This year, Pivot Point International is celebrating 60 years of global education and leadership in the hairdressing industry. The education system was pioneered by Leo Passage, as inspired by the influential Bauhaus school, and its continued innovation and adaptation ensures it as relevant and essential as ever.

“Leo understood that the principles of design were highly relevant to the craft of hairdressing, and he truly believed that if these principles and concepts were understood, and taught using a systematic method, any individual could become a great hairdresser,” said Jane Barrett, CEO of Pivot Point Australia & New Zealand. “In the 1960s this was revolutionary, the prevailing idea was that hairdressers, good hairdressers, had to be born with an innate talent, and Leo was determined to change this and demonstrate that anyone, with the right foundation and education, could become a great hairstylist.”

The brand has been at the forefront of digital education in the hairdressing industry, based the best available research of how student’s and apprentices learn today, and informing their continued relevancy after six decades.

“I think this is a question most business owners will ask themselves; ‘how do I stay relevant, even after 2 years or 5 years?’” Jane said. “Pivot Point has really only been able to do this by continual investment in research and education.”

“We know that innovation in communication and technology, and our access to information, has changed the way that we both consume and process information. Our education and the way we make content available and accessible has changed in response to that, while remaining true to the underlying principles and methods that were established by Leo Passage 60 years ago,” she continued.

Australia was one of the first countries in the world to adopt this transition to digital education, with schools and teachers recognising that the hairdressing and barbering industry needed access to high quality, industry specific, digital education.

“Our Australian and New Zealand schools really lead in this space, there is a strong commitment to innovation in education, and that makes this space a very exciting place to be part of,” Jane said.

Beyond these innovations, Pivot Point stays anchored by their values and vision.

“Pivot Point’s trajectory in the industry has been driven by the values and impetus to be curious and to always challenge the status quo. Curiosity is as essential for organisations as it is for individuals; it leads you to question, to want to find out more, to be open to new ideas,” Jane shared. “Curiosity allowed us to explore the possibilities for technology and digital education, to create a platform and resources that truly support flipped classrooms and when we saw these possibilities, we needed to be courageous about moving forward with them, about challenging what we had been doing and asking ourselves if it could be improved.”

Feedback from educators continues to sustain the brand, helping educators and institutions in adjusting to digital learning in a seamless way.

“I love the way the content navigates the learner through the learning journey. It is easy to use, a very visual resource that looks and is current. It allows the learner to follow a clear path to reach and gain competency,” said Carmel Cook, a hairdressing teacher at GO TAFE in Victoria’s north, who embraced this change to digital learning using Pivot Point’s Fundamentals: Hairdressing resources at the beginning of last year.

“That feedback has been very affirming. In Australia and New Zealand we have a community who really embraced this change, who were also wanting to challenge the status quo, to find better ways that met the needs of the students and learners entering our industry,” Jane said.

The latest innovation from Pivot Point is a new industry education program launched in 2022.

“We are excited to be able to work with industry face-to-face via our workshops again, after all of the disruption of the past two years,” Jane said. “We are starting to travel again, and work with schools interstate who want to develop their teaching teams and their delivery. We’re developing bespoke training for salon groups, and we are so inspired by the organisations that we work with who are prioritising the education and professional development of their team. For us it comes back to that idea that you have to be curious, and you have to be willing to continually push boundaries, and we love that we get to work with organisations and individuals that are doing the same and who share that mindset.”

Pivot Point has been a game changer through 60 years of industry success, with such milestones as being the first to seek independent accreditation for the production of mannequin heads, ensuring that no forced or child labour is ever used, as well as the development of the innovative Snap Cap designed to reduce landfill, to the development of patented education resources. Pivot Point continues to have a significant influence on the hairdressing sector.

“The Pivot Point method has remained relevant because of its dedicated focus on teaching the student the why, not simply the how,” said Ruth Browne, Industry Engagement Manager for Box Hill Institute. “They have always remained product neutral and forged their own path and still remain the go-to in our industry for underpinning knowledge.” Over one million alumni have gone into industry using the Pivot Point method as the foundation of their career. In an industry characterised by change, Pivot Point has demonstrated enduring relevance throughout six decades.

For more information about Pivot Point education, events and hair products in Australia and New Zealand, visit www.pivot-point.com.au