Mossman barber voted best of the best
DUE RECOGNITION
A local man has been recognised for his budding talent with scissors in hand at the recent Trade Excellence Awards in Cairns.
Among the 16 winners on the night was Mossman man Justin Van Dyk who collected the hairdressing and barbering apprentice of the year award.
The senior barber at Belle n Beau said the award recognition was overwhelming.
“It’s all a bit unexpected, I didn’t think I’d win,” Mr Van Dyk said.
“I started out later in life with my apprenticeship and I managed to finish my training in a year and a half.
“Walking into a classroom as the old fella with all the young ones it was pretty daunting, but the TAFE Queensland staff and teachers were so accommodating and they pushed me out of my comfort zone, it’s been a very positive experience."
Mr Van Dyk completed his apprenticeship training at the TAFE Queensland Cairns campus in half the usual time, and was supported by his hairdresser wife who had also completed a mature age apprenticeship a few years prior.
Mr Van Dyk said finding a new career path in his 40s had been incredibly rewarding.
“I’m loving my role as a barber in my community, it’s been a really nice change from my old profession of close to 20 years in IT,” Mr Van Dyk said.
“I saw that there was a big need in the community for barbers, it was on the skills shortage list.
“My wife and I have owned the salon for a few years now and we did have gentleman come in but not very many, it was predominantly women.
“Men didn’t really seem to have anywhere to go for barbering services, there was definitely a need so we thought we’d fill it."
Belle n Beau Hair’s barbering services brought more men to the salon who experienced the benefits of unwinding and taking some time for themselves during an appointment with Mr Van Dyk.
“We restored a 50-year-old barber chair to make the experience authentic and our days are busy and fully booked and we’re loving it!”
Mr Van Dyk was praised for his natural ability to support and lead other apprentices.
“The best thing about my industry is every day you come across a new situation and you’ve got your team members there to help figure out how you’re going to approach something,” Mr Van Dyk said.
“I believe that when you learn a new skill you pass it on and if you see someone struggling you jump in and support them and share your knowledge.
“There’s continual upskilling opportunities every day in my industry and that’s really exciting.
“My advice is to put yourself out there and just give it a go.
“At first I didn’t know how much I would enjoy being a barber or going back to training, but the whole experience has actually been quite fun."
More than 230 people attended the awards, with finalists travelling from across Queensland including from Mount Isa, Weipa, Atherton Tablelands, Mossman and Whitsundays.
TAFE Queensland Director of Trades (north region) Mark Patterson said the event was now in its sixth year.
“Our annual awards night is a great opportunity to celebrate the dedication and success of the next generation of local tradespeople and I’d like to congratulate all of the finalists,” Mr Patterson said.
“More than 1200 apprentices from across the state currently attend the Cairns campus for training and 62 of those students were selected as finalists for the 2022 Cairns Trade Excellence Awards."
Thank you!
Newsport thanks its advertising partners for their support in the delivery of daily community news to the Douglas Shire. Public interest journalism is a fundamental part of every community.
Got a news tip? Let us know! Send your news tips or submit a letter to the editor here.
* Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport, its staff or affiliates. Reader comments on Newsport are moderated before publication to promote valuable, civil, and healthy community debate. Visit our comment guidelines if your comment has not been approved for publication.