Financial support to help Islanders change jobs or upskill later in their careers is “limited” in Jersey, the founder of a salon and hairdressing training school has told a group of politicians.
NEON director Victoria Quérée said that funding “tends to be more accessible for school leavers on entry-level qualifications”.
Ms Quérée, who previously shared her journey in Connect Magazine, stated that there was “little support” for adults seeking to retrain or progress later in their careers.
She added: “This can disadvantage career changers, returners to the workforce, and those responding to labour market changes.”
For the past ten years, we have worked closely with industry and we deliver a significant
Neon owner victoria Quérée
proportion of apprenticeships
Her comments came in a written submission to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel – a panel of politicians who are currently examining local opportunities for lifelong vocational learning, such as the provision and accessibility of further education as well as apprenticeship programmes.
In her submission, Ms Quérée also contended that private training providers “do not benefit from the same level of underlying subsidies as local colleges”.
“As a result, private providers are required to deliver the same qualifications and assessment standards without the same level of subsidised infrastructure or operational support,” she continued.
“For the past ten years, we have worked closely with industry and we deliver a significant
proportion of apprenticeships, in some cases, train more learners than publicly funded
institutions.”
Ms Quérée argued that a “more transparent recognition of this difference in subsidy”, alongside a funding approach that “reflects true delivery costs and outcomes rather than provider type”, would support fairness and sustainability.
“This would also encourage innovation, and ensure the vocational system fully reflects the realities of Jersey’s labour market,” she added.