hi guys, I am about to change my career and would like some advice on NVQ and CIBTAC. theres tons of info and ive done so much reasearch but why exactly should i do cibtac rather than NVQ which is cheaper?! The reason I am having doubts is because I live an international life, Ive lived in 3 countries so far and will want to continue in Europe mostly as i know the only qualification in the US is CIDESCO! so, my question is, will I be able to work abroad with NVQ levels 2 and 3? I would like to specialize in skin treatments and have been looking at CIBTAC aesthetic treatmens course ([url]The London School of Beauty & Make-Up - 25 Week CIBTAC Aesthetic Treatments Diploma (Wednesday - Friday) CB04[/url]) since i am not so interested in the massage but I want enough skills to be employable! any advise which course I should do? I can not afford the cidesco course and i can baerly afford the others (i will really have to stretch and take a loan!) so I would really like to invest wisely! Plase help??? NVQ is it enough??
Hi there and welcome to HP!
NVQ is what is says on the tin - National Vocational Qualification, so recognised for training purposes in England and Wales (it's SVQ in Scotland).
If you know which European countries you may want to live in, why not contact the Chambers of Commerce (or similar) in their capital city, and ask if the UK NVQ would be acceptable for insurance purposes. I think that CIDESCO is so well accepted, it may be the better option - but again, their website says that the training is known in 33 countries - not necessarily the countries you want to work in.
I lived in the US for 4 years 90-94, and at the time ITEC was not recognised in the county where we lived, so I had to sit a one-off examination and an interview to gain both insurance and recognition at a national training academy, to work as a massage therapist. Beauty Therapy was not really classed as a job, but Cosmetology was, and CIDESCO wasn't a qualification I ever saw advertised there.
Prior to the US we lived in the Middle East, where no qualifications were needed, but to avoid investigation as a sex worker, I only ever treated ex-pats and people I knew. When we moved to Belgium in 94 they did not recognise my UK or US qualifications (I'd done more massage and reflexology studies), and in order to do massage therapy on the public in the area where we lived, I was expected to register as a sex worker...:mad:... again, I only treated friends that we made through my husbands office or my kids' school !!
Hi Jabba
Thanks so much for the reply! wow seems really complicated, i really cant believe they told you to register as a sex worker in Belgium thats insane!!!!!!!!! I think that perhaps it would be good to work towards the most international qualifications, so cibtac from which I can always upgrade to cidesco, rather than NVQ although it seems as if a lot of schools claim its international etc but its still a risk as you say its a national qualification... I am looking to move to Spain next and they have cibtac (at least they have an english speaking CIBTAC school there too) in Spain so I think thats my safest bet for now. Thanks so much for the clarification :):):)