We hosted a Lunch and Learn event earlier this week to help local employers learn how they can engage with their future workforce more easily.
 
Over 20 employers attended our event to hear how Founders4Schools and Marketplace can help them engage with school pupils, in a way that fits in with their business needs.

In the next post in our Sector Spotlight on Health and Beauty, we hear from Keri Brandish who is a self-employed Hairdresser at The Peedie Salon, and Lecturer in Hairdressing (Course Lead) at Orkney College UHI.
 
Keri discovered a love for hairdressing while undertaking a Skills for Work course while still at school.  At 16, she secured a job with a salon where she worked while also undertaking training south through block release.  Throughout her career, Keri has undertaken different training and qualifications, developed her skills and taken on new challenges, which led her to becoming a Lecturer at Orkney College, which she now does alongside her hairdressing.
 
Here, Keri tells her a bit about both of her roles.

​As we continue our Sector Spotlight on the Health and Beauty industry in Orkney, we have spoken to Inga Cooper who owns Image, and is a Beauty Therapist and Body Piercer.
 
Inga’s interest in beauty therapy started with painting nails at two years old, she then trained as a Beauty Therapist and set up her own business from home before working on cruise ships.  She then got the chance to take over an existing business in Orkney, which she now runs.

​In today’s Sector Spotlight on Health and Beauty we hear from Kirsten Sinclair, who is a Podiatrist and business owner.
 
After school, Kirsten studied Podiatry in Edinburgh and once qualified, worked for NHS Orkney.  After starting her family and not wanting to return to work full-time, she set up her own business which gave her the freedom to fit work around her family’s needs.  Now that her children are older, Kirsten has been able to focus on growing her business and recently opened the Hygge Clinic, which offers a variety of therapies including podiatry, sports therapy and counselling.

This week's Sector Spotlight is on Health and Beauty.  In the first of our interviews, we have spoken to Carol Evans, a Skincare Formulator and the Owner of Orkney Organics. Her career journey has included working in shops, an office, a local jewellery firm and working with people with learning disabilities. Carol turned a lifetime interest in organic skincare into her own business.