STATEMENT REGARDING AVANT GARDE MAKEUP ACADEMY, IR

STATEMENT REGARDING AVANT GARDE MAKEUP ACADEMY, IRELAND

Statement attributed to Lesley Blair, Chair, BABTAC & CIBTAC

“Following a number of recent enquiries from former students of the Avant Garde Make-Up Academy & Studio, based in Drogheda, Ireland, and a subsequent investigation by our team, we can confirm that the Academy is not affiliated with either The British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC), or the Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTAC). We were extremely distressed to learn that the Academy was using our credentials, brand name and logo on its courses without any prior approval or affiliation and can confirm that we are taking all the necessary legal steps to prevent future promotion in this way.”

She continues “BABTAC Accreditation is available for UK-based courses only, and cannot be extended to an Irish Training Provider; meanwhile becoming a recognised CIBTAC centre requires extensive and stringent application processes to achieve. Every accredited centre or course is listed on the BABTAC website www.babtac.com (UK only) and CIBTAC website www.cibtac.com respectively and we strongly encourage all students to verify and validate any courses via these channels, before embarking on any advertised training. Alternatively, anyone aspiring to achieve an internationally-recognised CIBTAC qualification can identify a reputable provider at www.cibtac.com

She concludes “We appreciate that many former students of the Academy may have concerns over the validity of their training, and whilst we cannot comment on the quality of any training received, we can confirm that it was and is not in any way affiliated with either BABTAC or CIBTAC. In response, we encourage all students to check with their insurance provider as to whether their cover has been affected, recommend that they contact Avant Garde directly with any complaint, and refer them to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (www.ccpc.ie) in Ireland should they wish to take their concerns any further.”