Hairdresser Lydia set for Aussie adventure at award-winning salon

@BordersCollege Hairdressing student Lydia Carr has been given the opportunity of a lifetime after being offered a job with an award-winning hairdressing salon in Melbourne, Australia.

The 19-year-old from Kelso was offered the exciting role down under after an online interview with the owner of Heading Out Hair & Beauty and four times winner of Australian Hairdresser of the Year, Caterina Di Biase,

The opportunity came about after former Borders College hairdressing student Zoey Solley, who works with Caterina, contacted the lecturers to ask if they knew of any former or current students who would be interested in moving to Melbourne to take up the role.

An interview with Caterina saw Lydia secure the post, and she will now head to Melbourne in January 2023.

Talking about the exciting trip ahead, Lydia said:

“I am delighted to have been offered this amazing job opportunity in Melbourne. I never expected to be able to get a job so easily from the other side of the world, and I feel very fortunate.

“The process was really straightforward, I had a video call with the salon owner, after which I was offered the job.  

“Australia has always appealed to me. My brother currently lives there, and I often hear how good life is, so I can’t wait to get out and experience it.

“It was a hard decision to leave my family and friends, but it is a great opportunity.”

Global Citizenship, a new initiative launched to teach and encourage globally orientated values, is at the heart of learning at Borders College and Lydia’s lecturer Angela Casson was delighted to hear that she had been successful in the interview and will now develop her skills on the other side of the world.

Angela said:

“It’s great to see our students being offered these roles, and this is a great example of how studying at Borders College can lead to global opportunities.

“Lydia has been an excellent student throughout her time studying with us and we know she’ll do extremely well. We wish her all the best in her new venture.”

Asked how her studies at Borders College will help and what she hopes to achieve from the job, Lydia added:

“I have really enjoyed my time at college and my lecturers have helped me develop the skills required to go out and do such a job. I aim to go out there and learn as much as I can, as well as just enjoy the experience of travel and new culture.”

Before setting off to Australia, Lydia will finish off her Level 6 Hairdressing studies. She began on the Level 1 programme around the start of the Covid pandemic and faced many challenges along the way.

Finishing around Christmas time due to Covid delays proved to be a stroke of luck, as she was only offered the post during the extended time on her programme.

The College would like to wish Lydia all the very best in her venture down under.