Pinks Academy joins The Carlton Institute

The Midlands' largest independent training and education provider Pinks Academy is to partner with Europe's largest spa and beauty training network - The Carlton Institute.
 
This move solidifies Carlton Institutes position in the East Midlands region and provides a long term venue for the national company for its training programmes. The Carlton Institute is the only truly national independent training and education provider in Great Britain in the spa and beauty sector.
 
Commenting on the relationship Kirstie Allen Principal of Pinks Academy said "the changes and growth at the Carlton Institute in the last 18-months have been exceptional and noticeable. The  increased standards of tuition, the facilities available to learners, the number of people available for learners and clients to talk to and be supported by outside of the formal learning environment, the re-branding, the new tutors have all already combined to move the Company further ahead"
 
"We are delighted to be part of the Carlton Institute network and look forward to our combined resources creating further initiatives to serve all our clients even better whether they are individual spa and beauty learners, working therapists or FE lecturers needing CPD. Our aim is to ensure that standards in training continue to improve and we build on our reputation for attention to detail and aftercare service" she added.

Welcoming the Pinks Academy team and Kirstie Allen into the Carlton Institute MD Suki Kalirai said "Over 6 years Pinks Academy team has created a strong base and brand in the Midlands region with training offerings in Derby and Tamworth near Birmingham. Their standards have been exemplary and their attention to client service excellent. We are delighted to have the Pinks Academy join us and this, continues our process of raising the bar for our offering across the UK. These additions along with the opening of our training site in the middle of an operating luxury spa at the Malvern Spa Hotel will strengthen our presence in the Midlands serving a significant part of the country's population.

"Kirstie's knowledge as a therapist, experience as a lecturer, combined with her personal determination and strong academic background (Oxford University graduate) will help us grow our partnering and enrichment programmes with FE Colleges and Corporate suppliers alike. Our teams combined experience of actually running large and small salon and spa businesses, stand alone, in hotels and health clubs, in the UK and in over 15 countries makes us uniquely qualified to help salons and spa develop their business through learning and development courses" he added

The East Midlands site will bring the number of training venues operated by the Carlton Institute to 10, across the UK. Commenting on the number of sites the business would work from Suki said "we have carried out research with our potential client base and the majority of the therapist or would be therapist population wants their training to be less than 1.5 hours travel away. Clients want to spend their money on courses that payback for them and not on unnecessary travel or hotel costs. We need to provide training centres in or near all the major population centres. We therefore have gaps on the South coast, East side of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire areas"

About Pinks Academy and Kirstie Allen

· Graduated in [MA, BA Hons History] from St Anne's--College Oxford commenced 1998-2001

· Pinks Academy commenced trading in 2004  from the Derby site added Tamworth in 2007

· The Academy runs 30 fast track beauty training courses ranging from NVQ level 2 beauty therapy to Indonesian massage.

· Courses are all (where relevant) accredited by independent awarding bodies such as VTCT, IIHT to national operating standards governed by government standard setting bodies. All courses are insurance recognised as a minimum.

· Has trained over 4000 clients over the last 6 years

· Pinks Academy was a recent finalist in the 2009 Professional Beauty Training Provider of the year and was praised by the mystery shoppers and judges for the desire and ability to tailor courses and qualification to its students needs.

About the Carlton Institute:
 
The Carlton Institute:

· Was the originator and innovator of accredited fast track beauty courses in 1992.

· Has trained over 25,000 therapists

· Courses are all (where relevant) accredited by independent awarding bodies such as VTCT, IIHT to national operating standards governed by government standard setting bodies

· Has grown from 1 training site in 2007 to 9 with the Pinks Academy site in Derby

·  Provides business management courses and consultancy and benchmarking to corporate clients. Specifically, retail selling using the consultative sales approach and managing people courses are two examples aimed at improving spa and salon performance.

· Has the only training centre based in the middle of an operating spa in Malvern

· Has training sites in Windsor, Stockport (Manchester), Durham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Brentwood (Essex), Exmouth, Malvern and Derby.

 
 About Suki Kalirai
 

· Chemistry graduate from Imperial College, London

· Spent 18 years in senior roles in industry including Unilever (Brand Manager), Coca-Cola (European Operational Panning Director) and Forte & Le Meridien Hotels (main board - Worldwide Marketing & Commercial Director)

· Founded, created and ran SSI (the parent Company behind) Dove Spa and RE-AQUA from 2000 to 2007 growing from start-up to 30 sites in UK and 14 in Spain.

· Deputy Chairman Habia - the standard setting body for spa, hair and beauty sectors

• Chairman Spa Business Association - the leading trade body for the spa & professional salon industry

Website: www.carltoninstitute.co.uk  www.beauty-training.co.uk
 
Contacts:
 
Ross Hawkins
Sales & Marketing Manager - the Carlton Institute
Email: ross.hawkins@carltoninstitute.co.uk 
Tel: 01395 279968
 
Kirstie Allen
Principal Pinks Academy, Director of Pinks Boutique
Email: kirstie.allen@pinkstrainingacademy.co.uk
Tel: 01332 204804