Training advice

[abbieC87]

Hi all,

I've just joined to get a bit of advice. I'm totally new to the industry and after many years of working in corporate offices I want to start branching out into beauty which is my true passion.

I can't afford to give up work so will be doing courses part time. At the moment I really want to focus on setting up my own business offering facials/skincare as that's where my passion lies and I'm a self confessed nerd for skincare!

I have seen the Luxury Facial Course at Kent Beauty School (http://www.ukbeautyschools.co.uk/beauty-courses/luxury-facial-courses/) which I would upgrade to a diploma or Level 2 VTCT. I would also look to do the facial electrotherapy course they offer (http://www.ukbeautyschools.co.uk/beauty-courses/facial-electrotherapy/)

I just wanted to ask if anyone has any general advice for doing this and any advice for training providers or whether anyone has done these courses?

Am I right in thinking that, if I went for the diploma/Level 2 VTCT - if I wanted to apply for the Elemis/Dermalogica products/training - they would require an NVQ Level 3 to work with me?

Just want to get all my ducks in a row before I start,

thanks so much in advance!

 

[MeganEmilyy]

As I’ve just finished my Level 3, majority of colleges have actually replaced the NVQ with the City & Guilds Diploma. I would highly recommend going that route for you as you’ll cover facials in Level 2 and then in Level 3 you’ll cover all facial electro therapy plus you cover all the anatomy and physiology behind it, which can be missed on shorter courses. I did my Level 3 over 3 days and worked 3 days from Sep to Jun.

 

[TheDuchess]

If you're planning on working freelance you'll need an excellent grounding. I training in CIBTAC/CIDESCO qualifications in a college also offering VTCT and other qualifications. We did some student modelling swaps between courses and I noticed that the students on my course were far more knowledgeable. This makes a huge difference to facial treatments. CIBTAC is the training arm of BABTAC the professional beauty body, so it's the training that the industry has designed for itself. CIDESCO is an internationally recognised qualification which is basically the Norland Nanny training of the beauty world. The CIBTAC syllabus is the same as CIDESCO for facial and electrical treatments and so private colleges usually have a mixed class of students with the CIBTAC students completing a few weeks before the CIDESCO assessments.

Personally, having employed a lot of mature entrants to beauty who trained in local authority colleges, I wouldn't recommend this retraining route. I'm sure there are lots of really excellent private training providers and tutors - why not ask for past student testimonials and contact former students for feedback. On my course, two of us successfully set up our own business after graduating.

There are lots of different CIBTAC providers so you can study part-time in a way that suits you. The facial course is level 2 and 3 together. You can work with a product house with just level 2 certification, but from a commercial point of view, you won't be able to offer a really professional client service.

FYI I studied at the London School of Beauty and Make-Up.