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Why regular training is so important in the beauty industry

By Scratch Staff | 30 August 2019 | Expert Advice, Feature

Cpd Ideas

Dave Horton of ABT Insurance outlines why continued professional development is so important in the beauty industry…

The start of another academic year represents, to me, the opportunity to start a new training course or improve a skill set.

Of course, we can undertake training at any time throughout the year with continued professional development (CPD) available in the beauty industry year round. However, the end of the summer holidays and children going back to school allows us to focus our minds on self-improvement before the Christmas rush begins.

There are so many reasons why further training is important for both you personally and for our industry as a whole:

Reignite your passion

Regardless of how much you love your job, working day in, day out offering the same treatments can be repetitive and perhaps, over time, the buzz you experienced when you first entered the industry may fade. You may need something to reignite the passion you felt for nails and beauty when you first qualified. This is exactly where CPD can help.

Speak to your product supplier about taking a refresher course to understand how products have evolved since you first qualified. Not only will you feel back on top of your game, but you’ll also meet likeminded therapists and nail techs and bounce ideas off them. You’re sure to return to work feeling inspired.

Adding a new skill

If you haven’t refreshed your treatment offering in a while, have a look online, in trade magazines such as Scratch and at events like Olympia Beauty for the latest products and treatments that you could offer your clients.

Think outside of the box; if you currently only offer nail services, do you have scope to grow this into lash and brow treatments, tanning or even skincare? Perhaps you could expand your services to include reflexology in your pedicures or advanced hand massage in your manicures. Every new skill that you train in is valuable to you and your career going forward.

Before you sign up to a course, check that the treatment you want to add to your repertoire is covered by your insurance provider, and that the course is recognised/accredited. For example, ABT accredits over 850 training providers so that ABT members can undergo training and then easily add the new skill to their existing insurance policy, often for no extra cost.

Keep your skills on top form

Education is more than just learning a new skill; it’s about keeping the skills you already have up to scratch to ensure your clients get the very best treatment from you.

It’s so easy to get complacent if the same clients return to you every month, but if you’ve performed a luxury manicure the same way for the last 10 years without undertaking further training, then the time to take action is long overdue. Product formulations change and techniques evolve, and with this, client expectations have grown. You should aspire to be the best you can be, and the prospect of keeping your skills in top form should be an exciting prospect.

Maintain the industry’s reputation

Whenever there is a story on social media about a client who has experienced shocking results after a visit to a beauty salon, the professionalism of our entire industry is questioned. Sometimes, unfortunate accidents happen that are out of a salon’s control, but on occasion. a client’s bad experience is caused by a therapist’s lack of professionalism because they haven’t undertaken proper training or they are unaware of safe practice, such as patch testing. Every individual working in the beauty sector has a responsibility to ensure that best practice is maintained at all times.

Make sure you are fully trained for every treatment you offer and that you follow any protocol taught during your training; if you do this and something goes wrong, your insurance provider will support you through claims made against you by disgruntled clients. All insurance provider policies are different, so check the treatment you are offering is covered first. Carrying out a treatment that you are not trained in could lead to a compensation claim made against you running into hundreds of thousands of pounds; it’s just not worth the risk.

While you are training or studying, you can obtain student insurance from ABT, which will ensure you are covered to perform case study treatments before you are fully qualified and able to gain full ABT membership.

Updating your training history

Upon completion of your new skills, remember to update all of your marketing materials with any new treatments you’ve learnt and are now offering to clients. Place your new certificates in frames on your salon walls for all to see (you should be very proud of what you’ve achieved), and update your CV or LinkedIn profile.

Finally, don’t forget to contact your insurance provider to add your new skills to your cover; with ABT it’s easy, fast and often free of charge.