Direct Skills Group

Direct Skills Group (formerly Yorkshire College of Beauty) is a specialist training provider focused on apprenticeships and vocational training for the beauty, hairdressing and wider health and fitness industries. According to its website, the organisation delivers Beauty and Hairdressing Apprenticeships and has been training learners for over 40 years, with thousands of students progressing into careers across the sector. Direct Skills Group positions itself as one of the leading providers of Beauty and Hairdressing Apprenticeships in the UK and states that it is the largest training provider of Beauty Apprenticeships in the North of the UK. Their programmes combine hands-on, salon-based learning with classroom theory, using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The provider highlights strong links with hundreds of salons, five-star spas, gyms, leisure clubs and cruise lines, giving apprentices and adult learners access to valuable work experience and progression routes. In addition to apprenticeships, Direct Skills Group offers funded and commercial beauty qualifications, such as a Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Combined Beauty Therapy Skills, typically delivered part-time over several months to support adults wanting to enter or upskill in the industry.