Can’t take your salon to an academy for continuing education? Bring the school to your salon. We spoke to three brands about their web learning initiatives to get the background on what kind of learning you can bring into your space and how it can help your salon grow.
Wella Interactive
Wella InteractiveHighlights: Mark Pontrelli, director of digital education for Wella, explains that education is a huge part of the Wella and Sebastian Professional manifesto: “Wella has been educating digitally for years, and Sebastian Professional has had digital education since the mid-‘90s.” The brand’s digital initiatives have continued to evolve as digital technology has done the same. As Pontrelli explains, along with Wella digital education manager Jeff Pierce, “We decided to ramp up our offerings five years ago and developed the online platform WellaInteractive.com, which we quickly outgrew with more than 200 individual videos.” After moving the education library over to YouTube, the brand has now added the Wella Education App to its repertoire, which has a full video library, houses step-by-step lessons and product information and is also a tool for salon owners to track how much education their teams are receiving.
Who it’s best suited for: Hairstylists and colourists who are new to the Wella or Sebastian Professional brands and want to see new products and colours in action or learn tips and tricks along the way.
Why you need it: “We believe that digital education is another tool for Wella to train and inspire stylists,” explains Pontrelli. “Though it’s not a substitute for hands-on education, it can be used to supplement our educational offerings for stylists who may not be able to get to one of our studios.”
To learn more: WellaInteractive.com
LearnAveda
Highlights: Cutting isn’t just a technique; it’s an art form.That’s exactly what Caryl Colton, director of education for Aveda Canada, explains about LearnAveda.com: “There are 25 modules in this web-based haircutting program that address every skill and technique to master the craft, including everything from the fundamental of hair cutting to creating long round layers on curly hair.” In addition to the guided tools, “each module also contains downloadable resources, such as head sheets and assessment tools, that can be completed while away from the site.”
Who it’s best suited for: “The LearnAveda platform is intended not only for the ‘student’ who is new to hairdressing, but also for the seasoned professional who wish to re-polish their skills,” explains Colton. “Salon owners benefit by using LearnAveda to train staff who may have only apprenticed or attended a cosmetology school with lower technical training objectives.”
Why you need it: If you can’t make it out to the Aveda Institute, LearnAveda was created in to standardize the delivery of this program in a formalized environment. “Lesson plans are available for our educators to ensure that all students receive consistent technical training when the content is delivered in a blended learning environment,” exlpains Colton.
To learn more: LearnAveda.com
HairDesignerTV
Highlights: As Vivienne Mackinder, guest artist, educator and creator of HairDesignerTV, explains, “We offer online courses video tutorials and step-by-step PDFs, as well as technical, inspiration and mentoring courses.” Going another step further, Mackinder adds, “We also offer feedback when you recreate looks from the video tutorials and submit images to the section called ‘Monday Morning Feedback’. One of our art team members reviews your work and gives feedback to help you get to a new level and learn to master a new technique.”
Who it’s best suited for: HairDesignerTV is an online learning platform designed to offer a higher learning experience to the individual stylist or the entire salon team. We have two programs in which a stylist or the entire salon team can gain full access to the educational site for a full year.
Why you need it: Hands-on courses aren’t always easy to organize, but you don’t always get the feedback you need to grow as a hairstylist from web learning. “You can have a customized learning experience based on your individual learning needs as a professional hairstylist,” explains Mackinder.
To learn more: HairDesignerTV.com
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