By Erika Widen
Tajmeel, Qatar’s International Beauty Academy (QIBA), plans to expand in the coming years and could include satellite centres in Qatar and the Middle East North Africa region (Mena), according to Principal Beverley Crowther.
“We have students from all over the Gulf and are receiving interest from places as far as the US and Japan,” Crowther says.
Set up by Social Development Centre in 2009, the academy provides high standards of international training in hair and beauty qualifications and supports Qatar National Vision 2030 in raising standards and customer service across all business domains.
“Tajmeel is the first of its kind in Qatar. In the Gulf, we hold the highest accreditations compared to other cosmetology schools. We offer variety; students have multiple accreditation boards and courses to choose from. We offer personalised interaction with our students as we take an average of 10 per class.
“So far, we have focused on the Qatari community which remains our priority.”
Tajmeel offers scholarships each year, provided by SDU and sponsor Mitsui.
“All applicants undergo an assessment and orientation, three stage-selection phase to be sure they have chosen courses suited for their needs and have the potential to complete and achieve the qualification.
“In 2013-2014 academic year (September-June), we qualified more than 45 per cent Qatari females in international courses and had 85 per cent Qatari attendance in in-house work shops,” says Crowther.
Tajmeel accepts students aged 16 and above, though there are some above 50, including salon owners keen to enhance their career and learn latest industry techniques, including international business awareness.
Tajmeel, recognised by the Ministry of Labour, also holds workshops for students between 14 and 16 years. It has been receiving huge interest from men, but due to the only-female policy, men are not allowed to register.
“This is one of the areas we will expand. We offer company onsite/salon-spa training for those in the industry and in this case males can be accommodated, as we have done in the past,” Crowther adds.
“Women care a great deal about tending to their personal appearance. There’s evidence of this in the ever-growing number of malls and fashion outlets here. Beauty and fashion go hand in hand.
“The beauty industry is one that is uniform throughout the world. It is one of the few which have not been affected by the decline in the economy.
“It is not just about looking good, but to learn how to take care of the skin, hair, body and eating habits – live healthy and live longer.”
Tajmeel’s main goal is to assist the local community and industry stakeholders to receive and provide excellence in customer service and safety, in addition to deliver latest information and developments within the industry.
Tuition fees depend on courses, levels and training hours and range from QR450 to QR4,500 for in-house certified workshops to globally-recognised qualifications starting at QR3,000 up to QR77,000.
The Peninsula
