Terrace, B.C. – Tribal Resources Investment Corporation (Tricorp) sponsors a 400-hour course through Coast Mountain College (CMTN) for students to become certified Nail Technicians.
Students learn about the art of natural and artificial nail care, also diving into the science and chemistry behind nail products, body systems and the business side of operating a salon.
Daunne Hall, who has 35 years of experience in esthetics and nails, instructs the technician course all over northwest British Columbia (BC).
“It’s great to get people trained because there is a shortage,” Hall says. “There was a waiting list for this class.”
Tricorp provides all students with a kit at the beginning of the course, which they get to take home with them at the end. Hall says that every student in her class is very keen, showing up ready to learn every day.
“They’re a great bunch, very quick. They challenge me,” Hall says.
Each student has a different story that led them to take the course, but they all share two things in common: they love working with people and they all appreciate beauty.
One of the students in this course, Marlyee Quock, who is from the Tahltan Nation, finds herself in a very different environment than she is used to.
“For the last five years, I worked in an open pit mine running equipment and riding a haul truck,” says Quock.
After finding out she was pregnant, Quock realized she could no longer work the difficult two-weeks on, two-weeks off rotation with incredibly long and physically demanding days.
Quock was initially nervous about getting along with the other students, but she quickly forgot those worries.
“I found the course very welcoming,” says Quock. “I look forward to coming here. It’s almost like a salon setting where we come in, sit down and chat.”
Quock says her plan after completing the course is to establish her own business out of her home, so she can work while caring for her newborn child when the time comes.
“I look forward to getting out of coveralls and getting into scrubs,” says Quock.
Another student, Patty Leighton, who is from from the Gitga’at Nation, says although she is a grandmother and the oldest member of the class, that hasn’t stopped her from changing paths and going back to school.
“My grand-daughter says I’m too old to go to school,” Leighton says. “I tell her it doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re never too old to go to school.”
Leighton’s background is in health and home care, and through this work she noticed a gap in services for a certain demographic in her hometown of Metlakatla.
“There’s no-one that does manicures or pedicures for elders or just anyone in general in my small community,” says Leighton.
“I thought this is a great opportunity to get some training so I could offer this service.”
Leighton plans on opening a mobile nail care business when she finishes her course, combining her background in healthcare with her new qualification as a nail technician.
“I know there will be a lot of bumps in the road, but I’m looking forward to it,” says Leighton. “I’m going to learn as I go.”
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