In July 2020, Co Antrim barber Jay Millar decided to trial training courses in his East Belfast shop - now he prepares to open up his own training academy in the place he used to call home.
After coming into the career at 28, Jay overcame his rough start in life and battles with mental health and addiction to run the successful Jay’s Barber Club on Seaview Street.
Determined to give other people the opportunities he never had, the 39-year-old is “over the moon” to be launching Jay’s Barber Academy in Rathcoole and give back to the community he knows and loves.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Jay said: “From I opened my shop in Belfast, I've been running courses out of here - it started with one a week and now we up are to four or five, even doing doubles on a Sunday as well.
"I'm originally from Rathcoole and the opportunity for that shop came up and I just works out perfect to separate out the actual barbershop and the academy.
"The fact it is in Rathcoole as well is great because it will hopefully give people in the area an incentive to go out and do something different for themselves if they want to."
Jay's Barber Academy will run courses that allow five or six students the opportunity to come in and train under Jason’s skill and experience with the hope that they will be able to "run as many as possible" training courses for those showing an interest in barbering.
"They'll start at the very beginning with learning how to hold scissors, right through to cutting hair over the course of 12 weeks which is fully accredited Level 1 and 2.
"Whenever they finish their 12-week courses what you find is that once it's completed, they fall off and go back to whatever they are doing previously - I plan to plug the gap between training and becoming a full-time barber so they will be able to go there after their training.
"They'll maybe charge half price for a cut and branded at a trainee cut so clients will know they are getting cut by someone who is training but also build their skill level by working," he explained.
All trainees will be looked over by a senior stylist which Jay said will give them the confidence and experience they need to continue on their career and pursue full-time work.
He hopes the training academy can also be a way to give back to the community by making haircuts more affordable and accessible.
Jay continued: "As we know that this has been difficult times for many people, especially people of big families, that maybe a haircut is a luxury for them and we have always liked to look after people and believe what you give out is what you get back again. It’s all about helping people along the way.
"Not everyone is in the same boat when it comes to finances so the new academy will help both the trainee and the people in the local area - you know yourself that when you get a haircut, it can just make you feel like a new person."
The training academy is set to open within the next few weeks and has been designed to match the original Jay's Barber Club including replicas of the mirrors he had made for the shop which were originally the gates from the Carnview Children’s Home that Jay and his brother were in as children.
"It's been hard work but we are nearly there and it will be great to get it going and seeing new guys coming through and potentially change people's lives because you can give back to people through barbering. It's more than just a haircut, it's how you make them feel and it's incredible."
