Andrew swaps his welding mask for clippers
A Wishaw student who traded welding for barbering is the latest star of New College Lanarkshire’s drive to‘Turn a like into a living’.
Andrew Welsh is a student of Barbering and Male Grooming at the college’s Coatbridge Campus
The 19-year-old is one of five students to star in new campaign images that will feature on buses and billboards across Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire.
And the former pupil of Clyde Valley High School is set to turn heads after embarking on a dramatic change of career.
Having left school at the end of fourth year, Andrew was paid off six months after taking on a welding apprenticeship with a local firm.
Demotivated and unemployed, he applied to the welding course at New College Lanarkshire’s Motherwell Campus.
He successfully completed his studies and got another job – but soon realised that his heart wasn’t in it and that welding may not be the career for him.
He said:“I learned a lot from my time on the welding course and out in the industry, but I wasn’t passionate about the trade, it wasn’t motivating me and wasn’t what I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.
“I wanted a career that I could see myself enjoy doing forever while having limitless opportunities.
“So when I saw the Barbering course at New College Lanarkshire, I knew I had to take the chance.”
Andrew hopes to continue developing his skills in the trade to eventually open his own barber shop one day.
He added:“I’ve always been interested in styling hair, and have cut and styled a few of my mates’.
“It’s a world away from welding but I have always been quite creative so knew this would allow me to turn my interest and creative skills into a hopefully successful career.
“The course so far has been great and my lecturers are really supportive. The facilities in the campus are incredible and give you experience of working in real-life barbering environment.
“The opportunities at the college are also great – we are encouraged to enter into competitions, research our own styles and deal with real-life clients.