Echo: Beauty Students Travel to Finland

"Eight beauty therapy students from the Cork College of Commerce are braving freezing sub-zero temperatures this month in an effort to improve their skills and training.

The students are on work experience for three weeks in Finland as part of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

The groups is based in Helsinki for the duration of their stay.

Four of the students are working in an amazing thalgo spa and the other four pupils are based in the private CIDESCO College of Beauty Therapy.

The school also runs a salon, where clients come to have professional treatments from the college's students for a reduced fee.

Anne-Marie Roche, the teacher who is accompanying them on the trip said: "In Finland, as with many of our European neighbours, all vocational students have a period of 'on the job learning', these are similar to FÁS providing block release programmes for apprentices.

"Since it is an established tradition and the schools have great relationships with employers, there is never a problem finding work placements to take both Finnish and foreign students for a number of weeks.

"More importantly, the employers have no problem allowing the students to do full treatments on paying clients, as it is accepted that it is a necessary part of their training," she said."

Evening Echo, Cork, Thursday, February 28, 2008.

College Press Releases by Pauline Matthews