Marking a major milestone in our growth at Onwards & Upwards, and building on the success of XO Bikes, we’re excited to announce our second venture: XO Barbers.
As the name suggests, XO Barbers will train people with experience of the justice system to become professional barbers, and help them to rebuild their lives. The programme will last for 12 weeks and leads to a Level 2 Certification in Barbering and Haircutting.
Next course starting: 12th January.
The programme will last for 12 weeks and leads to a Level 2 Certification in Barbering and Haircutting.
2026 courses:
Course 1: 12 Jan – 3 Apr 2026
Course 2: 20 Apr – 11 Jul 2026
Course 3: 27 Jul – 17 Oct 2026
Course 4: 2 Nov 2026 – 24 Jan 2027 (with Christmas break)
Units will include:
- Cutting hair using barbering techniques
- Client consultation for hair services
- Cutting facial hair
Trainees will also have access to wraparound support from us, including:
- Weekly 1-to-1 coaching to develop communication, resilience, goal setting and leadership
- Travel and lunch fully covered - to make sure we remove practical barriers for people turning up on time every day
- Aspirations focused approach - we help people gain positive outcomes at the end of the course, helping them transition into training, volunteering or work.
Who is it for?
The training programme is open to anyone aged over 18, who has either a criminal record or is at risk of offending, whether they’ve been to prison or not. The person’s offence history must meet our eligibility criteria and is subject to risk assessment and licence conditions. If you are at all unsure about our eligibility criteria,
If you are at all unsure about our eligibility criteria, please do get in touch: chris.barker@croydon.gov.uk
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