IT starts with a chair, a set of clippers and a conversation and for a group of Ipswich teenagers – it’s ending with confidence, qualifications and a future that finally feels within reach.
A partnership between TAFE Queensland and the Queensland Government is quietly changing lives through the Transition to Success (T2S) program, which supports at-risk young people aged 15 to 18 to step out of disengagement and into hands-on training, real work and real hope.
In Ipswich, that pathway has taken a sharp turn into barbering.
“We had a lot of young people saying they were interested in barbering,” said Senior Transition Officer Uchenna Hammond.
The result was a barbering program delivered by TAFE educator and barber shop owner Junior Faamalele, who led participants through a Certificate II in Salon Assistant (SHB20216) – not from a classroom desk, but inside a working salon, where the buzz of clippers replaced the buzz of a school bell.
Backed by local not-for-profit The Neighbourhood – also home to boxing and jujitsu programs – the young barbers-in-training gained real-world experience, practical skills and something many hadn’t felt in a long time: belonging.
For one 15-year-old graduate, the opportunity came at exactly the right moment.
“I wasn’t at school, just lounging around,” he said.
“I train at The Neighbourhood and was watching the barbers. One day they offered me the chance to do the course, and I said yep, straight up.”
He loved the hands-on nature of the work and now has his sights set firmly on what comes next.
“Hopefully I’ll do a Certificate III in Barbering and gain an apprenticeship,” he said.
Working closely with T2S and The Neighbourhood, TAFE Queensland adapted its delivery model to meet young people where they were – creating an environment built on trust, community and pride.
Already, the results are tangible. Some participants have secured jobs, others are lining up apprenticeships,
and all have taken a step forward.
