the rest.

Sheryl trains apprentices completing the Certificate III in Hairdressing (SHB30416) course, as well as the Certificate III in Barbering (SHB30516) and Certificate II in Salon Assistant (SHB20216) (Hairdressing and Barbering streams) at TAFE Queensland Toowoomba’s training salon.

And with her ability to quickly establish a rapport with both her students and hairdressing employers, Sheryl continues to shape positive training experiences at TAFE Queensland.

“I love to share real life examples with my students, linking my previous professional experience to current salon practices,” Ms Dooley said.

“I find that my students really enjoy engaging in their training when it’s scenario based, as they can relate to the example scenarios and then also think about their own personal experiences when dealing with clients.”

TAFE Queensland General Manager of the South West Region, Jenni Butler, said that Sheryl is an inspiration, passionately delivering training that strengthens the local hairdressing industry.

“Sheryl’s high apprentice completion rate is a testament to her success as both an educator and mentor at TAFE Queensland,” Mrs Butler said.

“Sheryl is very passionate about the success of the hairdressing industry and is constantly liaising with salon owners and expressing the benefits of employing an apprentice” she added.

“She is committed to continuous improvement of the apprentice journey, and personalising training plans to suit the individual needs of the student and the employer.”

It’s this ongoing support that Sheryl provides to salon owners, including regularly reviewing apprentice progression and providing individualised advice that makes for an excellent apprenticeship training experience, said Emily Scanlon from The Salon by Chrissy, Toowoomba.

“Sheryl is a great trainer for all the girls at TAFE Queensland — she is incredibly patient and is always adapting the way she teaches to best suit our individual needs,” commented Ms Scanlon.

“She is kind, patient, is full of knowledge and experience and is a wonderful mentor!”

Sheryl’s teaching has also extended into regional communities, including Cherbourg, where she was instrumental in establishing a partnership in-community, delivering an introduction to hairdressing course at TAFE Queensland’s Nurunderi (Cherbourg) campus more than 17 years ago.

Designed to equip Indigenous students with job-ready skills, the program, called 'Black Pearl', was well supported by the local community and saw fourteen young men and women graduate.

This program laid the foundation for the delivery of the Certificate II in Salon Assistant (SHB20216) course at the Nurunderi campus the following year, a course which has seen strong enrolments and positive student outcomes ever since.

“This program was a wonderful opportunity to provide local Cherbourg residents, who were keen to experience what a career in hairdressing looked like, with a range of hands-on, entry level skills including client communication and performing salon duties,”

“Completing a pre-apprenticeship course, like the Certificate II in Salon Assistant (SHB20216), not only highlights to prospective employers a student’s commitment to upskilling, but can certainly help with kick starting a career in their chosen industry.” Ms Dooley said.

It’s this extensive teaching experience that ensures Sheryl is well-placed to overcome barriers to learning and she is currently working through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process with a cohort of 14 migrant barbers to obtain their Australian barbering qualification.

“These men are working in Toowoomba barber shops and are not only working through the various units involved in the Certificate III in Barbering (SHB30516), but are gaining confidence in communication and an understanding of Australian salon practices,” Ms Dooley said.

“Barbering skills are in high demand, and it’s great to be working closely with local barber shop owners to help grow the workforce and build lifelong career opportunities for these students.”