HAIRDRESSER Jennifer Anderson has turned redundancy into a golden opportunity with the help of her family and an advanced modern apprenticeship.

When the salon in which she worked closed, 22-year-old Jennifer, from Fencehouses, near Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, faced unemployment.

But then her mother stepped in to take over the business, and Jennifer embarked on an advanced modern apprenticeship through the Learning and Skills Council County Durham, to ensure she was competent in all aspects of hairdressing and business administration.

Now the salon, Croppers in Fencehouses, is proving so popular that it plans to add to its staff of three stylists.

Jennifer said: "I was really worried about the financial side of running the business and was totally lacking in confidence.

"I hadn't enjoyed training courses in the past, so I was hesitant about further training. But the modern apprenticeship, which is work-based, proved exactly right for me."

Her training led to an NVQ level II in hairdressing, including business administration as well as assessors qualifications.

Janet Maitland, from Durham Training Academy supervised Jennifer's training.

She said: "Jennifer showed a great deal of commitment and personality to succeed in her chosen career."

Jennifer's confidence has grown so much that she has plans to expand her business.

She said: "I would like to open more salons in County Durham in the future. Doing the apprenticeship has made me keen to succeed and continue with my studies."

Information about modern apprenticeships is available from the Learning Skills Council County Durham on 0845 019 4174.