2010 Cosmetology Advisory Board Meeting
April 19, 2010
Attendees:
- Calma Yom- Esthetician – PCA Skin
- Christaan Van Bremen- Stylist - Rudy’s Barbershop
- David Aguilar – Lab Technician - LATTC
- Elton Robinson - Associate Professor – LATTC
- Gwen Allen – Regional Manager – Avlon Industries
- Jamille McClendon – Dept. Secretary – LATTC
- Jerry Tyler – Director of Education – Carlton Hair
- Kit Fields – Instructor -
- Lidia Ley- Skin Therapy Instructor - LATTC
- Lisa Queen –Cosmetology Student - LATTC
- Luis Perez – Cosmetology Student - LATTC
- Major Brown – Salon Owner – Salon Eberechi
- Marilyn Maine - Dept. Chair – LATTC College
- Nakeah Fuller –Makeup Artist/Owner - All About Face Academy
- Paul Owens – Salon Owner - Salon Eberechi
- Rhea Chung –Executive Director – LATTC Foundation
- Richard Lehman- Architect- Enviornetics Inc.
- Rosa Lopez- Cosmetology Instructor - LATTC
- Sondra Shackelford – Cosmetology Instructor - LATTC
- Woody Bailey – Sally’s Beauty Supply
- Robert Uyeda – President – Tetra
- Cynthia Morley-Dean- LATTC
- Mr. Robinson opened with a few accomplishments within the Cosmetology Dept. since the last Advisory Meeting.
- The department is currently working with “Project Prom” where the Cosmetology, Fashion and ASO are asking students to donate their pre-owned prom dresses to the fashion dept. so students who cannot afford a dress for prom can be fitted for one.
- Our skin therapy program is flourishing and being recognized for their services and recently Norm Nixon came into our spa to receive an LATTC facial.
- Ms. Ley-Jackson and Mrs. Shackelford-Blades have gotten married since the last meeting!
- Two of our senior students have recently won in our local hair shows. Angie Gomez took 1st place in the LA Hair Show and won $400 and Noelle Dominguez who is a junior who won 2nd $200. Alumni student Brenton Richard two 1st place awards and took home a total of $2000.
- Ms. Maine briefly explained the move to the “R” building. In June will be moving to the new classes which will be in bungalows that will be updated and brand new. The department will be in the R building for about a year and a half which then the department will be able to move back into the new A-building.
- Ms. Maine has been working with Richard and Tetra Design for the new department that will be in the A building. The look of the new cosmetology department will be more of an industrial look. There were two design sketches from Richard for the new industrial look of the cosmetology department.
- Richard bought some materials and briefly explained that the tops of the stations will be metal to deal with the heat problem when students use their heat tools. The new building will be air conditioned.
- Ms. Shackelford briefly explained the new Media Room. The students do a lot of advance work (i.e. e-portfolios, FX makeup, photo shoots) and don’t get time to do professional portfolios; this will be a great place for students to work on advance work above basic Cosmetology. Kit and her husband came to LATTC to teach the faculty and staff about photo shoots during a 3 day workshop that was really informative to pass on to students. This multi-media room and photo shoot class will help student to advance at their crafts. Ms. Maine has been open-minded in the best interest of the students and has allowed new and innovative ideas to come to fruition. Students will be able to come to LATTC instead of paying hundreds of dollars to learn these advanced techniques at a private institution and/or one day courses elsewhere.
- Ms. Shackelford covered a bit of the how the faculty and staff took some workshops for advanced classes. Mr. Robinson gave a little bit of his experience with the photo shoot 3-day workshop and briefly explained how each faculty member was able to do “hands on” experience with the camera equipment that Kit and her husband brought in. It was a very good learning experience on what photographers do behind the camera. Advanced Hair designing is coming in May of this year and according to Ms. Maine since the department is doing advanced makeup (Beauty) and the FX makeup she thought it would be great to pair that with advanced hair which students would do period pieces and learn to how to build a head dress. It would be more marketable for the industry (Film). The Special Effects class will start as a late start Fall 2010 class from Mondays and Tuesday from :30pm – 9:30pm for five weeks. We are having a teacher who has his own production company for FX makeup to come in and teach the class.
Question and Answer Phase:
- Asked by Ms. Maine: Ms. Maine - Currently, the college is creating pilot programs that are called Design Academy’s which link “design-related” CTE programs (Career Technical Education) with academic disciplines (math, English and selected liberal arts) creating a college within a college. The non-CTE courses are contextualized and CTE courses are aligned with subjects and content in non-CTE courses. Continued Professional Development and planning sessions with faculty are being conducted.
- Do the Board members feel this would be a positive venture for the Cosmetology Department?
- What outcomes do you think would benefit the student, faculty and department by participating in this program?
Answers:
Gwen: How long is the program?
Dean Cynthia: Generally to take your associates degree it takes about 2 years. In order for students to get their degrees they have to take English 28. Sometimes students have to take lower level English classes to build up to English 28. One instructor has done a lower level English for fashion students, then a higher level English; she had students read a book on famous designers and write essays on the book to build up their writing skills…not much in math yet because this is all brand new. We are hoping to merge the two so those students willunderstand the relevance on why they need math and English and how does it help being in fashion/cosmetology.
Kit: Most cosmetology students who get into this business come in with low self-esteem and by getting students involved in the academic side of the program, even “roll playing” will get them more involved. Most students are unaware of how to “sell themselves” and this will help them to become more efficient towards their career.
Jerry: What we’re seeing now is that when you look around during this economic challenged time since the great depression and every time I pick up a magazine there is a new product company formed by a cosmetologist who probably didn’t go to college had to learn those skills….students need to know grams, meters, milligrams, etc...The need to cross over into this threshold…over the years we have really seen the need to see those two skills to really thrive…these are the skills that are going to get students to that level beyond the chair
- Asked by Lidia: Medical Spas are physician-directed personal enhancement treatment centers that offer a unique combination of traditional spa services and medical aesthetic treatments. Medical estheticians’ careers are in ever growing demand.
- How beneficial would it be for our faculty to take specialized courses in microdermabrasion and chemical peels and purchase equipment and products to create advance training courses to train former skin therapy students and existing professionals in the industry of esthetics?
Answers:
Calma: I think it would be very beneficial because most of the industry out there esthetics is going to be either medical school or medical doctors office or a day spa…being a graduate of a beauty school and getting my esthetics license, I didn’t know anything…I had to take on post secondary education and it would have really beneficial to have these classes while I was in school getting my estheticians license.
It would have better prepared me in the industry/medi-spa setting. I think it’s the wave of the future for the students…
Calma: It’s kind of like the advance courses in cosmetology that you’re going to offer in hair, so this would be really beneficial for your esthetics students…there needs to be advanced skin care classes…students can go out and pay thousands of dollars for these course but LATTC can offer it at a better price per unit.
Jerry: The better you students know these processes their going to be better equipped…to have these kind of tools adds valued education and makes students more employable and hit the ground running… technique and technology will always be the driving force behind this industry
Christiaan: I get facials regularly and I go to a medi-spa and pretty much every esthetic there is either in school to become an RN or is an RN…they all have a background in cosmetology and have their estheticians license…I think that is the wave of the future…giving the students now this opportunity to work with this equipment and being exposed to this information while here is amazing
Calma: I think you can get the funding for the equipment and supplies for esthetics; I think you would drive your enrollment because I don’t think any other school would be doing this
Lidia: there aren’t any other schools that have been doing that
Jerry: The last four years reported in cosmetology when I came on as president, the first thing that we did was basically cut the curriculum and we brought it back to what the original intent of the law was…the evolution of the cosmetology and esthetics curriculum have become so micromanaged…within that area you have the freedom to teach students to become employable
- Asked by Mr. Robinson: Given the economic concerns, name three aspects of the cosmetology school that need to be revisited to accommodate clients and why?
Kit: 80% of our industry is people skills and salesmanship & communicate and 20% is a bag of tricks…students need to know how to sell themselves…most don’t have self-esteem when they walk in the door…incentive programs need to be established in schools to teach students salesmanship…this should be fundamental so by the time they get out of school they will know how to sell themselves and become productive, build a rapport and have high self-esteem to do it…schools should build a heavy retail program as well…
Christiaan: I’m a firm believer that retail sales come from chair education and the way that you converse with your clients about what it is and why you are doing it and how to use it and integrate it into your conversation…as long as you’re talking about what is that you’re doing and explain why it puts the clients at such ease…communication it the most important part of being a stylist. Before you have communication you must have good confidence you have to be assured of what it is you’re doing as a stylist and why you’re a stylist in the first place….it translates into everything that you do…if there is some way in the courses that are taught in school to help feel that confidence it will be really beneficial.
Gwen: Marketing needs to be revisited ….it needs to be a part of it and how they market themselves…they need to be really specific of what type of stylist they are…have a referral program, it’s what really drives this business…how do students get the clients back. Students need to really work on clients…LATTC needs to be focal point of where clients can get their hair done.
Rhea: I’ve been at LATTC for 9 years and I didn’t know what all program and services that cosmetology had to offer…how can we as a college do more branding and marketing for the program? That is something to ponder on.
- Asked by Mr. Robinson – What components of technology has made the beauty industry more competitive that should be included into the classroom?
Answers:
Jerry: Social media (i.e. blogs, building websites, etc.)
Marilyn: Students are building their e-portfolio and blog sites with a Facebook component
Nakeah: (Mr. Robinson tells her to introduce herself being that she wasn’t in attendance everyone did introductions) Founder of the All about Makeup Academy (celebrity makeup artist), she travels all over the world teaching what’s known as the “beauty expert”. She’s on-call 24-7 with Harrison Ford, Robin Thicke, Mary J. Blidge and the list goes on…was introduced to LATTC a year ago and was blown away with the talent. She’s hired a number of students for makeup and hair. Anything that she can do for the students (training, helping, and hiring) she will be more than happy to help.
Major: We have to get back to how much you care…students are still going to have to go into the salon and introduce themselves. We need to revisit is how much a stylist cares…be presentable and dress in an orderly fashion. We have to get back to being good people…
Paul: In a salon there are one or two people booked all the time and those are the stylist that are selling themselves everyday by their positive attitudes
- Asked by Ms. Shackelford – What suggestions do you have that can help us improve employability of our graduates?
Answers:
Calma: Maybe some kind of internship for the students…it would be a good experience for them
Paul: Students need to be proactive and go out and pull clients in…the more they go out the more they are learning to sell themselves
Jerry:Develop a demand for your brand… Some students have an idea that there is a “school world” and the “real world” and it’s not true…people are unaware of the different aspects of the cosmetology industry…
Major: Students need to know what “branding” means…teach students what branding means…keep business cards handy
Kit: Create some sort of referral program…they’ll be able to get on a point system to buy the things that they need…it will give them a chance to earn points which will give them more of a drive to market themselves.
Christiaan: our company hires in two parts: the initial sit down interview with managers and then they have to do test cuts on three models of their choice…doing this shows encouragement on the students…we look at communication,presentation, punctuality, confidence, etc.
- Asked byMs. Shackelford – What industry trends should we incorporate in our future class offerings?
Major: Twitter, Youtube, Facebook are great trends…trends change all the time so all the resources that are out there are constantly being reinvented…accountability is a big part of this as well…holding students accountable to what they bring out into the industry…
Kit: Teach them how to stand back and market themselves…teach students to be unique in the salon atmosphere and to be innovative…
Jerry: Students need to learn which generations are looking for what and who they want to represent….the schools have to be adaptable for industry trends.
Ms. Shacked asked celebrity makeup artist Nakeah Fuller if one of our students were to come to you for an interview what would be the first thing you look for?
Nakeah:The first thing would be communication skills and a good portfolio. Most students don’t have a portfolio and if they don’t have one that would work within the industry…Communication, marketing skills and knowing how to present a good portfolio…
Ms. Shack added that students should have a good mentor.
Asked by Student Luiz Perez – What can I do to build clientele?
Major: Start within in mind…from day one look, speak and act the way you want to look to your clients…act like that client is the last client you will ever get…when you’re out and about look appropriate, look the part of a good stylist.
Gwen: create a referral program…what are you going to do once you get your client and keep them there…sell the clients the experience they will receive in your chair
Jerry: Where do you see yourself in the future? Be that individual all the time…a great book to read about this is “Hair Hero’s”….be that next hair hero. What generation are you catering to? BE – DO – HAVE….be what you want to be, do what you want to do and have it.
Paul: keep a humble attitude and as your business grows don’t let your “head grow”, that will turn clients off…Be personable…
Nakeah: Marketing material is urgent, showing all your work and contact information is very important…having to go to a website really helps…having a website will certainly boost your clientele because they can see your work…ALWAYS keep business cards on you…always be prepared…
Asked by student Lisa Queen: What are good strategies for client retention?
Jerry: Understand what drives clients…understands what will retain that client…it starts with you and what you really want then it goes on to what the client really wants…Study things outside being a hairstylist…