Hair and Beauty facilities at the South West College Erne Campus will allow local students to train in industry standard conditions when the building opens in September 2021. The last year has been a difficult one for the hair and beauty industry, but tutors at South West College believe the state-of-the-art facilities will help maintain a bright future for a career area which has progressed significantly in the last ten years.
Kathleen Brogan, lecturer in Beauty Therapy at South West College, Enniskillen Campus, said: “we’re going to have state-of-the-art facilities in the new build, with lots of new multifunctional machines reflecting what you’d expect to find in industry. We have a dedicated room for make-up, which is specially designed to have lots of natural daylight coming in. We want our students to be industry ready when they finish their training with us, so it’s crucial that they’re experienced in using the best equipment in the best possible environment.”
For tutors at South West College, much of the guidance they can offer students comes from a personal career in the Hair and Beauty industry, as well as regular training to stay up to date with new and emerging trends. Kathleen said: “as tutors, we have all worked in industry or are still currently working in industry, so we’re experienced with what our students need. We also complete continual training every year which keeps us up to date with the trends which are continuously forming in the Hair and Beauty industry.”
While the last year has been a difficult one for the industry, Kathleen believes that the strides made in the previous decade mean that it will soon be able to return to strength. Kathleen said: “The industry has been hit hard this year, but in 2019 the National Hair and Beauty Council released statistics, outlining that the hair and beauty industry in the UK had brought in over £7.5 Billion into the UK economy. It was a thriving industry and it will get back to that again. When it does, it will be a fantastic industry to work in. If you look at surveys of the most rewarding job, hairdressing and beauty therapy are always near the very top.”
Kathleen believes that the new Erne Campus will be one of the top facilities to learn in. “As tutors it’s a rewarding subject to teach, because when new students come in, they can learn so much very quickly. After just one year, it’s amazing the skills they will have picked up. This is a particularly exciting time for us, because we know the new campus is only going to enhance the training we offer. There will be more space, and it will be a truly vibrant and up to date learning environment.”
For further information and advice please visit our website at www.swc.ac.uk