A UK dog groomer is offering Hong Kong professionals the chance to become qualified to practice in this country after she was inundated with requests from groomers wanting to leave the Chinese city.
Angie Sun runs Cutie Dogs in Birmingham’s city centre Jewellery Quarter. Originally from Hong Kong herself, Angie decided to offer iPET Network grooming training after friends in the industry contacted her for help.
Because of diplomatic and democratic concerns over China’s rule in Hong Kong, the UK has extended an offer to residents for them to come and live and work in the country for five years, after which time they can apply to stay permanently.
It is the first time that this offer has been available since 1997 when the UK handed back control of Hong Kong to China.
Angie runs Zoom classes with the army of would-be expats and says that the cultural exchange of the scheme will be exciting for the industry here in the UK.
She said: “They are experienced groomers but I am teaching them things like the breed types, welfare laws and legislation that are different here in the UK.
“This adds to the experience that they have had in Hong Kong and prepares them to start a business, or work for a business, over here.
“This is a very rare chance and it is a wonderful opportunity for the dog grooming industry. Dog grooming is huge in Hong Kong and there are so many skilled groomers who would be an asset to UK businesses.”
Angie is offering the Hong Kong residents Ofqual regulated iPET Network Level 3 diploma qualifications in dog grooming so that they can achieve industry standards as soon as they arrive.
They will also be able to join the groomer spotlight, which has a requirement of Level 3 or above.
She said: “I had lots of groomer friends in Hong Kong who were asking me what they would need to do to come and work in the industry in the UK.
“They didn’t know what certificates they would need because all countries have different standards and qualifications and some of the offers they were finding online really weren’t worth the paper they were printed on.
“So I decided to work with iPET Network to offer these courses, which we do over Zoom each week.
“I haven’t needed to translate the materials as, if people are coming to this country, they need to know the terminology in English too.
“Dog grooming has always been popular in Asian countries because we love the cuteness of dogs. Because we live in apartments and flats we don’t have as much space, so we always have small cute dogs such as poodles and bichons which need maintenance all the time.
“So over the years it has got more and more creative with grooming styles. The latest craze in the UK is Asian Fusion but we have already had that for years and years, it is just how we groom!
“I think it is a very positive thing to come out of what is going on in Hong Kong at the moment. When this work started with iPET Network one year ago we didn’t know how successful it would be but it has spiralled!
“I am passionate about education and dog grooming and this is my way to help the people of Hong Kong.”
Angie moved to the UK in 1994 to study in Shropshire at a boarding school aged just 14.
She said: “I loved this country and decided that I would stay here, I finished my GCSEs and A-Levels and I went to university. I studied computers and business but I didn’t like it, at the same time I got my own pet dog and learned how to groom her and knew this was something I wanted to do as a business.
“I had never started my own business before so it was a very exciting opportunity, I didn’t even have any customers on my books so it was a bit of a gamble, but I just knew as long as I delivered a great standard and kept practising everything would be all right. And it has been successful ever since.
“I think it’s very important to be qualified because you learn what the standards are, and how to be safe.
“Regulations are changing all the time and you need to keep updating yourself. This is really important and when you have a qualification your customers know you are up to standard and know what you are doing. I constantly update my qualifications.
“It shows people that you are passionate about what you do and that their dogs are in safe hands.”
