The UK’s largest independent hotel group, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has announced its partnership with The International School of Beauty Therapy. This affiliation will produce commercially viable spa therapists to the highest of standards across 21 Macdonald properties through a highly accredited and standardised “beauty step” program.
Working exclusively with Macdonald Hotels, the partnership will attract those committed to a career in spa. By investing in apprentice’s personal development through a standardised program, specially created for the hotel group, Macdonald Hotels is confident that each participating hotel will receive a talent pool of long serving and high performing cost-effective trainees.
Established in 1993, The International School of Beauty Therapy was one of only 12 academies in the UK to carry the CIDESCO accreditation, known on a global scale as representing the best in the industry. With professional lecturers and over 30 years of experience, founder of the privately owned beauty school, Louise Leach, has worked in close association with Managing Director of Leisure and Spa at Macdonald Hotels, Jeanette Jones, to create “The Macdonald Way”.
“The Macdonald Way will be the bible for this partnership and it will be written as we deliver. It will comprise standardised practices which all hotels can use as a reference guide, from how the therapist beds should be set up to the uniform rules which need to be abided by. After the first 12 month period, Macdonald Hotels will then have an in-place program for the next cohort of apprentices,” said Louise Leach, Founder of The International School of Beauty Therapy
With the power to give students the tools they need, The International School of Beauty Therapy will provide onsite training at each spa, in addition to outside support through an intranet site dedicated to the partnership. All teachers at the school have been professionally trained as beauty therapists, allowing them to relate to students in an engaging and acceptable way. The intranet site further supports this notion, encouraging a blended learning system and open forum where in depth help is provided.
The partnership itself has two levels, starting with level two. Level two is dedicated to facials, manicures and spa host training, followed by level three which focuses on body massages techniques and blended oils. Both these levels are designed to maintain the quality provision required to make spa service and practice outstanding. Following successful completion, the program will then provide a progression course not only to keep spa staff at this level, but to empower the individual employee to engage with a pathway for progression within the company, creating staff loyalty.
“The International School of Beauty Therapy is an academy which gives the right skills to the right people. The NVQ Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, which are accredited through VTCT, combined with the experience Louise has in the industry will ensure a standardised beauty practice is employed, so guests can experience the same high quality of service in any spa, with any of our therapists. For us, this is an investment in our spa guests, our teams and our hotels,” said Jeanette Jones, Managing Director of Leisure and Spa at Macdonald Hotels.
