Left to right: Molly Rayner and Joanne Doward
A talented hairdresser who trained at West Suffolk College is hoping to represent her country in an international competition called WorldSkills.
Molly Rayner, 20, from Snetterton in Norfolk is one of three skilled stylists who have been chosen to become part of a Team UK squad.
Molly competed in a national ‘WorldSkills’ final last year and along with fellow West Suffolk College learner Rachel Jennings, she was given the accolade of being ‘highly commended’.
After this triumph, WorldSkills organisers asked Molly to take part in a four day boot camp in Herefordshire in February 2023.
After successfully negotiating this hurdle, she has now become part of a squad that may be representing their country at EuroSkills this September in Gdansk, and next year at the WorldSkills event that will take place in Lyon.
(WorldSkills and EuroSkills (www.worldskills.org) are a series of student skills competitions that take place throughout the UK. If successful in the final stages of the competition, winners have the chance of being selected to become part of a Team UK squad where they get to represent their country internationally in a ‘Skills Olympics’ event. Molly is part of the hairdressing squad).
Next up for Molly will be a trip to Warwick University where she will meet up with mindset coaches who have worked with Team GB Olympic athletes. They will give the team valuable insights on how to eat, sleep and prepare for pressurised tournament situations.
More bootcamps and training events throughout the year will also take place to get the team match fit ahead of the first event (EuroSkills) this autumn.
Molly – who works for herself - said: “I’ll have to make sacrifices but they will all be worth it as the experiences I’m going to get will help further my career. Throughout the process I’ve already learnt so much in terms of time management, networking, communication - and I’m excited by the prospect of representing my country.
“Growing up I competed in athletics before injury got in the way of these ambitions, so to be able to compete internationally in an event that I have a passion for is incredible.
“I’m very determined, I’ve been coming in to the College once a week to improve my skills and to be involved in this ‘Skills Olympics’ where I am up against the crème de la crème is amazing.”
Hairdressing tutor, Joanne Doward has been mentoring Molly throughout this process. Joanne said: “Molly has proved – time and time again – that determination, skill and resilience can pay off. She is like a beacon shining brightly and she is inspiring not just everyone in the Academy of Hair and Beauty Studies at West Suffolk College, but everyone across the entire Eastern Colleges Group.
“Previously, our joinery department has got to this stage of WorldSkills, but this is an unknown territory for hairdressing. Molly is getting us to talk about excellence all the time and getting other students to strive for it, she has our full support and she is helping us develop as educators all the time.”