Lester Vaughan unveils new cosmetology lab as education reform gathers pace

The Lester Vaughan School has taken a major step in the government’s drive to modernise education with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art cosmetology lab, in a bid to cement the school’s place as a leading hub for creative and technical education.  

Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman toured the new lab as not just about teaching beauty skills but about positioning students to dominate a global market.  

“When you look at the global cosmetology industry, you’re talking about a US$700 billion [$1.4bn] industry, with the expectation that by 2027 it will increase to US$900 [$1.8bn],” Blackman said. “The question for students today and also going forward is how do you now position and reposition yourselves and our students to be able to tap into that global industry.”  

The minister emphasised that the “skills of the future” require a shift in mindset—anchoring technical expertise in values, confidence and excellence. He noted that the lab makes Lester Vaughan the 11th secondary school in the country to offer beauty skills, and one of only six to offer both cosmetology and barbering.  

“Long gone are the days where it’s only about doing hair and barbering, of course, and ensuring that people can get their hair done,” Blackman added. “But it’s also about the business of cosmetology, and part of the transformation in education is how do we prepare our young people for the new skills that will be required… to navigate and to dominate a global space.”  

The project was delivered through a strategic public-private partnership with #1 Beauty Supply. Both the minister and the chief education officer, Dr Ramona Archer Bradshaw, praised this collaboration as a model for the “Partners in Education” initiative.  

Dr Archer Bradshaw revealed that the partnership extends beyond equipment, with #1 Beauty Supply offering internship opportunities to nine Lester Vaughan students at its various branches.  

“I need you to understand that this facility represents something very powerful,” Dr Archer Bradshaw told the audience.  

“It recognises that excellence takes many forms. Students, some of you may become engineers, some of you may be doctors, artists, stylists and innovators in different industries. The Ministry of Education Transformation believes that education must honour all of these pathways.”  

Dr Archer Bradshaw noted that this is evidence of how shared responsibility can yield fairer access and meaningful outcomes for young people.  

Starting this September, cosmetology and barbering will be formally integrated into the school’s curriculum under the Arts Department, alongside music, theatre and visual arts. Dr Archer Bradshaw described this as a modern response to the expanding “Orange Economy”, where creativity and commerce intersect.  

“Today was not just for us the opening of a facility at the Lester Vaughan School,” the CEO said. “This is for us advancing a vision of education that is relevant to the needs of all of our learners, responsive to industry demands and aligned with the national priorities for sustainable development, entrepreneurship and social well-being.”  

The chief shared a lighthearted but poignant moment from the morning’s proceedings, noting that Minister of Home Affairs Gregory Nicholls received a professional “fix-up” from a student barber in the new lab.  

She remarked that the young man left that lab with the feeling that he can achieve great things, providing children with real-world opportunities and the confidence to say they have worked on a minister’s hair.  

The opening of this lab means Lester Vaughan is now one of 11 secondary schools offering beauty skills and one of only six offering the comprehensive combination of both cosmetology and barbering.  

As the fifth lab delivered via strategic private sector partnership, the initiative includes a direct career pathway with nine students pledged internships at #1 Beauty Supply. This formal curriculum shift is set to take full effect in September.