Did you train at college or with a private educator?

[***juice***]

For your nail training?

Umming and aahing between college or NSI at the moment and just thought it might be an idea to see where the majority of people learn.

 

[Nail Love]

There are so many different places and companies to learn with at the moment, I think you will be spoilt for choice!!! I personally did a years VTCT in a college, a night class, it gave me the basics of what I needed to know. After a while in the industry I completed a L+P conversion then a Brisa gel course with CND, and never looked back!!!
I haven't tried any other training classes, but have experimented with other products. Have a look on this site, there are nail techs who use various systems and there's plenty of information on each one. For me though, it's CND all the way :green:

 

[SammiG]

Brand training every time in my opinion.

I did college at first - £800 later and a kit full of rubbish,I had to go to to a brand educator to un-learn what I had been taught! This may have just been the college i went to though!lol.

I think personally, many of the brand courses are more beneficial than college. there are sometimes lots in the class at college and they may ask you to use products that you may never want to use again, but if you are going with a good brand, then the educators will really know how to teach their product. If you wanted to go down the nvq route, you could always just take assesments after your brand training. ( I think I have posted about this before).

I'm sure some college courses are great though- these are just my experiences.

Sam xxx

 

[Vetty]

I did private education with CND and don't regret it for a minute. In fact, reading some of the experiences with colleges on here makes me even more grateful I took the path I did.......

 

[mercedes69]

I did a CND foundation course with a private educator.

I don't have access to a college course where I live but even if I had I think I would have still gone down the route of training directly with the company I chose....as in my case CND....

The reason behind my 'reasoning' is if I had done say a 12 month course at college using a brand I didn't particularly like, I would then still have to do a conversion course with the brand of my choice.

I would rather just go with the brand of my choice in the first place and train directly with them ( so long as it was recognised and reputable training ).

You can then do on-going training with them.....

But that's my choice....xxxxxx

 

[***juice***]

Brand training every time in my opinion.

I did college at first - £800 later and a kit full of rubbish,I had to go to to a brand educator to un-learn what I had been taught! This may have just been the college i went to though!lol.

I think personally, many of the brand courses are more beneficial than college. there are sometimes lots in the class at college and they may ask you to use products that you may never want to use again, but if you are going with a good brand, then the educators will really know how to teach their product. If you wanted to go down the nvq route, you could always just take assesments after your brand training. ( I think I have posted about this before).

I'm sure some college courses are great though- these are just my experiences.

Sam xxx

Yeah, I noticed with NSI you can "top up" to an NVQ (if that makes sense), pricked my little ears up, that did!

 

[alan27]

tonight is mylast night of my nail class at college,

i am very very lucky as my tutor at college is an educator for NSI scotland and has been for years,

so, i would say it would really depend who your tutor was! cant you go to an open day for college and meet him/her and ask about experience etc?

just an idea

:hug:

 

[mercedes69]

I did private education with CND and don't regret it for a minute. In fact, reading some of the experiences with colleges on here makes me even more grateful I took the path I did.......

There does seem to be a fair few geeks with bad experiences of college courses....
and it seems that most people from college then have to go on and train with their brand anyway

I'm not knocking colleges and their courses....I'm sure there are many great experiences had by people...but we don't seem to hear about it too much on here :lol:

Perhaps to give a balanced view we can hear about some great college experiences xxxxxx

 

[***juice***]

tonight is mylast night of my nail class at college,

i am very very lucky as my tutor at college is an educator for NSI scotland and has been for years,

so, i would say it would really depend who your tutor was! cant you go to an open day for college and meet him/her and ask about experience etc?

just an idea

:hug:

It's the same college I go to now - I keep asking (to the point where I'm being a pest :green and they don't know much about how it's going to work as an evening course But TBH, the thought of two nights a week (plus work, plus my degree, plus driving lessons, plus having a life) may be a bit much for another year!

 

[mercedes69]

It's the same college I go to now - I keep asking (to the point where I'm being a pest :green and they don't know much about how it's going to work as an evening course But TBH, the thought of two nights a week (plus work, plus my degree, plus driving lessons, plus having a life) may be a bit much for another year!

Well from that info personally I think you should go down the private educator route...

As an example only the CND foundation course is 5 days (split into 3 days then a 1 day then a 1 day....)

I'm sure the other brands can tell you about their courses....

That way you will have done and dusted and can set about earning money and thinking of your next course before you would have even completed a college course...!!

 

[rebelrebel]

I trained many moons ago with starnails (don't laugh! I didn't know much about nails at the time) I am doing my level 3 in September at college and the system they use is Creative if they had used another system then I wouldn't have chose them I would have trained with a brand company.

 

[Nail Love]

My college Tutor for advanced nail techniques was a beautician (years ago) and was just doing teaching during her retirement!!! The lady (though nice as she was) wasn't a nail tech and most of it was new to her too. It wasn't until my first trade show, which was arranged my the tutor, did I realise that there was brand training!!!! Wish Id gone straight to CND though, as like Sammi has already said, "£800 later and a bag full of rubbish products......" would rather have spent that money getting "real" knowledge and training.

 

[Chameleon]

I personally am more of a "brand awareness" technician and therapist...although i started out in college doing beauty and nail enhancements,i had a bad experience with the nail course in nvq...why?

Well because the lecturers were not passionate about nails and more focused on other subjects...now i am by no means knocking college courses...however for me a brand has to deliver results,and education and research into a product has to speak volumes...so for me private training with a brand is my only option.

 

[Poshfloss]

Yeah, I noticed with NSI you can "top up" to an NVQ (if that makes sense), pricked my little ears up, that did!

Hi,
I spoke with NSI today for bringing qualifications up to NVQ level 3, it is not up and running yet, but they are phoneing me back tomorrow with where I can do it.
I need level 3 so that I can go into teaching, went to open eve at a college last night for those wanting to be tutors.
Really would like to do my teaching and assesors course.
x x :hug: :hug: x x

 

[Susie H]

The problem with collage, from my point of view, is that it takes so long to get your qualification and get going.
I personally like the fact that I spent most of my time actually applying nails to a living person and then spent my own time doing theory practicing on a nail trainer. Small groups, so I always had my problems addressed and tutors who really wanted me to pass. Unfortunately not all collage tutors feel that way. Some do so no one shout at me please.
But all my educators in this industry have been top of their game and only a phone call away even 2 or 3 years down the line.

 

[mary1981]

I went to Bolton college and did a ten week evening course. I loved it and was lucky enough to have a good tutor. I trained using a good brand - young nails. I have also found out since doing my course and talking to young nails educators at the beauty show that my tutors have regular training from young nails themselves. This is really reassuring both for me and anyone wanting to go on the course i suppose. I also liked the fact i could go back with any problems each week. I would never say though that that is all the education i need. I have plans for mani/pedi courses in the autumn, and some skill building training. Any further training i take will be product based with a private educator. I also haven't tried many other products yet, and if i do and want to change to a different product i will take conversion training with that company. It will be never ending hun once you start! But i mean that in a good way!
Good luck xx

 

[Violet Star]

I took private training with a company and then converted to CND and to be honest i think private training is the way to go. As you get trained to that specific product rather than generic which once you do generic sometimes a company wont let you purchase their products unless a conversion has been taken.
Also you get more attention within your training and its more intense, more so when its one-to-one.

hths x

 

[akaza]

Hi,

Like the other geeks have mentioned, there are alot of companys and colleges out there that can teach nails. I did my trainning at a very well known private college here in Sydney. I paid alot for it, but was worth every penny!

I had afew friends who owned salons at the time I was deciding on where to train, and I had asked them, what they looked for in a nail tech and whom theyd hire, and without fail, they would say that they would hire anyone who trainned at the particular college I was looking at trainning with, as the standard was very high and students work was fantastic, considering they were just newly qualified. One of my family friends even offered me a job even before I started my trainning! Thats how confident she was of the standard of the college!

That helped me make my decicion, and everyone who recommended this college to me was right. Once I was qualified, I left the college confident and knowledgable to succed. I didnt take up my family friends job offer, but I had no problems finding a job!

If you can get recommendations for colleges or private educators from people who have been in the industry it helps! Obviously if people are highly recommending one place more then the others, then your choice should be easy!

hth x x