Beauty & Holistic Therapies – a Timeless Investment.

In today's economy, it is more important than ever to be able to retrain and reskill. This is especially true for adults who may be looking to change careers or who have been displaced from their jobs. Beauty and holistic therapies are two areas that are growing in popularity, and there are many opportunities for adults to retrain in these fields.

In this blog post, I will discuss the benefits of retraining in beauty and holistic therapies, as well as some of the challenges that adults may face. I will also provide some tips on how to find the right training programme for you.

Benefits of Retraining in Beauty and Holistic Therapies

There are many benefits to retraining in beauty and holistic therapies. These fields offer a variety of career opportunities, and they can be very rewarding. Beauty therapists can be self employed, working from home (around children) or mobile, they can work in salons, spas, cruise ships, and other businesses that offer beauty services. Holistic therapists can work in private practices, spas, wellness retreats, hospices, and other healthcare settings. This can provide a very successful, lifelong and rewarding career.

Challenges

There are a few challenges that adults may face when retraining in beauty and holistic therapies. These fields can be competitive, and there are often limited job openings. Adults may also need to take time off from work to attend training programmes, especially in colleges of further education, where courses take at least a full academic year. This is where private training academies come into their own – you can still learn the skills you need and obtain recognised qualifications and therefore gain insurance to practice, in a ‘fast track’ programme, working at your own speed. These settings more often offer smaller class sizes enabling one to one attention and therefore faster progression.

*Warning: be sure to check that the academy / qualification you are planning to study is with an Ofqual registered qualification (for example VTCT, ITEC, City & Guilds, Edexcel) and offers face to face training – there are many online courses which are only recognised as CPD for already qualified therapists, and would not be suitable for those undertaking a substantial qualification. It is only with a recognised qualification that you will get insurance to practice and find employment in your chosen field.

Most full qualifications at level 2 or 3 will be quite expensive for the adult learner, however a training academy will probably have multiple payment options to suit your circumstances, and some may even offer Government funded courses if you meet the relevant criteria.

Finding the Right Training Programme

There are many different training programmes available for adults who want to retrain in beauty and holistic therapies. It is important to choose a programme that is accredited and that will provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to be successful in your chosen field. Many new academies sprang up during the pandemic offering online training, and whilst these were great for those therapists already qualified who wanted to extend or refresh their skills, you can only really learn and perfect the necessary skills of beauty & holistic therapies in person, with hands on real clients.

Most ‘fast track’ courses have face to face practical input and then you complete assignments and case studies at home. Returning for the next unit or you will attend to undertake practical assessments, complete online tests and meet with the Awarding Body External Quality Assurance representative prior to certification.

You can chose a programme that is tailored to your needs – although a fully Ofqual accredited course follows the National Occupation Standards and Core Curriculum, the timing and delivery of classes can be configured around your availability, for example: you may have a Tuesday off work but have to drop off and collect children from school – so you can attend classes on Tuesdays 09:30 – 14:30, or perhaps evenings or weekends – discuss your needs with the Academy of your choice.

Conclusion

Retraining in beauty and holistic therapies can be a great way to improve your career prospects and to find a more rewarding job. There are many challenges that adults may face, but there are also many benefits. By choosing the right training programme and by being prepared to work hard, you can achieve success in your new career.

Tips for Finding the Right Training Programme

Here are a few tips for finding the right training programme for you:

Research different programmes and compare their costs, curriculum, and accreditation.

Talk to Principals or trainers of the programmes you are considering, explain your needs and requirements and they will guide you.

Ask about payment options offered by the Academy.

Ask for help – the trainers will have countless years experience in the field and will be able to answer your questions and steer you to the correct path.

About the author:

June Brent has been an Internationally qualified Beauty & Holistic Therapist for over 40 years, and teacher of both subjects for 30 years. Having worked in private practice, salons and spas in that time and as an External Verifier for City & Guilds and Lecturer & Curriculum Manager for one of the largest Colleges of Further Education in the country – leading the team to an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ grade, June now has her own Beauty & Holistic Training Academy in Southampton.

Akila Academy has accreditation to offer a wide range of VTCT courses in Beauty & Holistic Therapies and also Qualsafe Awards courses in Education, Training and Assessment. If you would like to discuss a particular course or have questions, please email [email protected]

www.akilaacademytraining.com