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Today, 7News attended it's first barber expo, and 7News found out about that capacity training.

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The male population in Belize currently doesn't have enough barbers; most of them have to line up every 2 weeks to get a trim. The YWCA, in collaboration with the US Embassy, decided to turn that demand into an avenue of outreach to young men in the communities, who need a trade and are willing to accept help.

Sonia Linarez - General Secretary, YWCA
"Today is a big day for the YWCA because we are having a barber expo. This is the first time the Y has embarked on such an initiative."

Fareed Ahmad - Facilitator, Barbering Program
"They wanted us to create a program that could assist young men to earn their own living."

Sonia Linarez
"We tried to get young men in the community who want to develop a skill and also to help them generate income for themselves. It was an interesting 16 weeks."

Sixteen weeks was all it took to transform 12 talented young men into barbers capable of handling the requests of any customer. According to Ahmad, there were several of the participants who already had a working knowledge of the trade. Part of the training focused on giving a few of them a personality make-over, as well as teaching them the business aspects of the trade.

Fareed Ahmad
"You can learn how to cut hair or probably your personality or the way you come across to your customers might be a deterrent so it's something we try to work on also. This was an aspect we ensured we dealt with - the ability to be professional at what you do, the ability to keep your customers and maintaining decent conversations. As well as the art of improving the skills you already came with."

One of those barbers in training was Jack Martinez, he came with experience which helped to earn him recognition as one of the programs most outstanding barbers.

Jack Martinez - Most outstanding Barber
"From I was young I've been barbering and I fell in love with barbering. One day I heard on the radio that YWCA was starting a program for barbering so I came here to inquire about the program. I love it, I learned more and I got better than I was before and it's a good trade."

Martinez was quite the opposite to Steve Gaynair. He came with absolutely no knowledge of barbering, and by the end of the training, he was recognized for his vast improvement.

Steve Gaynair - Most Improved Barber
"Since I began the course, I've learnt a new skill and it has brought me extra money on the weekends. It has been really good because I'm still attending High School so that has been really beneficial on my side. It's all in the skill - the kind of cuts that you do. If your customer are satisfied and that is what will give you the publicity."

Gaynair will develop a reputation for his newfound talent, and will undoubtedly build a regular customer base. Derrol Tillett, however, doesn't have that problem because he is already well-known in his neighborhood. The difference now is that he has this capacity training under his belt to prove that he can cut hair with the best of them.

Derrol Tillett - Most Outstanding Barber
"I just do what I do. I just practice every day and I trim everyone in my neighborhood. I didn't really know how to trim but I just started and I ended up doing it."

And now these barbers are off on a path to becoming businessmen.

Funding for the barber training was provided by the US Embassy's CARSI program