Support for students affected by Avant Garde Qualifications

Following our official statement issued on the 24^th July 2018 regarding the qualifications offered by Avant Garde, we promised to continue our internal work to determine how we can directly support affected students and graduates.

As stated, initially we are encouraging graduates of these courses to speak individually with their insurance provider and employer to ascertain any impacts, and also to refer complaints to Avant Garde directly in the first instance, and to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (www.ccpc.ie) in Ireland should they wish to take their concerns any further. We want to reiterate that none of the qualifications provided were affiliated with BABTAC or CIBTAC in any way, but we are committed to supporting affected graduates and students, to ensure they have a credible, viable resolution.

We are now delighted to be able to offer an optional solution for students and graduates to benchmark their current skills, and to subsequently achieve a recognised CIBTAC qualification if desired.

Supporting students

We have been working with our geographically closest CIBTAC Centre – The International College of Beauty based in Mullingar – to agree a series of 4 hour assessment sessions to benchmark skills. Set-up for 6 students at a time, individuals will be expected to complete two different make-up looks in a three to four hour period, before sitting a multiple-choice theory test. Once complete, a CIBTAC tutor will issue a personalised report detailing any gaps in their skills or knowledge, advising relevant training pathways, and / or referring the student direct to a further CIBTAC examination to achieve an official, regulated qualification. The initial assessment sessions will run with exactly 6 students and will be offered for €150 per student. The fees charged will be used to fund the independent assessor and room hire costs only. Individual assessment sessions can also be arranged at €350 and additional fees may be chargeable for any necessary upskilling required by the student.

Any individual who requires additional training will have their previous learning taken into account, in line with our Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) Policy (available on request). This will minimise the time and cost required to become fully qualified, without compromising quality standards or undermining the credibility of our qualifications. We will also account for any courses, training, and on-the-job learning that have been completed post-graduation.

Anyone interested in completing an assessment day should contact The International College of Beauty on 00353 (0) 87 920 9545.

Lesley Blair, Chair, BABTAC & CIBTAC comments  “We were very distressed to learn that our credentials were being used to promote courses to which we are not affiliated, particularly given the number of individuals clearly impacted. Despite being a situation beyond our control, we are committed to supporting those affected and to finding a way in which they can qualify with CIBTAC officially. Offering an assessment day is a great middle ground between leaving the students without help, and insisting that they take the full qualification from scratch. It is not something normally available to students, but is something that we believe provides an accessible, affordable solution to an issue that was beyond our and their control.”