Students take the plunge

Hopwood Hall College VRQ Level 3 students enjoying the spa facilities at the Norton Grange Hotel and Spa

Hopwood Hall College beauty therapy students were treated to a day of training at the Norton Grange Hotel and Spa in Rochdale - with the added bonus of sampling the spa treatments. 

The training day was hosted by Steve Ewing, Norton Grange’s Spa Manager. Mr Ewing gave the students a presentation which included some valuable information from an employers perspective on what is expected of them at an interview. He also described what he looks for when employing therapists; the students listened intently as he listed the key success factors for being a beauty therapist as: they must be professional, committed, have excellent customer care and a keen enthusiasm for the job.

As an added bonus to their training, the students were treated to the use of the Spa’s facilities which included the swimming pool, four steam rooms, two saunas and a hydro pool which, of course, they really enjoyed.

The students already have real-life experience of working in a salon, as the College has its own public hair and beauty salon - The Image - at its Rochdale campus. This day gave them a new insight into the spa industry and an understanding of the ambience of the Spa, which can be very different to the salon environment.

Becki Bork, Beauty Therapy Coordinator at Hopwood Hall College Image Department, arranged the training day and said how very grateful everyone was to the Norton Grange staff for being so supportive of the students and commented that: “the students found the day very informative and helpful in their future choices.”