| Morag's faith repaid as staff show they're worth it
The staff at Aquarius hairdressers in Earlston who achieved L'Oreal diplomas in colour and retail focus. Over the years, she has found the time to offer numerous one-week work placements to fourth-year secondary school pupils and has also provided work placements to many youngsters with learning disabilities. In an acknowledgement of her efforts, Morag learned this week that she was on a shortlist of three in the employer category at this year's Business Excellence Awards, run by Scottish Borders Council. Morag's local councillor John Paton-Day described his consitutent as "a model employer". "I just wish more bosses would take a leaf out of Morag's book and give more young people a chance," said Mr Paton-Day, who will be chairman of SBC's scrutiny working group on vocational training. Last month Morag, who lives in Newtown, journeyed through to Glasgow with two of her most valued members of staff: salon assistant Megan Bilsland and trainee stylist Luana Henderson. "Luana has many positive qualities, but she had a particular talent for styling clients with long hair. Morag's approach to recruitment is based on her philosphy that all young people, regardless of scholastic achievement or their capability to perform at interviews, have something to offer in the workplace. "I am pleased to say that since the working group reported its findings, things have improved at the council which is now offering more work placements and apprenticeships than ever before," said Mr Paton-Day. She will thus be donning her gladrags – and calling on Luana's services – for the award ceremony at the Scottish Borders Campus at Netherdale, Galashiels, on March 23. ". " Luana, 19, had just left school in Earlston three years ago when she went to the shop and asked for a job. Their mission was to take part in a course on colour and retail focus, organised and accredited by industry product leader L'Oreal. Megan, who will be 20 and lives in Lauder, has Downs Syndrome but has never allowed her disability to stand in the way of her becoming a key member of Morag's team. "Megan started as our Saturday salon assistant when she was just 13 and does a terrific job every week, proving popular with her colleagues and our clients," enthused Morag. Luana is approaching the end of a three-year Modern Apprenticeship and will soon be a fully-qualified stylist. That is the ethos of Morag Sterrick who has run Aquarius hairdressing salon in Earlston for the past 17 years. |
Sunday 11 March 2012
Morag's faith repaid as staff show they're worth it
