New Beauty and Spa Facility Up and Running
New Beauty and Spa Facility Up and Running
Rotorua’s place as the spa capital of New Zealand will get a further boost with a new training centre in the central city.
Waiariki Institute of Technology has recently opened a new beauty and spa therapy training facility on Eruera Street.
The facility combines the institute’s previous Hairspray outlet with a new modern salon and spa under the management of Waiariki’s School of Trade Training.
There is capacity for up to 40 students to be working and training on site with two massage rooms and stations for hair, facial and nail treatments.
“What we’re trying to do is create a realistic working environment for these students,” said School of Trade Training director Kevin Uncles.
The two-year Diploma in Beauty Therapy and one-year Certificate of Beautician Services curricula will be delivered by Waiariki staff under the United Kingdom’s City & Guilds umbrella. It’s understood these are the only courses of their kind in New Zealand with City & Guild’s endorsement.
Section head Kymberley Paige said Waiariki had received positive feedback from local stakeholders in the beauty industry that training in treatments and retailing would provide a boost to that sector.
Waiariki picked up several students after a private training beauty course transferred out of Rotorua into Auckland earlier this year.
It is hoped to bring indigenous methods of massage into the beauty and spa therapy programme with Māori healing massage, Reiki and Indian head massage likely to be included in the future.
The spa will use largely local products, be open to the public and will have a weekly late night.
“We’ll be working it as a business, running a late night so students get the experience of being in a commercial business and service sector,” Paige said.
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