FORMALISING BEAUTY EDUCATION

Pravesh Dudani, Founder Chancellor, Medhavi University, talks about the importance of formal education in beauty with Priyanka Parshurami in the wake of the recently added undergraduate course in hair and beauty.

WHAT INSPIRED MEDHAVI SKILLS UNIVERSITY (MSU) TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ALL INDIA HAIR AND BEAUTY ASSOCIATION (AIHBA) TO CURATE THIS NEW UNDERGRADUATE COURSE?

India is the world’s fourth largest beauty market and is expected to grow 40 per cent by 2026. India’s beauty and wellness sector has an annual growth rate of 20.6 per cent and leading global corporate houses are actively investing in the Indian beauty industry.

This expansion is a remarkable opportunity for job creation. However, the beauty and wellness sectors are largely unorganized. Skill gaps and a lack of formal educational opportunities for individuals who want to grow and excel in the sector has hindered the sector’s employability and growth.

MSU constantly seeks opportunities to identify and close skill gaps in diverse industries. Together with AIHBA, it views these challenges in the beauty and wellness industry as an opportunity. To take on this task, MSU and AIHBA collaborated to offer students industryrelevant and UGC-certified higher education.

Formalising higher education in the sector, the alliance is offering these UGC-recognised courses to learners in various specialised areas such as aesthetics, skincare, cosmetology, makeup artistry, beauty therapy, hairdressing and media makeup. The MSU-AIHBA partnership also offers opportunities to non-certified experienced professionals fast-track their learning through lateral entry and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Women form a major part of this industry. We aim to empower them and enhance entrepreneurship opportunities through these courses. Our goal is to create an efficient professional skilling ecosystem in the hair and beauty industry.

PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUM AND KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSES.

AIHBA and MSU have carefully designed an industryrelevant curriculum for setting a benchmark in beauty and wellness education. We have integrated practical skills and theoretical knowledge with a global perspective while designing our course curricula. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and expert faculties, we prepare students to become industry-ready in this competitive era.

Our new-age curriculum focuses on modern trends and techniques in the beauty industry. The curriculum will equip students of each stream such as aesthetics, cosmetology and make-up artistry with skills and knowledge pertaining to the respective streams as well as on-the-job learning opportunities.

We aim at the holistic development of students. Our curriculums help the students widen their perspective, learn about business fundamentals, professionalism, networking, client servicing as well as social skills and value-based living.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION THIS COLLABORATION BENEFITING STUDENTS PURSUING A CAREER IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?

The new-age diploma and degree courses have been designed to cover the modern trends and technology prevailing in the industry. Designed in collaboration with industry experts, these courses cover a variety of disciplines for students to choose fromranging from Beauty Therapies to Hairdressing and Aesthetics and Skincare to Media Makeup. Students will gain hands-on experience with modern theoretical knowledge along with technical and professional skills.

Freshers seeking a place to obtain a comprehensive learning along with practical exposure to the industry as well as experienced beauty and wellness professional seeking to fill the gaps in their knowledge and skills as well as obtain higher order, globally relevant skills and knowledge, both benefit from these programs.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)and lateral entry provisions allow uncertified professionals to accomplish their educational goals, gain recognition and respect and excel in the hair and beauty sector. These courses also offer freelancing professionals or stand-alone business owners great opportunities to boost their entrepreneurship skills and solidify their foundation. The credits provided in this course help students in their future studies.

WHAT UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES OR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES WILL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THROUGH THIS PROGRAMME THAT SETS IT APART FROM OTHER BEAUTY-RELATED COURSES?

Our courses offer many unique benefits. Students are given opportunities to work in real beauty industry settings like salons and parlours. Genuine real workplace experience provides them with practical exposure beyond the classroom.

Unlike theoretical learning, our collaborative model enables students with knowledge application, while offering them workplace culture awareness. They imbibe industry-specific skills from the best of industry professionals, mentors and potential employers.

MSU and AIHBA understand that employers value hands-on, job-specific competencies, apprenticeship experience, and practical expertise. These unique onthe-job training-enabled (OJT) courses not only provide formal certifications but also give students a competitive edge over their peers.

IN WHAT WAYS WILL THE COURSE INCORPORATE INDUSTRY TRENDS AND ADVANCEMENTS TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE WELL-PREPARED FOR THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?

These courses are designed by international experts in collaboration with the best minds in the Indian beauty industry. They incorporate the know-how of the latest technologies and procedures in the global beauty space. From theoretical knowledge to practical expertise, our curriculum is outcome-based.

WHICH INDUSTRY-ALIGNED COURSES ARE OFFERED BY THE COLLABORATION?

MSU and AIHBA are together offering the following courses:

1. BA IN MAKE-UP ARTISTRY

The three-year degree course is designed to train students with modern techniques to make them master makeup artists. From basics of make-up artistry to professional glamourous make-up expertise, this course offers it all.

2. B VOC IN AESTHETICS AND SKINCARE

This is a three-year programme that will help students transform from a newbie to an expert in the beauty business. The course offers detailed information about beauty therapies, skin analysis and care, facials, IPL devices and laser technology, etc.

3. B VOC IN COSMETOLOGY

Offering comprehensive information on hair care, skin care, hairstyling, hair colouring, nails and make-up, this course is curated to empower entrepreneurial individuals. This threeyear internationally accredited degree program is the first of its kind in India.

4. DIPLOMA IN HAIRDRESSING

This one-year diploma course teaches students the latest trends in the hairdressing industry. It makes students industryready with essential skills.

5. DIPLOMA IN BEAUTY THERAPY

The Beauty Therapy Diploma is designed to equip students with knowledge and essentials of skincare, nails, and makeup to solidify their foundational learning. The course duration is one year.

6. DIPLOMA IN MEDIA MAKE-UP

The one-year diploma in media make-up equips students with trending and modern techniques of theatrical make-up. The course is designed for individuals with creative flair and attention to detail.

PBHJ