TAFE SA’s beauty services training in the Riverland is giving people the chance to upskill locally, leading to the opening of several new small businesses in the region.
The Certificate III in Beauty Services is now being offered at the Berri Campus and can be studied part time, making it a practical option for workers wanting to add to their skills as well as people planning to enter the industry.
The most recent group of graduates includes seven women who have either started their own business or expanded the range of services available at an existing business.
Sophie Eagle, who completed the Certificate III in Beauty Services earlier this year, runs her own business – Urban Blush Hair and Beauty – from her home in Loxton.
A hairdresser for 17 years, Sophie says the opportunity to study part-time enabled her to upskill and add to her existing beauty qualifications.
“I had some beauty certificates, but I wanted to do the full training and ensure my qualifications were up to date,” she says.
Sophie says the beauty training, which covers make-up, waxing, tanning, nail services, and eyelash and brow treatments, has been a great addition to her skillset, enabling her to offer more services and attract new clients.
“I was providing a few beauty services, but I’ve been able to add more including more body waxing and pedicures,” she says.
Sophie says it felt strange at first to be returning to the classroom as a mature-age student, but it was satisfying to learn something new and relevant to her business.
“Getting out of the salon and being with people from the industry was great,” she says.
“I made new connections and learnt new skills and felt like I really accomplished something.”
Juggling the demands of a small business and a young family, Sophie says she wouldn’t have been able to do the training if it had required a lot of travel.
“For a while, I’d been thinking that I would love to do massage therapy or beauty therapy, but I can’t be travelling to Adelaide all the time,” she says.
“Having the beauty services training available locally was a game changer for me.”
For more information about hair and beauty courses, please visit the TAFE SA website.