How to become a certified eyelash extension trainer

The artificial eyelash industry is booming and there's more people than ever before trying out eyelash extensions. As a result of which there are several opportunities and careers opening for budding technicians! This is great news for us at Noble Lashes and the stylists that we support.

We have already spoken about how to train in the eyelash extension and beauty industry, and in this blog, we’re going to look at how to become a trainer and start teaching the new beauty recruits that are rising through the ranks.

Why Become an Eyelash Extension Trainer?

There are several ways to enter the industry as it is not legally regulated in the UK. Employers are free to set their own requirements and therefore becoming an eyelash trainer can be a little confusing, it also however opens some doors for you in your career. You can move up the ranks and begin working at esteemed colleges or accredited beauty schools. This way you’ll also be learning some of the newest and best eyelash extension techniques so that you can teach up-and-coming technicians the ropes.

Most of the careers on offer for a budding trainer will be found as a beauty lecturer at the various colleges that offer beauty qualifications. Careers at large or established colleges will often come with a myriad of benefits including a full and good salary depending on experience, a paid pension scheme, use of the college facilities and more. The stable salary is a big draw for a lot of beauty technicians who do not like the thought of being paid customer by customer.

What Will You Need?

To pursue a career in this field you will need one of the beauty qualifications. If you are looking to work from home an accredited training course may be helpful - one accredited by the Beauty Guild, the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) or the Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) is usually the best. A warning, these courses are very short, most taking one day to complete, with a practical and a theory exam. And whilst most of them will give you an accredited qualification of a Diploma or an NVQ Level 3 in Eyelash Extensions which may be suitable to grant you work in a salon, they would not be accepted alone for a career in lecturing.

As a career in training requires you to not only have a college education but also experience on top of that, the college routine seems more functional. This not only allows you to gain experience in the industry and eyelash application but opens doors for you further down in your career to explore the lecturing options.

You will be required to reach NVQ level 3 in Beauty Therapy, which in turn will require you to have reached NVQ level 2 before you start. These are qualifications that take a year each to reach in an educational college, providing a wide background to all thing’s beauty, on top of client care and functional skills - which will give you a much wider range of skills and a better foundation to launch a career in beauty, allowing you to broaden your career options.

Additional Extras

On top of your beauty qualifications you will also need a teaching qualification that is relevant to the level of teaching responsibility you will have in your job.

Employers are free to set their own entry requirements and should be asking for a selection from below:

• Level 3 Award in Education and Training – short introductory course (approx. 10 weeks, part-time) for those just starting out in teaching or those thinking about working in further education. It covers understanding teaching roles, and different learning and assessment methods.

• Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training – suitable for those already teaching in a paid or voluntary post with access to a minimum of 30 hours’ teaching practice. It lasts between six and nine months and includes units on lesson planning, teaching and assessment methods, and teaching resources.

• Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training – lasts between one and two years and is suitable for teachers who have access to a minimum of 100 hours’ teaching practice. It includes units on developing teaching and assessment skills, theories, and models of learning, and professional practice.

There are some older qualifications such which some training providers may still be offering which are recognised as the newer versions above:

• Level 3 or 4 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Sector (PTLLS)
• Level 3 or 4 Certificate of Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS)
• Level 5 Diploma of Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS)

In Conclusion

As stated earlier, the industry is not regulated in the UK and therefore each employer is free to set their own entry requirements. We would always recommend you have a look on several job sites to see what your preferred destination is asking for, if you are looking to work in a salon or college you should see what the local workplaces are asking for in terms of experience, and tailor your journey accordingly. This way you can ensure that you are lowering your risk of wasting time on courses which can be pricey.