Hair and beauty winners announced at Worldskills Ireland

The winners of the Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Competitions at Worldskills Ireland 2023 have been announced. 

Worldskills Ireland is a partnership between enterprise, industry, education, training and the Government, which aims to raise the profile of skills and apprenticeships, preparing the talent of today for the careers of the future.

The event took place in Dublin’s RDS from 20-23 September, with the live hair and beauty contests being held under the Creative Arts category.

Laoibhse O'Malley, who is an apprentice at Bridget Haren Hair Salon in Ennis, Co Clare, took the honours in the Hairdressing Competition, while the Beauty Therapy Competition was won by Ciara O’Sullivan, who is a beauty therapy student at Kerry College of Further Education & Training (Kerry ETB).

Both O’Malley and O’Sullivan each competed with three other finalists, and will now represent Ireland at the 47th Worldskills Competition in Lyon in France in September 2024.

The Beauty Therapy Competition, which was sponsored by Buttercups Uniforms and Seabody, was overseen by Tara O’Halloran-Cronin, an instructor at Kerry ETB.

“The biggest problem in the industry in Ireland right now is staffing,” she said. “So participating in Worldskills is really important because we get to show the young people attending that beauty therapy is not just about nails and make-up, it's a career. 

“Of the 60 countries that participate in Worldskills, Ireland is ranked in the top 10 for beauty therapy. This is a testament to the quality of the Irish skill set. It’s also a great opportunity to draw international companies to Ireland.”

The Hairdressing Competition was sponsored by Capital Hair & Beauty, with all the finalists being part of the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship (NHA), which was rolled out in 2020 as the first nationally recognised hairdressing qualification in Ireland.

“Traditional apprenticeships have been around for years and it’s great see hairdressing finally being recognised along with them,” said Annette Heffernan, chief examiner at the Hairdressing Competition and teacher at Waterford College of Further Education.