What Makes Our New Hairstyling Program So Exciting?

What Makes Our New Hairstyling Program So Exciting?

To say that Rosario Greco is excited about the new hairstyling program coming to Trillium College, would be an understatement.   

After 40 years in the industry, Greco will be joining the Trillium team as the Program Manager of their new hairstyling program scheduled to kick off in November at the Oshawa and Niagara locations, with the other campuses following shortly after. 

“It will definitely be a career highlight,” Greco says.  “It will be so nice to see not just one or two students starting their careers at a time, but seeing so many students graduate and move on to start their careers.” 

His countdown to this new endeavour is now on.  

Rosario Greco has worked in the hairstyling field for 40 years.  He began at the age of sixteen, fresh out of high school.  His career took him from a small salon, where he learned to master his craft in precision hair-cutting, to a salon in a mall, to working for manufacturers and travelling all over North America.  He has not only competed in hair shows but has gone on to judge them. 

“The hair industry is always changing and evolving,” he says.  “There are so many directions you can go in and so many options you can choose.” 

“Treating Hair loss, for example, is a big one and something newer to Canada. It really can transform a person’s life and make you feel so good doing it.” 

Greco explains that the program will have a strong foundation in the fundamentals and a large focus on education because learning the basics is so important, but it will also help get students prepared for the real world.   

The most exciting part is that the classroom will be set up like a salon, so students will be able to get a feel for the whole experience right from day one. 

“We are not only going to teach them to be a hairstylist, but we are going to teach them how to expand that skill,” Greco emphasizes.  “So much of hairstyling is not just behind the chair.” 

When asked what characteristics make a good hairstylist, Greco lists being a good listener and having a lot of confidence as two of the most important.  

“Listening skills are so important as you need to be able to understand people when the customer talks.  You really need to listen to them and not only hear what they are saying, but truly understand what they are asking for.” 

Hairstylists do take on many roles once a client sits in that chair; whether it be therapist, consultant or life coach and this program will help prepare them for all of it. 

“People don’t just come into a salon to get their hair done,” Greco laughs.  “They come for the whole experience.  They want to look good and feel good and socialize.  We are going to teach the students how to give the full experience for sure.  It will be a big part of the program.” 

At least half of those going into a hairstyling program are often scared and nervous to mess things up.  They worry that they won’t get the colour right, or they will cut the hair incorrectly, but there is no need to fear as that is what Greco’s team is ready to tackle.  “We will teach students how to overcome that fear by gaining confidence in this profession.” 

Greco admits that oftentimes he still gets afraid, such as a recent cut he did where the woman had really long hair and wanted to take it to something super short.   

“The first couple cuts and colours you do you will always be scary, but with foundational knowledge and a lot of practice, the confidence will come,” he says. 

Truth be told, the pandemic has changed the hairstyling industry a lot, but in a world where mental health matters so much now, there is something to be said for helping people to feel better.  For so many, looking good on the outside, certainly helps them feel a bit better on the inside. 

“Hairstyling is so rewarding and gives you so much satisfaction,” Greco states. “You get a good feeling out of it and the transformations you see are incredible.”  

The satisfaction and good feelings are just one portion of the rewards that hairstyling will bring as Greco stresses that the pay is also really great and you get back what you put into it.  If you work hard, the money will follow and there is so much room to make a really great living. 

“Hairstyling is a great field to get into as it can allow you to be your own boss, to travel, to help transform people and make them feel good.” 

For more information on how you can take this next step in your future, contact a Trillium College Career Coach today.