Local beauty business grows with Springfield and with TAFE Queensland-trained talent

Today, Jenny operates salons at Orion Springfield, Riverlink in Ipswich, and Mitchelton, but she says Springfield remains a special part of her business story.

Over the past decade, Jenny has watched Springfield evolve from a growing suburb into what she describes as “its own little city” — a place where local families, professionals and business owners continue to build strong community connections.

“It’s been so nice to see the growth in Springfield over the last 10 years,” Jenny said.

“In some ways, I feel like I’ve grown with our client base.”

That growth has also helped Jenny build a local team of beauty therapists who live, work and connect within the Springfield community.

“All our therapists are local in Springfield,” she said.

“It just brings that little community inside our salon.”

When choosing a training provider, Jenny says she has consistently found TAFE Queensland-trained beauty therapists to be well prepared for industry.

“I have always preferred therapists from TAFE,” Jenny said.

“They’re hands down better prepared. They’ve got a better work ethic.”

Jenny says TAFE Queensland graduates bring strong technical foundations, realistic expectations, and a willingness to keep learning once they enter the workplace.

“They seem to have this understanding of, ‘Yes, I’ve done all of this … but I still have a lot to learn,’” she said.

She also credits TAFE Queensland’s training standards and industry-connected educators as key reasons she continues to choose TAFE Queensland.

“I like the TAFE Queensland training methodology and I love working with beauty educator, Talia,” Jenny said.

“I know that her training has always been excellent. She has really high standards.”

For Jenny, partnering with TAFE Queensland has also helped her build a pipeline of future talent through school-based apprenticeships.

While her experience with apprenticeships is relatively recent, she says taking on school-based apprentices has given her business valuable flexibility and helped young people start building their careers early.

Jenny began employing apprentices about four to five years ago, initially taking on school-based apprentices one day a week while they were still completing school.

Once apprentices finish school, the pathway can allow them to transition into a full-time apprenticeship and continue developing their skills in the workplace.

For Jenny, this model supports both students and employers.

“It gives you some great flexibility,” she said.

“It also helps you mould your staff a little bit earlier.”

Jenny believes school-based apprenticeships can be especially valuable for students who already know they want to pursue a career in beauty.

“For the students at school who really know what they want to do, I think it’s a really great pathway to get them into working straight away,” she said.

She says apprentices also gain early exposure to workplace expectations, customer service, and the realities of working in a salon environment.

“You can teach them the work ethics that you have, you can teach them what life in a salon is actually like, and then they apply that to every stage of their education,” Jenny said.

As Springfield continues to grow, Jenny says the region’s strong local identity remains one of its greatest strengths.

She has seen more people choose to live, work, study, shop and access services locally rather than travelling into Brisbane.

“It’s really wonderful to see Orion Springfield Central [shopping centre] attracting big brands and still keeping that community feel,” Jenny said.

The area's growth has also expanded the local talent pool available to employers.

“We actually have access now to some really talented therapists who are making their life for themselves and their family in that Springfield community,” she said.

“Local residents are finding they don’t need to travel an hour to access the kinds of services they’re used to. They can get all of that by coming to Orion.”

Jenny says local businesses benefit from being part of a region where people value connection and convenience.

She also sees ongoing opportunities for Springfield to strengthen its position as a destination for shopping, services and employment, particularly as the area continues to attract families from Ipswich and Brisbane’s western suburbs.

“I think most business owners do feel like they’re part of a community in Springfield,” she said.

For other employers considering taking on an apprentice or school-based apprentice, Jenny’s advice is one of encouragement.

She says apprenticeships can be incredibly rewarding and beneficial, particularly for businesses willing to invest time in selecting the right person and supporting their development.

“I would definitely do it,” Jenny said.

“Choose who you want to take over really carefully and put that effort into that screening process.”

While apprenticeships are a long-term employment decision, Jenny says the benefits become clear as apprentices grow in confidence, capability and workplace readiness.

“You may not always see gains in the first year or two,” she said.

“But as we get to the end of apprenticeships, you really start to see them coming into their own.”

For Jenny, investing in apprentices is about more than filling a role, it’s about helping shape the future workforce of Springfield while supporting the continued growth of the community she has proudly been part of for the past decade.