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Beauty students set to cruise the world

27 November, 2018

Being paid to travel just took on a new meaning for four Ara students.

The beauty therapy students will be cruising the world next year after excelling during a five-hour recruitment interview with Steiner cruise ships.

Ara students Courtney O’Callaghan and Hayley Wilson from Christchurch, and Kate Talbot and Samantha Laws from Timaru, demonstrated a facial and a massage, presented personal communication skills and showed their knowledge of the trade to pass with flying colours. Next steps – come next March, the graduates fly to London for six weeks of training, fly to Miami to be allocated a cruise liner and start a nine-month contract cruising the world, spending days off exploring a different port every week.

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Steiner OneSpaWorld Recruitment Manager Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth Newman was on the look out for “exceptional staff” and was impressed with the standard of the Ara students.

“Steiner seeks passionate, professional and highly skilled Beauty Therapists who have outstanding presentation and a desire to thrive in the Spa and beauty industry. The Ara Institute of Canterbury Beauty Therapy students I have had the pleasure of hiring this year have gone above and beyond these expectations. The in-depth knowledge of advanced and electrical treatments the Ara students have is extremely valuable to us.”

“I look forward to hiring more great staff from Ara next year,” she said.

Steiner operates over 125 five and six-star cruise ships globally and employs some 3,000 spa, salon and fitness professionals each year. The company based their only South Island interviews at Ara on Sunday 25 November.

Three of the successful students completed the one year Certificate of Beauty Therapy at Ara and one student completed another year with the Diploma of Beauty Therapy at Ara.

Ara Beauty Therapy tutor Katrina Picillo was proud of her students and excited about the opportunities that working with Steiner will create for them.

“Your employability shoots up after a contract like that. We are far away from these opportunities in New Zealand, but with our links to companies like Steiner our students have the chance to apply for these coveted international positions, and their level of training here at Ara means that they are very likely to be successful.”

Before working at Ara, Katrina emigrated from the UK where she worked in a top day spa with 150 therapists.

Steiner will return to Ara next year, recruiting for beauty, hairdressers and fitness instructors, and Ara students will be ready to impress them again.

In the meantime, beauty therapy students will also apply for the iTec international qualification, which will also enable them to work overseas.

Read more: Steiner on board spa

Read more: Ara beauty therapy