Salon gets beauty therapy at CFE

GUERNSEY'S new teaching hair and beauty salon would compete with any, said deputy education minister Wendy Morgan. She officially opened the facility at the College of Further Education's Brock Road annexe last evening.

It is seen as a massive boost for current and future hairdressing and beauty therapist students.

'The one area of this college that did not do well in the first appraisal a few years ago was the hairdressing part. This has been completely transformed and it could compete with any city beauty salon anywhere,' said Deputy Morgan.

'It was desperately needed. It's like all the areas of the College of FE - it has been neglected over the decades and it has been brought up to date.'

She said it had cost 'remarkably little' with a lot of work being undertaken by people going 'way beyond their duties'.

'I'm very proud of the improvement,' she said.

Education funded the major construction work - the college development committee had to persuade the finance director it was needed.

College principal Trevor Wakefield was delighted with the outcome.

'It's the first time we have a full professional set-up with two beauty salons and a hairdressing salon. The students feel really proud to be here,' he said.

'They get a huge pleasure from working in these very professional surroundings.'

Beauty therapy is the second-fastest growing industry in the world and each year the college is inundated with students wishing to pursue a career in this area.

'With 36 full-time and 200 part-time beauty therapy students and 50 hairdressing apprentices we felt that it was essential to revamp our salon to enable the students and apprentices to train in a more modern environment,' said Rachael Day, hairdressing and beauty therapy programme manager. Therapist Lisa Jolly, 35, left a career in the finance industry for beauty therapy.

'I wanted to do something where I could have more job satisfaction and could be with people. I really enjoy all the different aspects of beauty. You are meeting new people all the time.

'I would like to eventually work for myself - at home would be ideal.

'The hairdressing salon has really improved and we have a new beauty room and can have more clients and do more treatments. It's a great improvement,' she said.

Third-year trainee hairdresser Kayleigh Davison, 19, who would ultimately like to own her own salon, was thrilled with the much-improved working environment.

'I think it's absolutely brilliant. There is a lot more space and the colour scheme is really nice. It was quite bland and boring before,' she said.

'There is a lot more room to work around and there are a lot more products, which helps a lot.'

The students will be conducting treatments at the salon on Wednesday afternoons between 1.30 and 4pm and Thursday mornings between 9.30 and 12.30pm.

They will be run by the students who will also be selling beauty products used in their treatments. On Thursday they will be at the Liberation Monument, handing out price lists and free samples to promote the relaunched salon.