Having a baby can make you rethink your life – and for Claire that meant a new direction on the job front.

The 22-year-old left school at 16 and worked for several years as a nursery nurse in day nurseries throughout the region.

But after the birth of her daughter Leah, now two, she realised looking after other people's children just wasn't for her.

Claire, who lives in South Shields, said: "When Leah was born, I found it really hard to think about her being cared for by someone else, while working in childcare myself.

"At the time, my younger sister had just left school and was looking at her options.

"She went to South Tyneside College to find out about hairdressing courses and I thought I would really love to do that.

"I decided to sign up. Now, two years later, I'm well on the way to completing my NVQ Level Two in hairdressing

"I've also just secured an apprenticeship with Expressions Hair Salon, in South Shields, so I will be getting invaluable work experience while finishing my training.

"I love what I'm doing now, and haven't regretted my decision for an instant.

"There's really no point in staying somewhere you hate, so I'd advise anyone considering a career change to just go for it."

Gail Bold, owner of Expressions Salon, said: "We've worked in partnership with South Tyneside College for almost 20 years on various training initiatives, and have had many apprentices from the college.

"We find that apprenticeships are an excellent way to recruit and retain motivated young people.

"In fact, two of our stylists started out as South Tyneside College apprentices many years ago – Joanne Scott, who has been with us for 14 years, and Kayleigh Tate is celebrating her fifth year here.

"It's clear that Claire has a natural talent and is extremely capable.

"She's a prime example of someone who has changed her life because she was determined not to settle for second best. We're looking forward to working with her."

To find out more about South Tyneside College apprenticeships, contact Tony or Alison in the business development unit on 427 3911 or 427 3913.