I no exactly were u are coming from, when i first qualified and was looking for work i only had parts of my level 3 as did my level 2 over a two year period. So incoperated in that was level 3 body massage and level 3 aromatherapy. Nail rxt i did seperatly and have since gone on to work and train with specific product brands like decleor and jessica and then intamate waxing. Personally i think u need massage and nails but u can gain these through specific product training which i think gives u more of a chance in the industry but only my opinionxxx

Ps i never went on to the level 3 because all that was remaining was epilation and electrical faciels and that has never really interested me, each to there own i thinkx

Thanks geeks!

I think it's great that beauty and hair are taken seriously as subjects to study, I trained as a nurse and though there is no substitute for "see one, do one", the more theoretical knowledge you have to back up your practice the better, I think.

I suppose it's courses for horses almost. I wish I had thought of doing this when I left school, if I didn't have bills to pay I would go to college and probably not leave til I'd exhausted all the courses!

Good luck to everybody doing courses at the mo - I am a bit jealous

I recently loooked into doing a level 4 course. I have always loved education (since leaving school that is!). There are so many new courses in our industries that really help to open up career prospects now. Unfortunately due to family commitments and finances I cant do any more structured edcuation at the moment, but I will certainly look at doing further classroom-based training in the future.

hi, sorry for butting in but can i just say that our college did/does acyrlic and gel and fiberglass in our level 3 beauty therapy, or so i'm told! and i know some people who did do that in level 3 so don any of you have that?

x

nails is a 'time out' option at our college, so its optional to do alongside level 3, it about an extra £300+ though.

Im about to start Level 3 NVQ beauty therapy. The course Im doing is over 2 years and is one night a week. It will involve swedish massage, aromatherapy using pre blended oils, indian head massage and some electrolysis. Apparently its changed this year as there are 2 different routes you can take. 1 route is level 3 the massage route which is the one I'm doing and the other is the electrical route. I think so anyway.

I have just started Level 3 and Nails is an optional unit that I am doing.
Did Fibreglass in Level 2 but the college that I go to doesnt offer Level 2's the nail option anymore.
They have to wait till Level 3.

I am really looking forward to doing L&P and Gel
I am also doing tanning, face and body electrical, epilation, + head and body massage.

I live on the Isle of Wight and level 3 Beauty over here consists of Swedish body massage, body and facial electricals, Epilation and artificail nails.
Most places on the Island look for level 3 or equivalent. A level 3 Diploma in Holistic therapies is quite desired as more salons offer the Holistic treatments rather than the electrical ones. Level three Holistics also has Swedish body massage, Aromatherapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Neuromuscular, Accupressure, Refexology and Nutrition. I have done both Beauty and Holistics and I have found the Level 3 holistics more useful as all the salons I have worked in offer more of these treatments, the only thing I have really used from Level 3 Beauty is Swedish Body Massage and artificial nails (very rarely) but its good to have the knowledge. The Holistics course is much more in depth and I feel I have a better knowledge and and more techniques.

God when I qualified at level two I was fully competent in A&P Massage, Nail Extensions, and health and fitness. Level 3 these days teaches out of date treatments that very few salons offer anymore, also the electrical teaching is over and above what you need to learn. My ex is an electrician at the highest level and even he didnt know any of the info I was taught.

I advertise level 2 as my lowest level if they have experience and can do the job then thats good enough for me. Treatments such as microdermabrasion, skin peeling, lash perming, tanning and nails can be done additionally without the need for level 3.

I never got my level 3 due to family circumstances and i was literally a month off qualifying. It has never stopped me doing any of the treatments I offer. As long as I had my facial certificate then my insurance company is happy for me to use electrical equipment on my clients. I found the level 3 a waste of time. I even learnt glycolic acid peeling at level 2! Level 3 should teach more modern treatments and also the theory behind peeling through glycolics/laser/microdermabrasion etc. They course should cater for the modern salon, but then I have never once seen a girl come straight out of college whether qualified to level 2 or 3 able of doing simple tasks such as mix eyelash tint, paint nails or wax within specified times. Until this is sorted I have little hope of level 3 improving.

I put my money and time into private courses learning everything I could that the college couldnt and wouldnt teach!

Hi Everyone

I have done my full level 2 but the adult education does not offer level 3 and I can't give up work ( i'm in a salon) and do a full time course nor can I afford to do this either.

I have completed my level 3 swedish massage, waiting to start my level 3 electrical facials , indian head massage and reflexology...BUT I am not sure what other modules I need every tutor I speak to tell me I need different courses so I am soooooo confused can anyone help ?? Also If I do just the modules will this still count as completing a level 3 ? arggghhhhh HELP

Thank you

Heidi xxx

You can do courses ar carlton etc for electrical facial and body treatments as well as electrolysis if you want or need to do that.

Just do what you feel you need to do to offer the treatments you or your salon need you to offer.

Most jobs state level 3 or equivalent so you would have the equivelent of a level 3 if you complete additional training, and body massage is a level 3 course I completed this but not my electrical facials etc but have done additional training etc.

Just keep up with the times and try and do as much training as you can. I try to go on at least one course every 6-12 months so I can at least have some recent training to
keep up with new treatments etc.

I like to say you can never have too many strings to your bow but at a recent job interview for a college lecturer I was turned down for the job because I was over qualified to teach level 2 therapists and thats without completing my level 3. I was shocked at that as I never thought you could ever be over quaslified to teach until I found out it was because I was more qualified than the head of department.

At the end of the day it dosnt matter what the level is, providing you have had sufficient training to provide a safe and effective treatment to your client. If you apply for a job requiring level 3 send your CV in anyway, salons are that desperate for decent staff they may consider you. It also depends on what treatments they offer. If your willing to prove how good you are and do well in a trade test I dont see why you wouldnt get a job.

If the salon do offer electrical treatments and expect you to do them then you would need to do a course to achieve this.

kate

I think there are a couple of issues here & that's the length/duration of the course & the quality of some teachers. When I trained in the mid 90's the course was 5 days 9.00 till 5.00, sometimes later, and for the final two years of the three years I was there I did one & a half days of week of 'salon time', i.e. members of the public came in & we did treatments on them for the duration of that time, thereby gaining practice & experience whilst being overseen. I've met people who say their course is only 2 days a week, and even then they're not whole days, and as a result they spend one or two days learning what I learnt over weeks & months. It's no wonder when I've met some newly qualified therapists that they're often frightened of shaping eyebrows & waxing!

Further to that the age & experience level of some tutors isn't that great. I've known of tutors at one college who went straight from the course into teaching with no salon experience - how can that be right?

I totally agree with everything you have said Martin.I also think there is far too much emphasis on the theory side of things especially concerning health and safety and not enough emphasis on getting the practical right.Yes of course health and safety is important but you need to know the ins and outs of a ....... for nvq.
I thought when my daughter had completed nvq 2 and covered a lot of the health and safety she wouldn't have to do it again but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I think the whole structure of the courses needs an upheaval.

here here lol!!!! Mind you I was taught by Sue Cressy herself 12 years ago! (okay 13 now shhhh!)

Today the pass rate is 35% apparently compared to 90% I had to achieve!

But Then I dont mind shaping these young therapists into the kind of therapist that makes them successful either in my salon or when they venture off alone. After all we only become successful by learning all the time ourselves. Once you cease to learn you cease to earn in my opinion!

I have years of salon experience but couldnt get a poxy lecturing job in a college go figure lol!!! These girls need a breath of fresh air not lecturers too scared to employ someone who is more up to date on new treatments than they are. As a salon owner I could have brought a lot of experience to those girls. Not some lecturer whos spent her days teaching since time began and wouldnt know a new treatment if it slapped her in the face! My college that I learnt at all those years ago still does not teach advanced waxing or proper hot waxing, nor do they ensure these girls can paint nails and certainly under no circumstances allow them to mix their own lash tint. The teacher does that for them eeerrrrrrrrrr ok! lol!