Lincoln College has opened an environmentally-friendly hair and beauty salon named Aura Hair & Beauty Academy in the centre of Lincoln.
Located on the corner of Guildhall Street and Newland, Lincoln College Group CEO Gary Headland took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially declare the new salon open earlier this summer.
Lincoln College Group consists of three separate campuses - Lincoln, Gainsborough and Newark - which train around 11,000 young people and adults every year across a range of higher education, professional and industry courses, apprenticeships and A Levels.
The salon was designed in order to offer Level 3 apprentices the opportunity to work in a professional environment, gain experience and develop their skills before moving into a full-time role.
With suppliers such as GHD, Well and Elemis involved in the project, apprentices will be given the chance to work with expert stylists and the best products on the market.
Hairstyling, massage, spray tan, waxing, tinting, manicure, pedicure and make up services will also be available.
Aura is part of the Green Salon Collective which has committed to preventing its rubbish go into landfills, with all waste either user for fuel or recycled in variety of creative ways.
Gary Headland, chief executive at Lincoln College Group, said: “This is a living breathing example of our mission, ensuring our training is relevant and employer-led, and guaranteeing young people leave us as productive assets to local employers from day one.
“I’d urge everyone in the city to get behind Aura – it’s guilt-free indulgence. Not only are you treating yourself with minimal impact on the environment – but every penny of profit will be ploughed back into local education and training.”
Founded in 1886, the group has been recognised for providing significant economic and social value to the region, while building firm relationships with 1,200 local businesses in the East Midlands.
Through these partnerships, Lincoln College Group trains 4,200 apprentices a year to meet the specific needs of employers in the area.
Writing in a recent edition of The Parliamentary Review, Headland went into further detail about how work conducted by the group helps the local economy.
"The skills and qualifications acquired by former learners at LCG bolster the Lincoln College Service Area’s economy by increasing employer outputs and adding around £141.7 million in income to the regional economy per year," he said.
"Altogether, Lincoln College contributes approximately £185.5 million in additional income per year to the local business community. The college continued to train throughout the Covid-19 lockdown and will be integral to the county’s ability to bounce back via innovation and growth."
