Hairdressing students from The Netherlands visiting tredu
Tredu’s campus at Santalahdentie has been buzzing with international activity this week as hairdressing students and their teachers from Koning Willem 1 College in the Netherlands spent time with local students. The visit began on Monday, with the guests getting acquainted with both Tredu’s hairdressing program and the autumnal atmosphere of Tampere. The highlight of the week was a friendly competition on Thursday, where Finnish and Dutch students tested their hairstyling skills in a real competition setting.
The idea for this visit originated last spring when Tredu’s teachers attended a seminar in the Netherlands and met with local teachers. “At the event, we met a Dutch teacher who invited us to visit their school. We went there, and after a long discussion at the table, we realized both parties were interested in collaborating, and the seed of an idea for a small competition was planted,” explains Tredu hairdressing teacher Nina Haring. From these discussions, the collaboration began to take shape, and by August, the visit and competition were confirmed.
From sauna to cold lake, and then to competition the next day
Preparing for the competition has been intense, requiring various arrangements from planning the competition tasks to organizing the visitors’ schedules. One challenge was that the Dutch students were used to different tools and products compared to the Finnish students. “Yesterday, we practiced for the competition since the Dutch students are unfamiliar with the colors and finishing products we’ll be using,” says Haring.
The students also had a chance to relax together on Wednesday when they went for a sauna and swim. This was an important and relaxing moment for building friendships before the competition on Thursday. “On Wednesday evening, we relaxed as a group, went to the sauna and swimming, and then had dinner together,” Haring says. The visitors were so enthusiastic about the cold lake water and sauna that they planned a similar evening program for the following day.
Competitions paving the way for the future
In the competition, students had to complete carefully defined tasks. In the morning, they worked on barbering, while the afternoon involved hairstyling, including cutting, styling, and coloring. “The tasks are based on models, meaning the students have photos of the final look they need to recreate exactly. For the women’s task, they were also given an idea image for the color, from which they had to design a suitable color and style for the hairstyle,” Haring explains.
The competition resembles closely the Taitaja competition, where students compete for the Finnish championship in professional skills. The competition tasks are designed similarly to Taitaja, and the competition setting is also quite similar—with judges, assistants ensuring cleanliness, and student work being scored based on similar criteria. The judges for Thursday’s competition included Annika Myllysaari from MAJ, Heini Heikkilä from Prisma hair salons, and Tredu hairdressing teacher Susan Vehniäinen. “This kind of competition setting is a great practice for our students as some of them will face the Taitaja semi-finals in January. It’s excellent preparation for the challenges ahead,” adds Haring. Students from both second and third grades participated, and for many, this was their first time competing and experiencing a competition environment.
According to Tredu’s competition manager Katja Aaltonen, this week’s competition is part of a broader international “friendly competition” concept, which is being piloted for the first time in this form at Tredu. The concept also serves as practice for larger competitions, such as Taitaja and WorldSkills. “Especially for those aiming for bigger competition stages, this is a fantastic way to practice both technical skills and managing competition settings,” says Aaltonen. She also emphasizes that the friendly competition is the first step into competing for many students, providing valuable experience. Tredu’s Director Kirsi Viskari’s words at Friday’s closing ceremony perfectly summed up the concept: “The most important thing is not winning but enthusiastic participation.”
“Through the friendly competition concept, we also want to open doors for international collaboration, as the goal is to involve institutions from other parts of the world in the future,” adds Aaltonen. The friendly competition is a new concept at Tredu, not previously implemented in this form.
International collaboration brings value to teachers and students
For hairdressing teachers, such international collaboration is a unique experience that requires a lot of preparation but brings great added value to everyday life. “The excitement has been immense, but at the same time, it’s been incredibly rewarding. Last night, I had the best night’s sleep in a long time when I realized everything seems to be going well,” Haring laughs.
For the students, various competition situations provide opportunities to develop not only their technical skills but also their customer service and speed. “Participation in competitions also looks good on a CV and shows proactivity in one’s field,” Haring says. She encourages other fields to take on similar projects, even though they may initially seem labor-intensive and nerve-wracking.
The visit has proven to be a successful and valuable experience for both students and teachers, with both sides learning a great deal from each other. On Friday, the visit culminated in an official closing ceremony and award distribution. Although the prizes weren’t large, the respect and experience were far more significant. “This has been a fantastic opportunity for all participants,” Haring concludes.