“I’m Karen Goodman and I have the best job ever as Head of Curriculum (HoC) for Beauty, Hair, Media Make up, Sports (Esports) and Uniformed Protective Services at York College. I often describe this job as more of a lifestyle, for it allows me to focus on everything I enjoy. I am always looking for new initiatives and ideas to make the students’ journey enjoyable and memorable. A lot of my work involves working with employers and industry professionals to ensure we are offering the best possible education to our students and wider community.
As HoC I am responsible for 42 staff (and around 900 students). They are a great team, all sharing the same goal to deliver high quality training and education to all our students.
From a very young age I always wanted to work in the Hair, Beauty and Fitness industry. I felt so proud when (at only 14 years old), I got my first Saturday job at a Hairdressing Salon in Whitby. Even though I couldn’t cut hair at that time, I used to pretend I was a qualified stylist and wore a belt full of clips, combs, and scissors just so I looked the part!
My official training started at Scarborough Technical College quite some time ago! I studied a three-year, full-time course, in both Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy. This included first aid, exercise, nutrition, and even flower arranging! It is interesting to see how qualifications have changed over the years. Whilst I have not had a huge need for flower arranging (I can live in hope), aspects of exercise and nutrition have been really useful, particularly in relation to the job that I have now.
The first qualification that I achieved was a Salon Hygiene qualification, but since then I have achieved many qualifications covering a whole range of Hair and Beauty treatments and services from levels 2 – 6. I was lucky to be able to study a combined course as a student and this gave me a broad understanding of what our industry is about and the different career options available.
Since my first training I have never stopped learning new skills. Anyone involved in Hair and Beauty will know how quickly things change and how important it is to keep up to date with new treatments and services. I just love this industry which means continuous professional development (CPD) is a hobby. The last qualification that I achieved was a level 4 unit in laser hair removal, and I hope to learn tattoo removal (level 5) soon. It is so exciting that we now have courses ranging from level 1 – 7 as this has really raised the profile of our extended industry.
I’ve had a number of jobs since leaving college, starting with Ragdale Hall Health Hydro in Melton Mowbray. Ragdale is a great place to work and a fabulous opportunity for any student leaving college. I remember feeling like we were all just one big family which was really important to me, being the first time I had worked away from home. This role really helped me to develop my confidence, being required to communicate with a diverse range of clients ranging from celebrities to lottery winners and of course our regular Ragdale guests.
After I left Ragdale Hall I moved closer to home and worked for a company called Yves Rocher (Stonegate, York). Here I learnt about the importance of retail, targets, and the necessity to earn commission alongside running a busy column. One day, with no notice, I was asked to take a train to London to complete training on the new Ultratone (EMS) machine that we had just purchased. The person who was supposed to be going on the training had called in sick. I didn’t want to go; I was unprepared and recognised that I would not get back until late that evening when I had already made plans. At the time I remember feeling that it was unfair. A number of us worked for the company and anyone of us could have gone.
Little did I know that on the train on the way back from London I would end up sat next to my old Beauty Therapy tutor and this chance meeting would subsequently change my career! My tutor asked me what I had been doing in London and I told her all about my day and what I had learnt. She asked if I would come into college to demonstrate an electrical muscular treatment (EMS / also known as Faradic) and I went the next week on my day off. It surprised me, how much I loved being with the students, sharing my knowledge and experience and I was thrilled to be asked to go back in a week later to repeat the training to another group. So, this was how my teaching career began. I would have never thought about going into this line of work had it not been for this impromptu meeting, and this was a huge life lesson for me – You never know what is around the corner and life is full of opportunities!
Having the financial security of one day and one evening a week teaching enabled me to hand in my notice at Yves Rocher and open my own salon. Previous employment had helped me develop my knowledge of running a business and this went from strength to strength. When the opportunity of a full-time job came up at college, I needed to make the decision to either go into teaching full time or lose my one-day teaching and focus on the salon. I chose to sell the business and pursue a career in education.
I have since taught at two different colleges and progressed from Course Leader to Team Leader, Deputy Head of Curriculum, to my current position as Head of Curriculum. Throughout this journey I have worked for 3 different awarding bodies, including roles as an examiner and National Lead Verifier. I have been involved in writing the national standards and enjoy the benefits of being a HABIA member.
I think that everyone in education would say that they are in this job to be able to support and develop each individual, so that they can reach their full potential, and whilst this can often be very challenging it can equally be incredibly rewarding.
The high points of this job are most certainly seeing the success of the students. I’ve recently spoken with students who are now running their own salons and taking on their own apprentices, who travel the length and breadth of the country working on famous celebrities, competition winners, product developers and those that are now teaching themselves. Often for me, the best success story is seeing that young person, who has been disengaged at school, develop and blossom into a career that they love. We currently have a student who started at level 1 (Beauty Therapy) and is now studying a degree in Media Hair and Makeup. How amazing is that!
I find it hard to imagine why anyone would pick a career different to Hair and Beauty, but that’s because like many of you, I am so passionate about our sector. Technological advances are seeing many industries decline, and whilst there has been some experimentation, it will be quite some time before we will trust robots to provide our hair and beauty treatments (if ever?). On studying recent labour market intelligence, it’s great to see that our industry will continue to grow, and this is not surprising when you consider the many employment opportunities that are now available. This is an exciting time for the Hair and Beauty Industry.
As I have said earlier this is a fabulous industry, which moves at a very fast pace. To be able to keep up to date with new trends and developments it is important that people have access to the most appropriate training. This can sometimes be confusing as when you search for training there can often be many options available. Colleges generally provide qualifications that a regulated. This means that the qualifications (and staff that teach these qualifications) have to work towards and assess against strict quality standards. Not only does this give the operator confidence in the treatment or service that they are carrying out, but also provides reassurance for the general public.
In view of new legislation and upcoming changes to the law we are currently working with our employers / parents / students / stakeholders to increase awareness of regulated qualifications, providing opportunities for those that need upskilling and converting to recognised / regulated qualifications to continue to practice.
I believe that key to success for our industry is enabling like-minded individuals to work together and networking is so important. Please feel free to get in touch, it would be lovely to hear from you.” – Karen Goodman.
If you have any questions for Karen, please send them to info@habia.org