NVQ3 or CND Enhance course? What is best?

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Lovebeauty14

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Hello.
I am currently hoping to further my skills in nails as I currently hold the NVQ2 Beauty Therapy General but would like to enhance my skills by learning L&P and enhancing my Gel Nail skills. I have undertaken a short course in Gel Nails (in my less clued up days) and although I've put lots of practice in and have read up loads and do an OK set of Gels I am not 100 per cent confident and being a perfectionist I want to enhance my skills and become perfect. I think getting further qualified in the enhancement field is just what I need.

I was just wondering, in your honest opinion, what is the best way to go about this? I currently have my own home salon but if that folds and I need to look for employed work is the CND Enhance course as recognised as NVQ3? I'd prefer to do the CND course as I love CND/Sweet Squared and want to work my way up into that family and one day become a Master!

I have currently emailed both S2 and my local college and am waiting for replies but I would just like to hear it from you guys as you all will have knowledge on this as I know a lot of you have done both of these courses.

Thankyou xx:hug:
 
Hi hun, didn't want to read and run as I see you're waiting for a response.

I'm not entirely sure myself, but I do know that those with more knowledge than myself, Gigi for one, maintain that an NVQ is the minimum knowledge required, and that CND education surpasses the taught education and level of knowledge than an NVQ.

A salon would respect a CND education enough to employ you if that is what you have done, and to my knowledge at the moment it is only the London boroughs that state it is mandatory to have an NVQ to be employed.

Have you tried a search? I know I've read the information above on quite a few threads. Here's just one of them:

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-geek/166610-nvq-level-3-others.html


Hopefully someone comes along to comment further xx
 
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Thankyou Fee. That's good to know. I would prefer to do the CND course but I was worried that if I didn't do the NVQ3 and wanted paid employment then I wouldn't be qualified in their eyes. I'll check out your link. X
 
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I'm also entitled to up to £1000 off the military (I'm ex military) for courses level 3 and above. Here's hoping CND courses are the equivalent. *cross fingers*
 
If some one had given me the money and said you chose i would pick CND every time!!

The only reason i did NVQ 2 and 3 first was because i was 16 and got it for free!! lol and i have to say after doing the CND classes you really get what you pay for!!

if i was an employer i would pick a CND qualification over NVQ!!

if you go to college to do your NVQ its full of kids that will mess about or singles mums as they get the course for free, they dont care about the course they just want to 'do nails' at the end of my college class over half had dropped out!

CND is for people that are serious about nails!! they make you passionate about nails and want to create amazing nail! they inspire you to be your best and have endless support!!

Well after i left college i left like giving up with nails as they were horrendous!! BUT i still passed all my assessment!! as thats all they were forced on!! when Ive done CND classes they take the time to explain to you and help you create amazing nails that your client will love! your not in any rush and your not getting kicked out the class!! (your clinging to your chair wanting more!!!)
 
Oooh Amelia R I hope I'm allowed the money for the CND course then!

I am mega passionate about nails, I just with the Sweets did an 'Apprentice' show so I could apply! Lol. Samuel Sweet the new Alan Sugar? Lol.

I just want to be perfect but I just feel my education is currently lacking. I'll wait for S2 to get back to me on what level their course is, hopefully it's level 3. *cross fingers again*
 
Right my local college just got back to me, they only offer NVQ3 Beauty Therapy which is a full time course. I'm not keen on doing a full time course as
1. It's going to be teenagers of 17 and 18 and it will make me feel ancient.
2. Childcare.
3. Don't want to do Beauty Therapy as it's all spray tanning, eyelash extensions which o'm already trained in. And they want you to do work experience in another salon when I already have my own home salon.
4. They were saying I needed to buy new kit and a uniform despite the fact I have my own kit and uniform.

Despite it obviously being a qualification up it just feels like to do this course would be covering what I'm already trained in and like I'm going backwards.

Come on S2, email me back! Lol.
 
This is a tricky one....I did my original training with CND and then went to college one day a week for 2 years to get NVQ levels 2 & 3 in Nail Services (yes there was a lot of 18-19 year olds, half of which dropped out :rolleyes: but there were also some more mature ladies like me ;)).

Personally, I have found CND's & Entity's training far superior! But I am glad I did the NVQ's too as it is a nationally recognised qualification which companies and customers recognise, it's a qualification on my CV that, imo, carries far more weight than brand training alone, and as far as I am aware having NVQ means I can buy/work with any brand of L&P, Gel and F&S products without having to take their training/conversions courses first.

HTH! :)
 
If some one had given me the money and said you chose i would pick CND every time!!

The only reason i did NVQ 2 and 3 first was because i was 16 and got it for free!! lol and i have to say after doing the CND classes you really get what you pay for!!

if i was an employer i would pick a CND qualification over NVQ!!

if you go to college to do your NVQ its full of kids that will mess about or singles mums as they get the course for free, they dont care about the course they just want to 'do nails' at the end of my college class over half had dropped out!

CND is for people that are serious about nails!! they make you passionate about nails and want to create amazing nail! they inspire you to be your best and have endless support!!

Well after i left college i left like giving up with nails as they were horrendous!! BUT i still passed all my assessment!! as thats all they were forced on!! when Ive done CND classes they take the time to explain to you and help you create amazing nails that your client will love! your not in any rush and your not getting kicked out the class!! (your clinging to your chair wanting more!!!)

I dont post offden as Im still training so dont feel i can always comment but I felt I had to say something about this as I take issue with a parts of it .I dont want to cause trouble or start a big thing that takes away from op statement but I feel i must say something .
Although i"m sure you wasn't trying to offend anyone ,I view your comment about a college course as offencive ,just because someone does day/ night course it does not mean they any less committed than someone who does a creative course or any other short course . When you went you were 16 years old and was in a class with children who granted sometime mess around ,as a adult if you go to as course you normally go in the evening with most of class being adults as well. There are always people who drop out for one reason or another .sometimes they thought they cuold make a quick buck easy or sometimes they have family problems and child care problems .
I also take a massive issue with the whole "sigle mother" thing just because they are a single mum or got the course for free does not mean they aren't committed I was a single mum through no fault of my own and ive been twice to train in nails and beauty and im taking steps to be mobile in the future .I have always worked and have been 100% committed to any course I have done . I get sick of being tarred because a few single parent are like this its a easy comment to say and just like we are not allowed to say Chinese when referring to nss salons this is very much the same thing . There is a mix of people on my course some work ,some dont some are single and some are not please dont judge me or anyone before you know anything about me . Also Im getting a bit sick of all the creative fanboys who jump up and down saying that creative is the best and nothing else will do .Yes they are a good company and I do use there stuff but also there are other company that are just as good and im getting a bit of sick sometimes off feeling if you dont use creative or are trained by them you are not good enough........before you all jump in and flame me as i know you will this is only my option so please be nice :Scared:.
 
Dont' forget that your NVQ will probably cover more than the CND course.

I did my NVQ3 Nail Tech and then went on to do my CND gel & acrylic conversion courses.

But on the NVQ we covered quite a broad aspect of nails such as Gel, Acrylic, Nail Art, Anatomy & Physiology and we also had the choice of a separate add-on course, which on our course was spray tanning.

Not a bad course in my opinion.

Oh and by the way, I was a mature student @ 40+ and although there were a lot of younger girls on the course, I wouldn't let it put you off.
 
Dont' forget that your NVQ will probably cover more than the CND course.

I did my NVQ3 Nail Tech and then went on to do my CND gel & acrylic conversion courses.

But on the NVQ we covered quite a broad aspect of nails such as Gel, Acrylic, Nail Art, Anatomy & Physiology and we also had the choice of a separate add-on course, which on our course was spray tanning.

Not a bad course in my opinion.

Oh and by the way, I was a mature student @ 40+ and although there were a lot of younger girls on the course, I wouldn't let it put you off.


I agree, def more to the NVQ than learning the nails! I also got Sunjunkie spray tan training, Caflon ear-peircing training, NSI advanced nail art training, experience of working at salon reception, always worked on paying clients, and a day out to the beauty show in Manchester ..which was all great experience!
 
Right just rang S2 (I have the patience of a road runner) and the enhancements course is the equivalent to NVQ3 and she's sending me out a brochure! Yeah! *Happy dance*
 
I see what you are saying, but my local college doesn't do NVQ3 Nail Technology. :-(
Otherwise it was a very worthy option.
As for the single Mum geek, good on you. It's bloody hard work being a married mother of one going about establishing myself in the beauty industry, I don't know how you'd manage on your own. Although my hubby's in the military so it's like being a single Mum half the time! He's never here! Lol.
X
 
Right just rang S2 (I have the patience of a road runner) and the enhancements course is the equivalent to NVQ3 and she's sending me out a brochure! Yeah! *Happy dance*


That's excellent news! Just PM'ed you xx
 
Hey I maybe your local educator, if not I know who will be, if you want to talk about the courses etc let me know and I can message you my number x x
 
I dont post offden as Im still training so dont feel i can always comment but I felt I had to say something about this as I take issue with a parts of it .I dont want to cause trouble or start a big thing that takes away from op statement but I feel i must say something .
Although i"m sure you wasn't trying to offend anyone ,I view your comment about a college course as offencive ,just because someone does day/ night course it does not mean they any less committed than someone who does a creative course or any other short course . When you went you were 16 years old and was in a class with children who granted sometime mess around ,as a adult if you go to as course you normally go in the evening with most of class being adults as well. There are always people who drop out for one reason or another .sometimes they thought they cuold make a quick buck easy or sometimes they have family problems and child care problems .
I also take a massive issue with the whole "sigle mother" thing just because they are a single mum or got the course for free does not mean they aren't committed I was a single mum through no fault of my own and ive been twice to train in nails and beauty and im taking steps to be mobile in the future .I have always worked and have been 100% committed to any course I have done . I get sick of being tarred because a few single parent are like this its a easy comment to say and just like we are not allowed to say Chinese when referring to nss salons this is very much the same thing . There is a mix of people on my course some work ,some dont some are single and some are not please dont judge me or anyone before you know anything about me . Also Im getting a bit sick of all the creative fanboys who jump up and down saying that creative is the best and nothing else will do .Yes they are a good company and I do use there stuff but also there are other company that are just as good and im getting a bit of sick sometimes off feeling if you dont use creative or are trained by them you are not good enough........before you all jump in and flame me as i know you will this is only my option so please be nice :Scared:.


This is just MY experience of when i attended college! i was 16 at the time i had just left school (I'm 20 now so i wasn't that long ago)

I left that i was rushed thought college i was more than capable at the treatment so didn't get any extra attention because i could 'do it' not to the best standard but i could do more then some of the girls in the class so they got all the tutors attention!

I personally feel that i didn't get 'looked after' like i did on the CND courses i attended it was just a case of getting assessment complete and that was it!

Good for you if i was a single mum id be on the course too! the point i was trying to make was that as a 16 year old or single mums or people on equivalent benefits that were not paying for the course they were not as committed! where as you seem very committed, I'm sure you can see for yourself if you class they are people that are not!

Again this is just MY personal experience with college!

Lovebeauty - i shall pm you Becki Kenyon's direct line she is S2 customer care team leader so you can get in direct contact with her about furthering your education with CND and S2!
 
Hey I maybe your local educator, if not I know who will be, if you want to talk about the courses etc let me know and I can message you my number x x

Thankyou. I think my nearest one is Hampshire but that's very kind of you anyway. X
 

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