College or separate courses?

[jayz]

Hi I'm a working mum of 3. And im in a predicament.
I want to train in beauty and possibly hair. problem I have is my local college don't do level one in either part time. Only level 2 and 3. So then I thought about training in individual things. Tanning. Nails etc.
If I did it individually who would you recommend in the West Midlands area. Or should I go to college and try and get a job working evenings.
Please give your honest advice
Many thanks

 

[AcidPerm]

Hi jayz,

Level 1 courses are aimed at school leavers and as a mature student, you would normally go straight into level 2.

Also, I recommend that you choose either beauty or hair rather than both initially.
With hairdressing for instance, there's a lot to learn and generally you need to complete level 3 (or equivalent) plus a few years gaining experience before you're likely to feel confident running your own column. Only very basic cuts and colour training is covered in level 2.

With beauty, a level 2 qualification will be recognised everywhere and is the natural starting point.

You can build up by doing individual courses, but I'd strongly advise you only book courses run by well establish companies with a strong reputation such as CND for Nails. There are other well known brands out there so start googling.
A word of caution: There are sadly, a lot of threads on here started by geeks who initially chose their training on price point alone and have unfortunately regretted it and had to spend a lot more money re-training. Thoroughly research any training provider and be a bit wary of online reviews which are often skewed. Consider the time you spend researching your options as part of your investment in yourself.

Good luck!

 

[EllenHyuga]

Hey. As above. You would normally go straight to level 2. Level 1 is aimed at school leavers with low GCSEs, as they do maths and english as well. I've just finished level 2 beauty therapy. I did it part time in the evenings You are better off doing a college course rather than individual courses, purely from a training point x

 

[Tinyness87]

Hi Jayz, I used to teach both individual day courses and NVQ, you can start with level 2, no need for level 1.
I highly recommend the NVQ qualification as training is more in depth and better knowledge gained for you. For individual courses, you will spend more, and your knowledge and experience minimal.
Having worked across Hair, Nails and Beauty I have found that those doing beauty and hair together it is too much to take in all at once.

Research your training provider thoroughly, and check that your tutors have all the relevant qualifications.

All the best.