Shantanu Shukla – Empowering Through Education
Education will continue to be a deal-breaker for the salon industry in India, in 2020. Whether chain salons or standalones, Tier I or II, the level of professional education of its people will differentiate one brand from the other.
In our endeavour to understand various viewpoints on the topic, from every corner of the nation, Beauty Launchpad’s Education Special Series presents an insightful conversation with Shantanu Shukla – Chief Innovator & Mentor at Koffeure Training Academy, Lucknow.
What are your suggestions to improve the educational scenario in the Indian salon & beauty industry?
In the last couple years, there has been a great shift in the Indian Salon & Beauty Industry; we are moving towards being a more organised sector that is rapidly expanding with a tremendous customer base growing at a rate of 15-20%, every year.
To take up this opportunity, we need to have strong support from our education system, as manpower is a driving force of this industry. Now, there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of manpower. Well-qualified educators are a priority, as enhancing skill sets is a major aspiration for those looking to make a career in hair & beauty. The demand for short-term training programs is high, as the future prospects are endless.
Salon/Spa Management is an essential aspect of any professional education. How much do you as an academy invest in teaching this subject?
We have made Salon Management the base for all professional courses offered at our Academy. Other basic modules like Nutrition, English Speaking, Personality Development, Personal Grooming, etc. are also incorporated for the overall upgradation and enhancement of the student, on both personal and professional fronts.
We frequently conduct group discussions and role-plays for the students to be well-versed with the challenges they might face as a salon professional or entrepreneur. We strongly believe that having practical knowledge is important but salon management is equally important for efficiently running a salon and effectively handling petty issues.
What’s your opinion of the academic scenario? What’s your contribution to industry skilling?
Several programs are being run or introduced by the government of India, at both national and state levels. The focus is on skill-based programs for the youth to be self-dependent and employed. Vocational training programs offer exit options and are quite flexible as well as efficient. Moreover, they stress on practical training, skill development, and employability of the candidates.
There is a lot of demand for short-term learning programmes that help students to find employment or be entrepreneurs in a short span of time. We have professional courses within duration ranging from three months to one year. We provide internships to our students at our service centres to make them industry-ready by boosting their confidence and bringing them at par with others. We also encourage young mothers to pursue their dreams and be entrepreneurs.
What are the certifications offered by your academy?
We are the only CIBTAC-certified academy in Uttar Pradesh. CIBTAC qualifications are recognized in over 25 countries worldwide.
How about advanced education and updating skills?
We have a wide range of courses to choose from and with the help of our highly experienced faculty, we keep on upgrading our syllabus from time to time. We organise various workshops for our students, to keep them updated on industry trends. We also conduct interactive sessions with industry professionals through seminars and pep talks at the academy.