We received an inquiry from an internationally trained Somatologist who wants to work as a Beauty Educator in Canada.
Read her inquiry below.
“Good day.
I am requiring information regarding your beauty educator courses.
I am a South African qualified Somatologist1 with a 3yr diploma accredited through ITEC. In addition, I have various other classes that I have attended since finishing my diploma in 2008. Furthermore, I have SETA ETDP2 facilitation. I am planning on finishing my assessor and moderator course within the next few months.
I was granted the opportunity to give part time massage courses in my final year and really enjoyed it. Now that I have been working in the industry for 17yrs, I would like to share my knowledge with new potential students.
My husband and I have been aiming to get to Canada for a while now and have received an offer in Toronto, Ontario.
Can I do your course from South Africa?”
Yes, since the course is delivered online it would be a matter of emailing you the link to the course. Our chosen software company allows us to deliver online courses internationally. Payment of the course would be done online.
It is ok and possible for students to make a purchase from our website from most parts of the world! You should be able to make a purchase using your local payment method and currency. Automatic conversion will happen when necessary.
Our chosen payment processing company offers globally accepted payment methods. For example, Visa and Mastercard if you prefer to use a credit card. Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Link, is available if you prefer to use a wallet type of payment method.
“Do I need additional training to apply for an educator position in Canada?”
While these courses will be helpful in your career, many employers will also ask that you have a minimum of 3 years of experience in your field.
EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP
A Somatologist is similar to an Esthetician in that they provide esthetic improvements, however, they also focus on physical and mental health. Aside from including treatments such as electrolysis, hand, foot and facial care, depilatory and epilation treatments, they also include treatments such as reflexology, aromatherapy, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy, . ↩︎
Sector Education and Training Authority Education Training and Development Practices ↩︎
Hi there. I am journeyman licensed hairstylist in Canada for more than 3.5 years . I want to know how I can be a hair educator and how I can provide hair certification to my students . Please guide me for this process so I can pursue a career as a hair educator to guide people with knowledge of hair. Thanks.
T.
Building a Curriculum
There are many steps to becoming a cosmetology instructor in Alberta, Canada. Hairstyling is a government-regulated occupation in Alberta. In other words, a regulatory body exists (Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training) that issues regulation relating to what needs to be included in a cosmetology curriculum.
A good start is to review their website for a detailed curriculum so that you can structure your program around that. As for the ‘meat and potatoes’ of your curriculum, try to find ways to make the theory fun and the practical work challenging.
We offer 2 online courses for aspiring beauty educators to help them develop their courses: THEORY and PRACTICAL.
THEORY is designed to help you construct a robust theoretical framework for your Beauty Program. On the other hand, PRACTICAL teaches you how to design and implement a hands-on experience that promotes skill development for aspiring beauty professionals.
Licensing Bodies
Beauty education businesses such as cosmetology schools require different types of licenses. Firstly, you will need a business license. This is issued municipally. Since you are a hairstylist by trade, you will need an active cosmetology license provided by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
In addition, not all, but most beauty educators require a third license to teach beauty programs. This teaching license is issued provincially and the requirement of it depends on several factors. Our Program Licensing and Recognition course online is a quick way to navigate through the licensing processes and ensure financial wellness for both your institution and students alike. This course in 1-1.5 hours in length and reviews legal requirements, documentation, and procedures involved in offering your students certification as well as government student aid.
Best of luck!
EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP Beauty Industry Resource Centre (780) 604-2772 info@executivespagroup.com
A prominent spa in Edmonton, Alberta reported an incident involving Environment and Climate Change Canada. According to the spa, they were visited earlier this year by two “Enforcement Officers”. The two officers arrived unannounced and in uniform demanding to do an impromptu inspection of the retail and back bar products being used and sold at the spa. More products were confiscated for “testing” purposes.
What constituted this search?
Months prior, officers from Environment and Climate Change Canada purchased a skincare product online from the spa in question. The product was an exfoliant developed by a manufacturer of a recognized skincare brand often found in medical spas and dermatology clinics throughout Canada.
Unbeknown to the spa, this particular exfoliant violated the Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations put in place in 2018. Plastic microbeads that are greater than or equal to 5mm in size are not permitted in Canada. However, so many years had gone by it did not occur to the spa managers that products available today containing microbleads would still be sold on the market.
“Had we been aware this exfoliant was harming the environment we would have discontinued selling it voluntarily.”
Spa representative
The penalties?
Small revenue corporations can face between a $75,000- $4,000,000 fine for a first offence. According to the spa, no warning or effort to contact them was made prior to the unannounced search.
The lesson?
Be aware of all the ingredients in the skincare/beauty products that you retail. Health Canada has an online resource called the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. This resource mentions all of the ingredients that are either restricted or prohibited for use in cosmetic products.
In conclusion, don’t rely on the manufacturer. Don’t rely on border patrol. Do your due diligence when purchasing your products, otherwise, you’ll be surprised when uniformed officers show up at your door!
EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP (780)604-2772 info@executivespagroup.com
The path you must take to become an esthetician in Canada depends on the province you live/plan to live in.
Regulated provinces
Certification standards to work as an esthetician in Canada differ from province to province. Some provinces have regulation trade requirements, for example:
Saskatchewan divides their esthetic regulations between Nail Technicians and Skin Care specialists, also through an apprenticeship and trade certification commission.
Manitoba regulates their Electrologists and Estheticians through Apprenticeship Manitoba
Training and on-the-job hours may transfer to a regulated province if you meet their individual criteria. If you are moving outside of a regulated province, your training and certification will be appealing to employers in a province that does not have these requirements.
International Training
If you completed your esthetics training abroad, you may be able to use your education to work as an esthetician in Canada. This depends on whether the province you live in is regulated. However, we strongly recommend studying your province’s health and safety regulations in order to align your skills with Canadian safety and infection control guidelines.
Finally, there are two ways to become an esthetician in Canada in an unregulated province. Some employers may choose to train on the job. Many estheticians have started with training in one service, for example, waxing. As they gain practice and clientele, they build on their technical skills until they can offer a full service menu. In fact, because Alberta is an unregulated province when it comes to esthetics, many estheticians have been able to build successful businesses in this manner.
If your province is regulated, you can legally work as an esthetician in Canada after meeting expected training and hours.
What is the difference between licensed and accredited beauty training?
Licensed beauty trainers have been vetted by the appropriate governmental bodies. Licensed programs are monitored to ensure they provide students with quality training that meets industry standards. Licensing also ensures student rights and money are protected because they must follow a set of standards. Licensing is synonymous with accreditation in the sense that they are vetted by the appropriate governmental bodies.
On the other hand, designated beauty programs have been licensed to teach, plus more. They have been deemed eligible to participate in government student loan funding. Also, accredited beauty programs can accept international students.
Are all beauty industry programs accredited and/or licensed in Alberta, Canada?
When it comes to esthetics and other specializations that would fall under esthetics, for example, lash extensions, the sad truth is most are not. Esthetics is not regulated in Alberta, Canada. As a result, many estheticians or other beauty experts unknowingly share their knowledge without having the proper license to teach.
Beauty programs and courses by unlicensed beauty trainers are not necessarily worse in quality. In fact, licensing bodies are very clear that licensing is not an endorsement of any particular trainer or program. However, it is also very clear that licensed beauty programs are vetted to an extreme by their licensing bodies.
There is a positive aspect to unlicensed trainers: They keep the costs of training down. Make sure you do the vetting if you are going to receive training from an unlicensed beauty trainer. Like we stated above, ‘unlicensed’ is not synonymous with ‘worse’.
Benefits of Licensed and Accredited Beauty Training
Licensing provides many advantages for training providers, for the students who graduate from your courses and programs, and industries themselves.
It’s pretty clear how accreditation benefits students; They attend a school that offers payment options. As for the beauty industry, employers benefit when they hire graduates from licensed schools that they can trust. When schools produce well-trained students, the quality level in the industry overall rises.
Consumer protection
Students can take their complaints to the governing body and find a resolution. Unlike attending a course that is not licensed, the most the student can do is leave a negative review on yelp!
An added incentive for students related to consumer protection is that licensed trainers often help them find jobs as part of the licensing agreement. Last year, 79% of licensed trainers helped graduates find jobs as part of their training.
