The Ireland Skills National Beauty Therapy Competition was held at Kerry ETB Training Centre last Monday 28th Feb and Tues 1st March. Two Kerry women were awarded first and second place in this prestigious national competition.
Ciara Daly from Lartigue Listowel who was awarded first prize is a student at the ETB Beauty Therapy Traineeship at Kerry ETB Training Centre in Tralee. She is currently doing her work experience part of the course modules at Glamour Salon in Listowel. Ciara as the overall winner will receive a Department of Education and Skills Silver Medal of Excellence as National Champion in Beauty Therapy.
The other finalists included Lavina Murphy from Tralee who is also a student of Beauty Therapy at ETB Training Centre. She was placed second and is currently doing her work experience module at The Spa in Ballygarry House Hotel Tralee.
Tara O Halloran Cronin and her judging panel, Cerena Duffy from Dun Laoghaire ETB and John Twohig representing Ireland Skills put the competitors through their paces covering recognised tasks and skillsets in Beauty Therapy linked to standardised world skill-sets.
These included Advanced Facial Treatments, Spa Body Treatments, Evening Makeup and French Nails, Hair Removal and Fantasy Makeup and Nail Treatments.
Tara said she was delighted that Kerry ETB Training Centre are asked again to host the competitions and she added, “ It’s all about recognition, we are held in very high esteem because of the standards we set and the training work we do here in Beauty Therapy. Our former trainees have achieved success in their careers in Kerry and beyond and our reputation has grown nationally and internationally”.
The annual Ireland Skills Competition is one of the most prestigious events in the crafts calendar. It attracts the best trainee crafts persons from around the country to compete for first place in Ireland and win the coveted Department of Education and Skills, Silver Medal in their respective skill areas.
A follow up stage to this National Competition will also be held at The ETB Training Centre in Tralee in April. The three finalists in the National competition will compete again and the overall winner will represent Ireland at the World Skills Competition 2017 in Abu Dhabi later this year to compete for the International gold medal.
Nora O’Callaghan, acting Area Training manager of Kerry ETB Training Centre, said that hosting the National competitions is a great recognition for the Training Centre, “It’s a great vote of confidence in the quality of training offered by Tara and her colleagues and recognition of the high standards achieved by our successful trainees as well as demonstrating the trust Ireland Skills have in what we do at Kerry ETB Training Centre here in Tralee”.
