Becoming a fully qualified nail technician?

[katieee_19]

Hi everyone im new if you havent guess already but i just want something clearing up really.. to become a fully qualified nail technician i have seen a course for £536 NAIL COURSES - nail technician, manicure and pedicure, NVQ Level 2 Nail Services, Nail Arthas anybody else done this course or anything similar and actually got a job out of it? I already have an NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy so know how to do the basic manicure & pedicure + polish, but im really wanting to go into nails (acryllics etc) what would be the best way to go about it?

All opions apprecihated =) x

 

[Bagpuss]

to be honest for that money you could get a much better course

 

[mum]

2 days for 'Nail Technician' and 1 day manicure and pedicure!!! This isn't even a beginning. Sorry

There are 100's of threads on here. I suggest spending some time searching

 

[katieee_19]

I did earlier couldnt find anything i was looking for, il keep searching cheers for the help!!!

 

[sammy nails]

hi im doing a nail tech couse with www.home-lean.com i only payed 179.99 of the lot its good too for the money cheek out the website hope this helps u :biggrin:

 

[karenb]

Hi I am doing a vtct in nail technology it was £329.00 and last 9 months 3 hours a week, your local college should do it x

 

[katiebbaby]

Check out sweetsquared.com go onto education and enquire about there signature 5 foundation course, cheaper than what you think

 

[katieee_19]

Wow, thanks for the replys everyone, and im going to look into them all now! Thank you very much x

 

[NABS]

Hi Katieee,

My name is Kirsty Wallis and I am the MD of the Nail & Beauty School. Your post was brought to my attention this morning.

At the Nail & Beauty School we specialise in Fast Track training. Our courses are for people who do not want to spend months or years in college.

As well as offering an insurance accredited course (similar to Creative Nails Cerificate) we also offer the NVQ in Nail Services. The practical training for both of these courses is exactly the same. The difference is that the NVQ students return for one other week to do their practical assessments, written exams and to hand in their written assignments and unfortunatley it costs more!

To qualify as an NVQ accredited Centre, we have to attain standards set down by HABIA.

"Habia is the standard setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa industries, and creates the standards that form the basis of all qualifications including NVQs, SVQs, Apprenticeships, Diplomas and Foundation degrees, as well as industry codes of practice." ( www.habia.org)

To do one of our courses students do need to be aware that there is a responsibilty on the student to do plenty of home study. This is why we can charge such reasonable prices as you are not paying for someone there to watch you practice.
We give you the know how and support on the course, teaching you to trouble shoot from day one of the course, as this is a skill you need so that you can identify problems and remedy them.

This is NOT a pay and pass course. Our students are being assessed from the moment they start on the course. Those students that do not pass, are offered one more course for free. Students usually then come back for their second course and do really well as they have had the time to practice in an unpressurised environment, honing thier skills in the areas that needed extra attention.

I am a Nail Technician and Beauty Therapist. I qualified in a two day Nail Tech course quite a few years ago!! They only bought out the NVQ in Nail studies three years ago, before that you may know that is was unit 19 of the Beauty Therapy NVQ.
Most Nail Technicians are not Beauty Therapists and most of them have trained in private shcools ( like ours) or manufacturer courses. The Government are now standardising the Nail Industry, hence the NVQ in Nail Services. So we now have a course that was one unit in an NVQ, maybe 4-6 weeks of training ( not everyday either, I hasten to add) into an NVQ level 2 and level 3. Which depending on where you are training can take up to two years.

The question I want you to ask yourself, especially since you have already done your NVQ2 Beauty Therapy training...In retrospect do you think it is possible to cover Manicure & Pedicure procedure in one day??

Depending on what your personal answer to this question is, and depending on the way that you learn really determines whether you think it is possible to learn so much in four days. I know that it is true for me and for thousands of students that we have taught.

The important thing is that you do what you think is right for you and what you are comfortable with.

As far as comments from the other posts go, if you are in any doubt as to the professionalism of a company then phone and ask pertinent questions asking them to justify why they teach the way they do. Ask for referrals of past students, ask for whatever you need, within reason, to reassure you that you are picking the right course for your needs.

I am happy to answer any questions either on this forum or you can phone the office and ask to speak to me, Kirsty on 0845 680 0176 or visit our website on www.nailandbeautyschool.co.uk Especially look under the 'QUESTION' section of the website as this helps to expalin lots of things, if you are new to Nails & Beauty.

I hope this helps you and that you choose the right course for you, whichever company it is with.

Kirsty x

 

[mum]

Hi Kirsty

It's good that you have spent the time explaining your training school and I hope it enlightens the thread starter.

However, I do have to point out that the introduction on your website suggests that people can be up and running after 4 days and that the course will give them all the skills they need to offer a full range of services. For those just looking to enter the industry they will read it as exactly that. They will not understand that it takes a lot more. Maybe this is explained during the course but by that time they have made their choice thinking it is all they need.

Then, looking at the course content there is no mention of any health & safety issues. Maintenance is only covered by 'information' with a demonstration on request or 'should it occur'. We all know that maintenance is the 'bread and butter' of the nail technicians work and where so many struggle (as can be seem from threads on this forum). Plus it is difficult enough for a beginner to gain any understanding in 1 system in the 2 day course. 3 systems must be overload and very confusing at the very best.

Now, your short course is what it is and there is a place for them within the industry. But I do believe that learners should be aware of the facts from the beginning and understand that after 4 days they will not be ready to provide services to paying clients. It is just a start.

Following the Habia guidelines is relevant to NVQ courses not short courses. Coming back for 1 more week is still not what it is all about if you are talking about L2 and L3. Maybe if it is for just 1 unit. Again this is not very clear. There are guidelines that say the the new L2 requires 400 notional learning hours and L3 requires 580

I hope this explains why so many are not 'fans' of short courses that 'suggest' they are all that is needed without explaining the full picture.

 

[user 25446]

Good post Mum!

Katieee_19, like most things in life there are no short cuts - even if schools exist which will give a diploma in a few days, the reality is that making a competent set of gel or L&P nails takes weeks and months of practice. To make a really good set takes years!
http://www.salongeek.com/members/katieee_19.html
Some people never get it - they get frustrated and stop. But perhaps these are the same people who are given unrealistic expectations by schools. A diploma does not mean you are competent to get work, it's only a sign that you have the minimum education and that you have to develop a lot more from there.

The best way to look at this all is that what you are trying to do is not only get a new career but also start your own business. To do this well, you need the best education you can afford and preferably with a company that is nationally or internationally known (it's the difference between getting a Oxford degree and one from East Middle-Wallop University). Then you need to estimate that it will take 3 to 6 months of good practice to produce sell-able and equally importantly, reliable nails.

In the meantime you have a lot to do. You need to plan your business - have a logo designed, business cards printed, preferably a website, find a bookkeeper, make some financial plans and in these include the cost of not only buying the extra tools and material you need, but also once you are making decent regular income - saving for a rainy day and also saving for future education that you need to do to develop as a professional and therefore attract the best paying customers.

I'd also recommend you buy a simple marketing book and read that. A business needs to know how to promote itself properly and in the most cost-effective way.

You are already asking questions - and that's a great sign!

Good luck! :hug:

Bob

 

[busybee32]

I myself stared out with a "intensive 5 day course" accredited for insurance purposes. I didn't know about salon geek then when i first started out and unfortunatly ended up spending over £1500 on a course for a qualification that wasnt worth the paper it was printed on IMO.
I thought I would come away from that week knowing everything that there is to know about being a Nail technician How niave of me. I wish I knew then what I know now. Thats why salon geek is so great as it helps others not to make the same mistakes that we did!!!
I found this site through another member and I have since done conversions with EZFlow, NSI and lastly CND.
If I had done better research and been more wisely informed I would have saved myself a fortune by booking a foundation course with CND to start with.
The training with them is second to none and is not a fast track qualification.
Trust me you wont get out of a short course as much as you think. They passed people who's nails were monstrocities and they didnt feel competent enough to work on the general public.
They dont show you how to do basics such as smile lines or rebalances which are a technicians bread and butter, you either have to pick these up yourself or go on further training.
I also was taught using UV acrylic which is a completly different thing to normal L&P so you dont learn timings and proper placement.
Save yourself a lot of time and money by booking a course with the big name brands not and intensive flash in the pan accredited course elsewhere. Companies know how to get the best from their own brands and products and are better suited to training you in using them.
4 years on I have spent thousands on my training and education and it hasnt stopped there.
This industry changes day to day, they are always bringing out new products and techniques and to be the best you have to learn from the best and be commited to furthering your education on an annual basis.
If you feel that you dont have the time, energy or money to do that then this profession is not for you.
I personally wouldnt waste my money with a short course as they skim around the edges.
Health and safety issues are barely touched on.
HTH
Jen xxx

 

[mum]

Making comments such as "the government are now standardising the industry" worries people! There are now people on here who think the courses they are doing are wrong because things have changed!

The 'government has been standardising the industry' for the last 10+ years and it has been a slow and sometimes painful process

We have had the NVQ in Nail Services for a few years. This will be updated, for the better, in August. It has always been possible to achieve a Beauty Therapy NVQ with a slant on nails or take a collection of units that suited the industry or take one of the Awarding Bodies Diplomas for nail technology.

Please don't make inaccurate statements such as that without any explanations.

 

[geeg]

Another inaccurate statement by the poster, nabs, is to suggest even in the most remote way that her course resembles that of CND. It does not, and I resent both the implication and the use of the CND name and reputation to give further credit or respectability the class described. Firstly the CND full syllabus of courses will last more than a year to complete and the Foundation course from CND is just what it says it is .. a foundation upon which all the other CND modules, rest.

Lastly, and so that we are all clear about it ... and perhaps the most important thing to remember is, that at CND, education is the culture of the company ... education is not just a programme nor is it in fact, a profit centre ... it is the backbone of the company, the heart of it and it's where we 'live'.

 

[lissa]

whatever you decide don't take a home learn course i did the essntial nails gel which was fine as i can do acrylics BUT im going back to college on monday to do all 3 systems so i have someone showing how to do the things im not sure of ,,i have zero confidence in my work i wish i had paid to go to college in the first place !!

Still the airbrushing was excellent