Development of a Working Life-Oriented Study Path for a Beauty Consultant
Syvänniemi-Talja, Minna (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120933875
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120933875
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this Master’s thesis was to develop a working life-oriented study path for Beauty Consultants in the educational offering of Tampere Region Vocational College to correspond to the renewed qualification criteria for hair and beauty care that entered into force on 1 August 2025. The aim of the thesis was to find out the competence needs and wishes of working life in terms of the content and implementation of the education. The partners in the development work were experts in the field of cosmetics and working life partners, with whom the aim was to strengthen cooperation in the development of education.
The knowledge base of the development work was based on the future competence needs of the field, international studies, and the principles of vocational education and training and working life cooperation. Qualitative methods were utilised in the development work: participatory observation, the Delphi expert panel and group interviews, that is to say collect information on the views and needs of working life in order to develop the content of education. Consisted of experts’ answers and observations supporting the planning of the study path.
The results of the development work highlight the sales, product advisory and customer service skills required in the work of a beauty consultant. Basic knowledge of skin and hair care and the ability to operate in a multichannel sales environment were also considered important skills. The use of smart digital devices divided the opinions of experts, and no consensus was reached on their significance. As a result of the group interview, it was considered that it is possible to flexibly plan the acquisition of competence in accordance with the qualification criteria for different work environments in the hair and beauty industry. As a result of the cooperation, in-service training for workplace instructors in the guidance and assessment of competence in accordance with the revised qualification criteria was also discussed. Work-based learning requires that the opening hours of the shops and the rhythm of everyday life be taken into account in the planning of the training. Working life indicated a willingness to offer learning environments for acquiring competence and to participate in short online training sessions to strengthen guidance skills, but long-term development forums are not currently possible due to scheduling reasons. The end result of the thesis was an education model where the emphasis is on learning in working life and working life needs for the future.
Keywords: competence, work-based learning, future competencies, working life cooperation, beauty consultant
The knowledge base of the development work was based on the future competence needs of the field, international studies, and the principles of vocational education and training and working life cooperation. Qualitative methods were utilised in the development work: participatory observation, the Delphi expert panel and group interviews, that is to say collect information on the views and needs of working life in order to develop the content of education. Consisted of experts’ answers and observations supporting the planning of the study path.
The results of the development work highlight the sales, product advisory and customer service skills required in the work of a beauty consultant. Basic knowledge of skin and hair care and the ability to operate in a multichannel sales environment were also considered important skills. The use of smart digital devices divided the opinions of experts, and no consensus was reached on their significance. As a result of the group interview, it was considered that it is possible to flexibly plan the acquisition of competence in accordance with the qualification criteria for different work environments in the hair and beauty industry. As a result of the cooperation, in-service training for workplace instructors in the guidance and assessment of competence in accordance with the revised qualification criteria was also discussed. Work-based learning requires that the opening hours of the shops and the rhythm of everyday life be taken into account in the planning of the training. Working life indicated a willingness to offer learning environments for acquiring competence and to participate in short online training sessions to strengthen guidance skills, but long-term development forums are not currently possible due to scheduling reasons. The end result of the thesis was an education model where the emphasis is on learning in working life and working life needs for the future.
Keywords: competence, work-based learning, future competencies, working life cooperation, beauty consultant