Any good reviews on Carlton Institute?

[Jessie-May]

Hi all, my friend has just booked a course with Carlton institute in Windsor for an acrylic nail course as it was on special offer, i think she said that she has paid £167 for it without the kit, i have heard lots of bad reviews on this site so far about the company and warned her but as she has already paid she cannot get a refund just wondering if anyone out there has any good reviews about the company or training course to make her feel a little better, thanks nicole x

 

[hannajadem]

Hi, I haven't trained with Carlton so don't know what they're like, but I did train on a short course with an independent company to start with. It wasn't great, we learnt 3 systems in 5 days, which isn't enough to call yourself a nail tech. However, it was enough for me to decide which system I liked the best and wanted to pursue, so I practised like mad for two months, then attended a skill building day, then converted with a reputable company (Creative). It cost me more money in the long run, but it's not the end of the world. It just takes a lot of further research, practise, dedication and discipline to do it this way, without 'throwing in the towel' after passing your initial course because you thought you'd be able to do nails after a week but can't!
Hth.

 

[Lindy B]

I did the course with them nov 07, it was terrible, the products they use are poor and they use the acrylic uv system, they do not teach you how to do refils and i feel the classes are to big for good proper training, i am however going to do the creatve conbversion course this monday. Sorry for bad news.

 

[Missy G]

I done my first course at TCIB Windsor , Im not going to go into detail as Ive been there done that before , and I basically agree with what Julie B says, but you did originally post was there anything good about them ?

What I did think was good if you were unsure about any of the course , you could go back free of charge and do it again.Id advise her to get herself on a conversion course after this , she will be taught the basics in her Carlton course, and she will need to decide if she wants to do gel /l and p or silk & fibre glass nails before she goes on the conversion, she wont be able to do all at once.

I recieved a diploma after doing my intensive course, which gets you insurane and allows you to practice on friends and family if you like.

 

[Vanilla Pod]

Hi, i did acrylic, gel and fibreglass and sculpting, with Exmouth, the trainer was lovely, the classrooom enviroment was good, and she spent a great deal of time with us, but
uv acrylic -- no way totally different to traditional acrylic and was almost self taught at home along with a lovely nail tech who now does my nails to give me pointers
also i watched tons of videos and dvds which helped x

 

[Jessie-May]

Thanks guys, by the sounds of it she has just wasted £167 I now know that I won't be doing the same, on behalf of me apart from CND is there any other good training providers out there as I was just about to pay up wit CI too

 

[Missy G]

I second best Ezflow!!!

 

[Fayefacial]

A good review of the Carlton institute? Not from me I'm afraid. With a company that is supposedly well versed in dealing with people (they are a training company after all) I have never had such a terrible experience! I'm not new to courses and training and so thought that a day training in their Windsor branch would be a breeze. No! From the moment I arrived there the other students were very "cliquey" and made to feel completely isolated. I smiled at people and said "hello" only to be completely ignored. Fair enough, we can't all have people skills but where were the staff making me feel welcome? It is such a basic and fundamental thing to make a new student feel comfortable with their new environment but all I got was a wave in the direction of tea and coffee without so much as being asked my name or being told theirs.
Sensitive and naive I am not. Expectant of being treated decently after paying over £200 I certainly am!
It is not my style to needlessly denigrate entire institutions, but the facts of my experience in Windsor are that I was treated awfully. Is it really the case that I ask too much to be welcomed when I arrive and told briefly what to do to feel a part of things? Furthermore, in response to this nonsense, I left after about 20 minutes. Not that I expect people to run after me, but I didn't so much as receive a phone call to see if I was okay! Why? Because none of the staff even knew I was there.
If, like me, you are looking to be treated like human being I would not recommend the Carlton institute at Windsor. If you like to form cliques and making people feel alienated, Windsor is for you. Perhaps there are positions available....... As for the other institutions, I have no personal experience whatsoever - I'm sure they are perfectly lovely!
My advice to the Windsor branch? Not that you probably care but try and treat people as people and not the stacks of £20 they merely represent. Just pretend you care, it would go a long way!

 

[Daisydo]

Hi I think I am going against the grain but I too like Vanilla Pod went to Exmouth for several short courses, and then completion of my NVQ2 in Beauty Therapy. I only did manicure and pedicures so can not comment on other nail courses, but I too found the tutor lovely (Helen from memory!) and the whole experience lovely and enjoyable. Perhaps it is just Windsor with the problems? x

 

[Eyelovebeauty]

I did a course in Cardiff and it was awful, it was so hard to find! It was actually in a top floor flat with no sign posts or anything, I paid an extra £100 for a eyelash kit and it only had one tray of extensions and ten pads, 1 glue and 1 microstick In a hobycraft box. The trainer was on and off her phone the whole time and kept leaving for a coffee. I complained and was given a part refund - I would never recommend nor use them again

 

[Jo's Nails]

Hi Guys,
I am booked into the Carlton Institute Cardiff on the 25-26 with NVQ level 2 for a two day acrylic course. I believe they use EZ flow products and I have been told by there head office that they use traditional liquid and powder acrylic????
I hope so because I have queried them about this uv acrylic and I don't want to use it.
I want to re-train and knuckle-down and learn everything I need to and come away feeling good about my training and I hope I don't have a bad experience like you guys have.

Hi Eyelovebeauty, I have goggled the Carlton Cardiff I know where it is but now but would't have if I haven't looked it up. I did ring the other week to see if I could pop in and talk about the course before I attend but the dates and times they gave me were too late for me. Where do I park?
Now after reading your reviews I am thinking (oh no:cry lol.xx

 

[Eyelovebeauty]

Hi! I parked about 10 min walk away where they told me but there is loadz of side street around that is so much closer, if you imagine a houseing estate it's exactly the same so you can park along the road, the only thing telling you it's there is when u finally find the building and it says it on the buzzer writen in pencil, I booked mine then heard lots of bad reviews so rang and voiced my concerns so when I called back because it was all true I could refer bk to them promising me x y and z - and also go carefull as they print the certificates wrong and the name appears in the wrong place, I had to send mine back x

 

[emsie]

I haven't done a nail course with them (went with NSI) as I wanted to use NSI products so decided to pay more as it would be worth it in the long run rather than paying for conversion then purchasing their products,but I have done an lash tinting and brow course with Carlton and I found it ok. Not sure if I'd go back there though, I didn't think there was enough one to one time. hth

 

[Jo's Nails]

Thanks Eyelovebeauty.x I am going to drive down there this afternoon to get my bearings and figure it out and see if I can speak to someone. As I understand it all there appointments are made through there head office and the number I have dialed a few times to find out information about the course has run up quite a bill so I am going down there and buzz there buzzer and see if I can get in. I have no choice but to go there as I have been given funding and told this was the only place I can attend. If my training is not up to scratch I will not be happy and I will complain.
I posted another thread on the forum last night about the Ez flow products they sell through there trade shop and the pricing of them. They seemed really expensive compared to what I have used (salon system). Where does everybody get there EZ flow products from? xx

 

[U-neek]

Hi Jessie-May
I did my basic training with Carlton Institute in Windsor – I would put the emphasis on Basic. Although my particular class was fairly small and friendly (about 8 girls) and the tutor was lovely I quickly realised fast that there was a lot of hard work ahead and a long old way to go. We didn’t even practice rebalances for example, just had it explained and a “this is what you would do in theory demo” and I ended up feeling very disillusioned for a quite a while! Trouble with the marketing for this place and other courses like it is it makes it all sound like you will walk away from the course qualified and ready to go ! The tutor had trained with CND and she emphasised that the course we were on only taught the basics and the products were basic (including horrid UV curable l&P yuk!) and she strongly recommended that we would need to do more training with whatever nail brand we went on to use. I chose the course I went on because it taught me the theory and practical for Manicure and pedicure and all the nail system in 5 days and then went on to study for the NVQ in my own time and it seemed so much better value than a course that only taught me one system and did not result in an NVQ !!!!!! Lesson learnt the hard way and moral of the story is you get what you pay for and I wish I knew then what I know now.
This route has cost me more and slowed me down in the long term.
So to sum up –when looking back at CI for what it gave me – a very basic start - my experience of the course and the teaching was ok. I floundered for a while but found my determination again with thanks mostly to this site and a lot of hard work which set me on my way again and I’m finally working through more training with my chosen brand - but you live and learn.
If your friend has the determination and work ethic I’m sure she’ll be able to turn the experience into a positive now it’s booked and paid for ! At least it’s only one system she’s covering instead of the whole lot it will at least provide a starting point in the world of nails but will not instantly qualify her as a tech straight away. There will be an awful lot more hard work to follow but it is all worth it when you get on the right track – where ever your starting point was ! xxx :hug:


Whoops - just realised this thread was started 2009 and showing because you commented on it Jo's Nails ! Still - advice still applicable I hope and I her they have switched to EZ Flow from Nailite for L&P now so that's already better than I had with them xxx

 

[Jo's Nails]

OMG! didn't realize it was started in 2009 it was right at the top of the forum the other night that's why I commented on it, don't know what happened there I should have been born blond (no offence meant) lol:lol:xx Nice one for noticing U-neek.xx lol

I popped to the Carlton this afternoon, parked up couldn't find the building for ages, asked 3 different businesses and they directed me else where in the end I had to ring there head office and they directed me over the phone. There was a buzzer with Carlton written in really faded pencil I buzzed explained over the intercom that I wanted to discuss a course and they let me in but dopey me couldn't open the right door I was stuck out side for ages lol. The instructor was taking a class so she let me wait and have a coffee. She was lovely and very approachable and talked over the course with me. I am glad I went there today and found it and met the instructor it gave me piece of mind. She also explained what I would have to do for my NVQ. They use EZ flow traditional l&p. She showed me the products i will be working with. I have chosen to spend the two days in acrylic I will also be learning to sculpt and pink and whites.

I think it's down to me now to make sure I know everything I need to and make it positive experience but not be afraid to ask questions.

 

[reedy333]

Hello, I would just like to share my experience with you at the Carlton Institute.
I went on the two day Swedish Body massage course, my tutor was Janet. I am afraid I failed! At the time I was so disappointed! But I was intvited back to try again for FREE. I am so glad I failed now! Janet was right, I wasn't ready.
My second tutor was Natasha, she was so calm and the patients of a saint! I applied the techniques, mastered the movements and passed.
I am now doing an NVQ level 3. I have my insurance in place, which the Carlton recommended and I must say it is very reasonable! I completed my diploma just 2 weeks ago and already have several returning happy clients. I also completed my Indian Head Massage, my tutor was Natalie, who instantly recognized my problem was confidence over technique and worked closely with me to achieve a pass rate. A great teacher! My only advice I can offer is ask for a test manual when you book your course, this will give you time to to revise, as there isn't much time to digest the theory whlist you are learning so much practical on such an intense course. Out of 10 I would give a 9. Thank You!

 

[laurakate]

http://www.salongeek.com/blogs/laur...e-part-one-training-portfolio-assessment.html

I did my nvq 2 at carlton. this blog is long but it gives a review of the entire experience.

As I mentioned in another thread today, it's not great but it's not terrible...it depends what your needs are as a learner.