Taiwan hairstylists gear up for glory in Malaysia

2016/05/05

The Taiwan branch of Asia Hair Masters Association held a preliminary tournament May 2 in central Taiwan’s Taichung City to select 12 Taiwan hairstylists for AHMA’s July final in Malaysia.

A total of 150 trainees and qualified hairstylists gathered at Hungkuang University for the tournament divided into four categories: creative design, fashion styling, rising stars and urban style. The judging panel comprised 18 locals plus one apiece from Hong Kong, the U.K. and mainland China.

Hong Kong-based AHMA is a nonprofit international group dedicated to improving the level of hair designing in Asia. The organization is attracting growing attention from local hairstylists, especially after selecting Taiwan to host the 2014 and 2015 finals of the event.

Dai Mei-ying, deputy director of AHMA’s Taiwan branch, said establishing the branch last May helps advance the association’s goals. “Only when you connect with the world and compare with top hair designers abroad can you know your inadequacies and make improvements,” she said, adding that AHMA is keen to help nurture would-be designers in schools by organizing workshops and other training activities.

According to Dai, a senior hairstylist teaching at Hungkuang University’s Department of Hairstyling and Design, the Taiwan branch integrates resources from the local academic and private sectors to upgrade Taiwan’s hairdressing industry.

Joint efforts by AHMA and educators like Dai to upgrade the skills of hairstylists in Taiwan is in line with the government’s focus on enhancing national competitiveness by prioritizing vocational education and bridging the gap between classroom education and the workplace.

In 2010, the Ministry of Education launched the eight-year Technological and Vocational Education Reform Project, aiming to produce specialized workers with the ability to compete in related fields. The Technical and Vocational Education Act took effect in January 2015, which contains stipulations like requiring high schools to arrange work experience for students.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=244388&ctNode=2194&mp=9)