Do-it-all Deb said:
I have read all of the posts with interest and am still unsure as to how to collate my qualifications.
I trained as a beauty therapist many years ago, for three years and received my IHBC diploma. I can therefore do all the usual beauty treatments including manicures, pedicures, electrolysis and body treatments. Am I correct in thinking that this is an equivalent of the current NVQ level 3 in beauty?
I have a recent diploma in Indian Head massage and for this I had to be rexamined and do extra coursework for anatomy and physiology, health and safety and business studies. I think these were called M2/M74 papers and these then counted towards my next qualification in nails!
I then did my advanced nails at college and got thrown into this deluge of letters, qualifications that is thoroughly confusing! I am awaiting the diploma which I presume will be IHBC in advanced nail techniques and is Unit 19. I used all three systems within my training, albeit gel was self taught! I also have an IHBC nail art diploma. Do I have a complete NVQ in nails if there is such a thing? With the introduction of NVQ 3 in nails this autumn, what if anything would I have to do to attain this?
Yours, very confused!
Hi Confused!
I can see why you are! I'll do what I can to explain but it is worth remembering that some of the Awarding Bodies award their own qualifications PLUS NVQ's and they are similar but different. I am not sure, though, that IHBC award NVQ's.
Your Diploma, because it includes electrical and body treatments (plus all the other stuff) is the equivilent of the current Beauty Therapy Level 3.
The next one you did needed your ana/phy updating and the Diploma included the H&S and business studies (each Diploma has it's own combination of modules/units that may or may not cross over with another)
These extra bits may be included in the nails Diploma which is why it is 'counted toward' i.e. you don't have to do it again.
Your Advanced Nail Techniques is similar, but not the same, as Unit 19. It is as good though.
If you want to do a NVQ Level 3 in Nail Services there is loads more to do I'm afraid. Look at
www.habia.org in 'downloads' where it will show you the full units required.
Unit 19 does not transfer across exactly but is closer to the new Unit BT22 in Level 3.
The new qualifications have only just come into being and most of the FE colleges don't know too much about them yet (even though they would have been given details over a year ago!!) The Awarding Bodies, like IHBC will take some time to convert them to their own qualifications.
Sorry if this has made it more confusing still! If you do want to further your education (and you don't have to) all that you have done so far will go a very long way towards what next you want to do.
Marian