ourBrushup y skills!
“C
ontinuous Professional Development is considered good practice for therapists in
the beauty industry,” explains Linda Ennis, Principal of The Beauty Academy.
“Although there are some excellent basic qualification courses available out there, no-one can learn everything at college. Many things need to be learnt through experience and years in practice. Beauty and hair is a rapidly changing industry; practitioners need to keep up-to-date with the latest techniques and information to become skilled at different treatments and procedures, which is crucial in order to develop one’s career and skills,” Linda adds.
Candice Gardner, Education Training Manager at the International Dermal Institute agrees: “The industry is constantly evolving. New treatments, techniques and ingredients are always coming to the fore. To be a knowledgeable, credible skin or body therapist it is crucial to be up-to-date with what you could or should be offering your customers. Otherwise your competition will simply gain the monopoly.”
If you’re a salon owner, think how important it is to invest in your staff by sending them on training courses to improve the service they offer your clients. “Lack of training is the fundamental reason for dissatisfied customers. Most issues would not occur or could be easily resolved if the appropriate level of skills were there,” Candice adds.
Do your research into what treatments are new to the market and then consider whether they would be suitable for your clientele, or the clients you are looking to attract to your business. Scour through trade publications, and attend trade shows, like the Irish Beauty Show which takes place on Sunday 13th and Monday 14th March, to find out about the latest new product and treatment launches. Plus, don’t forget to take a look at the glossies to see which treatments are making a buzz on the high street - these are the sorts of therapies you should think about training in. As Candice says, you don’t want to get left behind.
“These days, a positive attitude towards new technology and its applications is important, based on the fact that in the last ten years particularly there have been
great advances in technology and cosmetic science which have had a huge impact on the beauty industry,” states Linda.
“In technology, advances have been made in the ability of machinery to destroy hair growth, repair broken capillaries, disperse pigment in skin, remove acne scarring and stimulate collagen growth in the dermis via the introduction of laser light therapy. With this growth in technology, CPD is a necessity to the industry.”
“Regarding products, cosmetics have upgraded their ingredient content and percentage. The new age cosmetics have become known as cosmeceuticals and are basically as high a percentage of active ingredients that the cosmetic industry are allowed to include in their products while still allowing them to be sold over the counter. This ensures that the products are highly results-driven but the beauty therapists must be very aware on the effect of the ingredients and who is contra-indicated to their use,” Linda adds.
Of course, it may not necessarily be a treatment that you feel you need extra training in; developing your business skills is worth its weight. Also, no matter how experienced you are as salon owner, there’s always something new to learn, and if you’re a therapist looking to go into management or salon ownership, then a good business course will give you the grounding you need to be successful. Look for one offered by a reputable training provider with experience in the beauty sector. Plus, you can usually carry out courses like these on a Distance Learning Programme, meaning you can study at your own pace.
Liz McKeon offers a broad range of business seminars all aimed at improving your business skills to help you and your salon reach your full potential. With an impressive 10 years in the Irish beauty industry, Liz can offer valuable insight on how to grow a business at different times, through the addition of new products and new product ranges, and through the development of new markets for existing products and services.
For example, Liz’s Signature Six Day Business Programme commences on the 22nd January in Dublin and on the 7th February in Cork and is designed for anyone looking to dramatically increase their sales while improving their own work/life balance; start to enjoy their management role, while taking their business to the next level; recruit top- class therapists; fill their appointment book; set and implement targets; review
Developments in new age cosmeceuticals and growth in technology means CPD is a necessity to the industry
their advertising and marketing spend or customise Contracts of Employment / Health and Safety Statements for their salon or Spa.
But it’s not just the salon owners and beauty therapists who should be keeping up with their training, it would seem that plans are ahead for the introduction of standards for those who are teaching or training adults in the further education sector in Ireland as well.
Derek O Kelly, Director of Teacher Training at TheWaverley Academy (formerly The Irish Academy) told IB: “Earlier this year FAS introduced new competencies for those training adults in the further education sector. The new recommendations included standards, which will require trainers to undergo continually progressed development within three-year cycles. This is the first time that any type of government agency has released guidelines of this nature and is probably the first moves towards regulation for those who are teaching or training adults in the further education sector.”
Staying focussed
One of the hardest things to do when considering new training opportunities is to stay focussed. From experience, I can tell you it can be a daunting task going back to school as an adult but as Babe Ruth once said you should ‘never let the fear of striking out get in your way.’
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