Skills on Wheels rolls in to cut hair and costs

Victoria University (VU) is launching its first mobile barber and hairdressing salon to provide free haircuts to students and vulnerable youth amid a cost-of-living crunch. 

The free haircuts, trims and fades will be provided by TAFE students on the Skills on Wheels truck, which is fitted out with three fully equipped barbering stations, a shampoo basin, flat screen TV, and barber poles and an accessibility lift. 

Skills on Wheels will be officially unveiled at the Wyndham Learning Festival on Tuesday, September 2, with a pop-up barbershop in collaboration with Wyndham Youth Service. 

The 8m-long truck will pull into Youth Services Hoppers Crossing from 4-7pm, with young people aged 12–25 invited to drop-in for the first community cuts.   

VU Senior Educator - Hair & Beauty, Michael Daskalakis, said the main aim was to provide free barbering services to people and communities in need while giving students valuable real-world experience working with a diverse range of clients. 

"VU Skills on Wheels is more than just a mobile barbershop,” he said.  

“It's a learning environment, a community service, and an opportunity for our students to build confidence and industry-ready skills while making a positive impact in the community. 

“It can be expensive to go to a hairdresser these days, so we want to provide some relief to those who may not be able to afford it right now.”  

He said barbering educators had obtained their truck licenses so they could drive the vehicle to community events. 

The mobile salon – which has been converted from a mobile wine bar and classroom for VU hospitality students - will also operate as a skills training vehicle for young people and provide pathways into education. 

He said the team hoped to take Skills on Wheels to community events across Melbourne in future.  

“By bringing barbering services directly to those who need them most, we can create meaningful community connections while providing students with industry experience unlike any other classroom environment,” he said.