Leah Friis

Leah Friis teaches the New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Barbering at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s Rotorua campus. She joined the institute in 2020 and has more than two decades of experience working across both boutique and high-volume salons in New Zealand and abroad, as a senior stylist, supervisor and mentor.

Leah delivers a practical, skills-based programme designed to ensure our barbering students are well prepared for the industry on graduation. 

Training begins with mastering core skills, such as clipper control, scissor work, fading, beard grooming, and customer service and communication. As ākonga (learners) progress, they move into more advanced and trending techniques and styling. As part of the course, Toi Ohomai trainee barbers also gain experience working with real clients through community-based barbering projects. 
Leah describes her teaching style as firm and direct, yet considered. 

“Kindness goes a long way in building rapport in the barbershop, and helping learners engage in the course content. I like to make sure the classroom is a safe space where our ākonga can come each day. The course offers a lot of hands-on learning and repetition, which build the practical skills, accuracy and confidence required to be a barber.”

Leah says barbering offers rangatahi (young people) strong employment prospects as well as a variety of career pathways within the industry. 

“Barbering is practical, creative and people-focussed. The demand for skilled barbers is high, and our graduate success rates reflect that. Barbers can travel the world with their skills, work in traditional barbershops, choose self-employment, or take on contracting opportunities for events and projects.”

While barbering is having a cultural moment on social media, Leah says TikTok and Instagram don’t often show the realities of the trade. 

“You have to earn your stripes, working on the shop floor and putting in the hours to grow your skills, and to build that rapport and your network – you don’t just start at the influencer level. Barbering can open so many doors though, because you’re always meeting new people.”