Sarah Carreras owns the Mayfair On Main hair salon and has revealed there is a “huge shortage” of skilled blue collar workers in The Rock. Traditionally, these positions were held by Spaniards, or people living in Spain and commuting across the border.
Brexit hasn’t stopped that, but combined with Covid it has made Gibraltar-based companies increasingly look to train staff with these skills, she said.
There have also been issues with the standards of some Spanish qualifications compared to the UK, she explained.
Ms Carreras, who runs a fellow trainer alongside her salon, told Express.co.uk: “I started a business about six years ago and found it was almost impossible to recruit staff locally.
“You were either white collar or nothing.
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“We are the spearhead of the professional offer and hope that other industries will follow. “
Since the establishment of her academy, Ms Carreras has obtained accreditation from the City and Guilds in the United Kingdom.
She said she was “working closely” with the Rock government to provide Level 2 and 3 NVQs in Hairdressing and Beauty.
They currently have 40 students who are learning “on the job”.
She added: “We need it more than ever because we have to train people locally.
“We are solving a problem where we cannot find talent locally.
“The bigger problem is that we have to train our talent locally and keep it in-house.
“This does not only apply to hairdressing, but also to other industries.
“Fortunately, other people have realized this and are starting to train their own staff as well. “
