Firstly,how fantstic that you want to train your staff. So many salons have high expectations of staff but arent commited to train them. After hours training is always a tricky one. Yes legally you need to pay them but its a very "grey"area. If its sending staff to courses i pay for all hairdressing skills courses and doc half a days time.I rely on good service from my professional companies-Loreal,Goldwell-for product knowlege sessions. If its me doing the training after hours-i would try and start at 4 and go through for a few hours. i wanted to do it once a week but i always got excuses in regards to finding models-sport commitments and life stuff so we all got together and decided that fortnightly between feb-oct was fair. As far as payment my staff were rewarded well(not always $$) and they were commited. Once i organised a muso to come and play an accustic set while we trained..staff loved that. Always supply dinner suprise picnic hampers and taxi fares to young apprentices so mum didnt have to pick them up. It woked well. I now teach apprentices and can really see the difference between apprentices that have training and those that dont but would love salons to train in what is going on in the apprentices RTO training as well as salon needs.They struggle now that their apprenticship is 3 yrs. Cheers