Hard work and passion has paid off for UCOL Beauty Therapy students, under the expert tuition of lecturer Tania Mitchell, with the students all achieving Merit in practical international electrolysis exams.
The ITEC exams, which are held by a leading international specialist examination board, provide students with another qualification, alongside their
UCOL Beauty qualification, that they can use around the world.
Beauty Therapy lecturer Tania says that having an entire class achieve Merit in practical is rare.
“It was a really nice moment, the first that I have seen in my five years teaching. It is such a great confidence boost for our students, they had to work really hard to get to this point.”
Tania, who specialises in electrolysis, describes this procedure as the true method of permanent hair removal, something which requires a high level of skill.
There are three methods of electrolysis and our students learn all three.
“Our students undertake 80 hours of practical electrolysis while they study. After they have learnt the theory, they start by practising on each other and then move onto clients.”
Tania says that treating members of the public is not only rewarding for the student, but helps the client as well.
“Clients who come to the UCOL beauty clinic are helping our students with their learning, and for that reason the services are provided free of charge. This makes a real difference for our clients with traditionally pricey treatments like Electrolysis.”
Once students have completed the practical and theory based components of the UCOL Beauty Therapy programme, they then have the option to then sit the ITEC exam. As part of the ITEC exam, the students’ electrolysis skills are judged to international electrolysis standards.
Prior to teaching at UCOL, Tania ran her Whanganui-based Beauty Therapy Salon for 16 years.
“Having business knowledge to pass onto my students is invaluable, I can share my experiences of what works and what doesn’t and then the students can apply that knowledge before they even start their first job.
“It is important for beauty therapists to stay contemporary, and up with current trends and techniques. At UCOL we try and set that lifelong learning mentality for our students now, so they carry it with them into industry.”
Tania’s top tip for those looking for beauty therapy treatments is to make sure that your therapist is fully qualified and a current member of the NZ Association of Registered Beauty Therapists.
“The beauty therapy industry is not regulated, and there are a lot of things which can go wrong. You should always make sure that your therapist holds full qualifications to give you the best, and most hygienic and safe service.”