– It is a great pity that there are so few boys who train to become hairdressers in Norway. That’s what Thomas Hellum Novum says to news when he is presented with the Directorate of Education’s (Udir) figures from upper secondary school. Thomas Novum Hellum thrives as a hairdresser, but finds himself in an industry with a large majority of women. Photo: Henrik Haug Laursen The figures show that only seven percent of the 461 students who graduated from the hairdressing course at upper secondary schools in 2023 were boys. Male hairdressers are also heavily outnumbered when it comes to the total number of hairdressers in Norway. Of the approximately 8,000 who work as hairdressers in Norway today, only 10 per cent are men, according to figures from the Norwegian Hairdressing and Wellness Companies (NFVB). Thomas therefore belongs to the clear minority in the hairdressing industry. He started as a hairdresser as an adult, in 2007, and obtained his journeyman’s certificate through six months at a private school and three and a half years as an apprentice in a company. He now works for “Påhåret”, as department manager and hairdresser. He has never regretted his career choice. – Regardless of how life is otherwise, work is a haven with lots of nice people. In addition, you always feel mastery. There is never a dull day at work. Big drop in the number of trained hairdressers On average, there are 481 students who have trained to become hairdressers through upper secondary schools each year in the last five years. In addition, there are approximately 150 annually who train to become hairdressers via private schools, apart from upper secondary school, according to the NFVB. This gives an estimate of around 631 new hairdresser apprentices annually in the last five years. – It is too little, says managing director Anne Mari Halsan. Figures from Udir, on the other hand, show a development that does not indicate improvement anytime soon. From 2013 until 2023, there has been a 40 per cent decrease in the number of students leaving the hairdressing course at upper secondary school to become apprentices. That worries Halsan. – There is a great need for more skilled hairdressers in Norway. The most important thing is to get the boys back. Now we recruit almost exclusively girls, and it is a problem that we only recruit from half the population. It is unfortunate for the profession, businesses and hairdressers, says Halsan. Through NHO, the industry tries to adapt the teaching so that they can reach more people, among other things by making it a little less pink and more masculine. NFVB director Anne Mari Halsan wants to recruit more people to the hairdressing industry – and especially the boys. Photo: NFVB Hairdresser Thomas Novum Hellum believes that the low number of male hairdressers will be an advantage for the boys who choose to train as hairdressers in the future. – The fact that there are few of them makes it easier for the boys to make a name for themselves, and there are many boys who have succeeded in the hairdressing business in the past. State secretary: – A challenge State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sindre Lysø (Ap), says that they are taking the challenge of increasing the number of newly qualified hairdressers, and especially boys, seriously. – It is a challenge that Norway has one of the most gender-divided working lives in the whole of Europe. We also see this again in the education system. Hairdressing education and the general education program hairdressing, flowers, interior design and exposure design have a shortage of boys. Sindre Lysø (Ap) is state secretary in the Ministry of Education and Science and takes the shortage of hairdressers seriously. Photo: Jens Driveklepp He says it is a complex challenge, which all parties must contribute to solving. – As a society, we haven’t quite cracked the code yet on how to get more equal recruitment in working life. Companies must be good at showing diversity and it is important to recruit widely. Several unskilled hairdressers Anne Mari Halsan believes that one measure to solve the problem is to ensure that counselors at secondary schools talk about vocational subjects to a greater extent. – I believe that much of the poor recruitment starts with the advisers not being good enough to recommend vocational subjects, says Halsan. The shortage means that more and more unskilled people end up filling the great need many salons have for hairdressers. Halsan is critical of what the current and previous governments have done to improve recruitment to vocational subjects at upper secondary school. Sindre Lysø defends the advisors. – We have many skilled advisers in Norway, who do a very good job. The quality of the counseling and career guidance is getting higher and higher. He emphasizes that they are constantly working to improve the careers guidance, but that students do not just allow themselves to be influenced by the advisers in their choice of education. – There are also other adults who influence that choice, especially the parents, so we all have to contribute to getting the pupils to think more broadly when choosing education.
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Thomas is a unique hairdresser – We need more boys – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
