The British Government’s current drive to increase Higher Education take-up comes at the same time that the need for vocational training has never been more urgent, as anyone who has tried to find a qualified plumber or builder will testify.

For many years, the Lillian Maund, Beauty Training Centre based in Bolton, has been undertaking am international programme to close a world-wide skills gap, training a wide range of students from school-leavers to Doctors, in the diverse arts of Beauty Therapy. As part of this programme, the centre regularly offers work experience placements to Bolton school students.

Sarah Heaton, Suzanne Monks, Sarah Osman, Melanie Aspinall, Chloe Davies and Jane Flynn, all year 11 students from Canon Slade School, Bolton, recently spent a week gaining an insight into the work of a beauty therapist, and sample the sort of training, which can lead to world-wide job opportunities.

Principal Mrs Lillian Maund, who has recently returned from a lecture tour in India, organised by a faculty of Mumbai University, sees the programme as being a two-way affair, with both sides gaining from the arrangement.

"I find it very interesting to discover the students’ expectations, and to have an opportunity to give them an insight into the profession, from the therapist’s stand-point. The work experience visits are having a double benefit to us as a training centre. We give them a taste of working life, but we gain a lot from contact with future consumers. We are able to show them what standards to expect from beauty therapists, so when they enter a salon, they know what to look for. Clients should be able to identify good practice, when selecting a therapist or salon, and we are arming them with inside information to allow them to make an informed choice. It is interesting that over the years, we have enrolled a number of students as a direct and indirect result of the programme."

"One aspect of the therapist’s work, which is increasingly important, is handling health and safety within the salon and our work experience students have been amazed at the safety implications, even in a treatment such as pedicare. They are amazed that both the mouth and nose need to be protected with a mask, and adequate ventilation employed because of the hazards from dead skin! I think it is a bit of an eye opener for them compared with school, but they seem to enjoy a week exposed to the rigours of work — especially in such a different environment as the training centre."

The centre is truly international, accepting students from all over the world. Whilst the Bolton Party were enjoying their week-long programme, two Baltic beauty educators were also at the centre, studying British Beauty Therapy training, to make the most of their membership of International Aestheticiennes, the training examination body chaired by Mrs Maund.

Marju Maasing and Made Tammepold, are lecturers at the Illuravi Earakool, Estonia’s most successful beauty school located in Tartu about 200 km from Tallin, Estonia’s capital. The school has recently adopted International Aestheticiennes Examinations and the women had travelled to Bolton to observe the best professional practice, and take back new skills and practices.

The students have a full programme each day, mirroring that experienced by the centre’s students. During the period of their visit, they worked alongside school-leavers and mature students, who follow individually tailored courses. The centre has a cosmopolitan atmosphere, due to the number of international visitors, either undertaking advanced training, or like the current visitors, learning how one of the world’s most famous beauty training centres operates.

"I have been very impressed with the students’ work, both in the centre and as homework, which is an indication that they have been enjoying their time and getting something worthwhile from the week."