Thirty two years after first opening its doors in Adelaide, Hyde Park College of Skin and Body Therapy has moved to bigger and better premises in the centre of the city.
Principal Dianne J Miles said the College’s staff and student were delighted with their purpose-built new home which was “spa-like” from the reception area to the classrooms.
She said she decided to move the College after the business’s 10-year lease came up for renewal.
“I decided to move into the city for a different slant on what I could offer within a busy café strip with lovely, trendy and buzzy businesses in a ‘village like’ atmosphere,” she said.
“Along with everyone else in our industry, the last couple of years have been challenging at best and I wanted a different feel to the college while still keeping our high training standards.”
Dianne began the college in Hyde Park in 1985 with two fulltime students and two-part time evening students, before moving to large premises in the same suburb in 2003.
Despite the move into the city, Dianne said the college was, and still is, a ‘boutique’ training college with CIDESCO and CIBTAC accreditations.
“We have always been known to produce high quality graduates because of our international accreditation and strict and full-on training,” she said.
“We have the best resources for students with a very much one-on-one philosophy which means students in small classes receive lots of attention, especially in the small details of therapy training and client care.”
She said this commitment to high standards means that Hyde Park College graduates “never have a problem with finding employment” – most “have to choose between a couple of positions”.
“Our employment outcomes are great because the industry knows that all our students are assessed by independent overseas examiners who have no connection to the students undergoing the examinations of theory and practical.”
Nonetheless despite the college’s ongoing success some changes have been instigated at the new premises.
“In the past, we have very much only offered Diploma classes with the odd short courses here and there upon request,” explains Dianne.
“This has been the case since our inception and it was never actually a plan, we just found the serious-minded student wanted to study a Diploma of Beauty Therapy.
“Times have however changed and some people now need to still work nearly full time whilst they are studying to assist them in their fee payments.
So, we are now going to be offering night time classes and short day and evening courses as I see a need to offer career building and pathways toward a diploma in this current climate.”
Dianne, who is also chairperson of CIDESCO Australia and an international examiner for CIDESCO, said that despite the constant changes in the industry she remains as enthusiastic as when she first opened the doors to her college.
“Over 32 years we have never lost our desire or enthusiasm for our students to be exposed to the latest and the best on a daily basis – and I find our students are generally hungry to continue with further studies even after their graduation with their International qualifications.
“There is not a day that I do not walk into my business and just love it.”