Young Aberdeen mum Andi was determined to learn, train, and get into work.
Unfortunately, her wee girl had significant health issues which classified her as disabled and due to the level of care she needed, and hospital visits, Andi was unable to take her plans forward.
But as little Brandi grew, her condition improved and her feeding tube was removed, just as she was about to start nursery. This created the opportunity Andi craved to focus on her hairdressing career. Months on the 21-year-old has started her own business, been shortlisted for a national award, and is thriving as a working mum.
Young Parents Group
Encouraged by her ABZWorks employability keyworker, the 21-year-old joined the Young Parents Group which had been formed to co-design the employability approach for young parents in the city, funded via the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Accelerator Fund.
Andi was a very active participant in the project, which she joined in April 2025 and engaged fully throughout its 12-week duration.
Business Plans
Prior to joining the project, Andi had been speaking with her keyworker, Louise, about the ABZWorks Seed Fund, created using No One Left Behind monies, to support people to set up their own business. Andi saw this as the perfect opportunity to enable her to put her skills to use, and to earn a living while working flexibly around Brandi’s needs.
So while Brandi settled into nursery, Andi continued with the Young Parents group and discussions about the seed fund continued with Louise. Both activities were fundamental in building Andi’s confidence and allowing her the time she needed ensure Brandi’s health remained stable. The toddler has a weak immune system due to her disability and so Andi anticipated lots of time off from nursery.
As Brandi progressed, so too could Andi. Louise introduced her to Business Gateway and she began working on her business plan, and then a successful seed fund application.
Meantime, as a direct result of her participation in the Young Parents project and learning more about what was available to her, Andi joined Aberdeen Foyer’s No One Left Behind-funded parents course. Through this, she secured funding to undertake a wig-making course and ABZWorks provided additional funding for her to take a more in-depth course.
Upskilling and Business Growth
This combined support and her increased confidence enabled Andi to to get her business, Hair By Andi, up and running and rapidly make a success of it. She now rents a chair in a city centre salon, working around her caring responsibilities.
She has been very proactive with developing herself and taking ownership of her career and has completed several additional training courses to expand her skills and grow her business.
“This support has made a huge difference to me and Brandi.
“I know now that I can succeed, I can train and I can run my own business, because I’m doing it.” – Andi Shand
Andi got her diploma in make-up artistry and is getting steady work from that and has secured multiple return clients. She has worked hard to promote her business through a variety of means, including via social media and distribution of flyers and cross-promoting with other businesses. Keen to continue growing her skills, Andi has just signed on for a more in-depth bookkeeping course.
It seems that now she has started, there is no stopping her. Andi made the finals in the Rising Star category at the 2026 Hair and Beauty Awards, which means she is in the top 120 rising hair and beauty businesses in the UK and she hopes to place in the top 50 at the awards ceremony in August.
She continues to learn and train, to introduce new services in her business, and has more big plans for the year ahead.
And to put the icing on the cake, wee Brandi is thriving in nursery!
Green Skills Training Fund sews up Andrea’s business plans