WHY?
WHY IS THE VHA BETTER THAN OTHER SCHOOLS?
We aren't saying we are better. But there are differences you should know about.
We are going to teach you more practical hairdressing in the first 10 days than you will learn at the big schools in BC in the first 10 weeks. Go to another school and you might only talk about hair for the first couple of months, Come to us and you will actually be cutting hair within a couple of hours of your first day.
THERE ARE OTHER 6 MONTH SCHOOLS. WHAT MAKES THE VHA DIFFERENT?
Yes, there are other 6 month programs out there but they are not all the same.
At other schools:
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you will have up to 25 students per teacher
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your class day may be so short you may find yourself be packing up to leave before you get a chance to understand what you are doing that day
An accelerated program works best if the class sizes are small. At the VHA, we prioritize quality over profit in order to make sure our students get the one-on-one attention they need.
We also know that classes that only run a few hours a day aren't going to cut it. Sometimes it takes a while to find your rhythm; a full head of foils can take you 2.5 hours when you are first starting out. We don't want to rush your learning. A longer day helps us to personalize and pace our education based on how you respond. This puts less pressure on our students and no fear of moving past a concept without understanding it. And doing a full day in school prepares you for a full day in the salon, but our 3 day week allows you to not burn yourself out.
There are a lot of schools out there to learn how to cut and colour hair. In fact, there are probably too many hairdressing schools. The difference is, most schools' agenda is to teach the student to pass an archaic and unnecessary exam, while our agenda is to teach them to be successful, high-earning hairdressers.
The course at the Vancouver Hairdressing Academy is designed to teach the student the most important aspects of the job that most schools never touch on, and all salon owners wish they would. How do we know all of this? We live and breathe salon hairdressing every single day.
Our system is condensed into a 6-month program, allowing our students to graduate sooner and for less tuition cost than most hairdressing schools.
Add all of this to the fact that our relationships with North America's biggest and best stylists allows us to offer our students exclusive content, giving our graduates an edge on all other students in Vancouver.
We have the highest teacher to student ratio of any school. Our ability to offer one-on-one attention to our students is simply unheard of at any other school.
DO I NEED A GOVERNMENT LICENSE TO DO HAIR?
No, you don't. Hairdressing has had no governing body or licensing in British Columbia since 2003. That's almost 20 years! Despite what other schools may tell you about the advantages to having a Red Seal Certification, it's totally meaningless and will not affect your ability to get a job in BC or open a salon. We believe that the Red Seal exam is simply a way of squeezing money from unsuspecting, uneducated students. You do not need it.
HOW COME THE VHA PROGRAM IS ONLY 6 MONTHS WHEN MOST SCHOOLS ARE 10 MONTHS?
Because the hair industry is deregulated we no longer have to prepare students for an irrelevant, meaningless exam. This means we don't waste even a second of the students' time on anything that won't help to push them to be a successful hairstylist.
While most schools are sitting in a classroom discussing skin conditions, we are training our students in hands-on editorial styling. While most schools are showing how to wrap a perm and apply blue rinse, we are training our students to apply perfect foils in 45 minutes.
We're not saying we are better; it is just a completely different experience and concept, one based on a successful career and life in a high-end salon.
IT SOUNDS AMAZING BUT IS THIS LEGAL, AND WILL SALONS RECOGNIZE MY VANCOUVER HAIRDRESSING ACADEMY DIPLOMA?
Rest assured, we absolutely are legal, legitimate and recognized by the government. We are a PTIB Designated Institution.
We have passed the same inspections, exams and criteria every single school must go through and our diploma holds the same weight as every other school. In fact, we like to think it holds a little more, since so few schools are run by and taught by people who ever made it in the hair industry. The VHA is run by one of the most successful salon owners and stylists in Canada and most of the instructors are currently working in high-end salons on clients. The advice and mentorship our students receive is truly outstanding.
WHAT'S IN THE KIT?
We put top quality tools into your hands from the first day, because if you act like a professional, you will become a professional. You will receive everything you need for our program and to work in any salon. You receive 6 mannequin heads, scissors, brushes, flat iron, combs, mannequin stand, clippers, trimmer, apron, water bottle, clips, and a blowdryer, all of which are top quality.
CAN I GET A STUDENT LOAN?
Yes! Contact www.studentaidbc.ca for more information. Please note that they sometimes only cover about $8600 of our total cost, so you may need to find alternate funding sources for the remaining amount.
CAN I WRITE THIS PROGRAM OFF OR USE RESPs?
Absolutely yes to both questions. We are registered federally with the Canada Revenue Agency. For RESPs, your banker will find us on the list of federally registered institutions, and at the end of your course you will be issued a tax receipt and form allowing you to claim your academy expenses on your next tax return.
HOW OFTEN CAN I EXPECT TO SEE MICHAEL LEVINE ON CAMPUS?
Michael is in the academy often once a week to meet with students and generally delivers the resume and employment sessions personally. Usually Michael is involved in assisting students with their pre-exam as well, where he offers advice and coaching on where the student can improve their work.
Since much of the cutting in the course is delivered via video instruction, students get Michael's instruction in the most consistent way possible; on video.
WHY DO YOU USE VIDEO INSTRUCTION?
We've found that this method of instruction allows us the best, most consistent communication to our students. Constant repetition of the course material has our students learning and remembering our systems quickly and offers no confusion between instructors, the most common issue in most hairdressing schools.
But it's important to clarify that our students are not left alone. We have the highest teacher to student ratio of any school in Vancouver. The video content is a tool so that the student can go back and clarify anything from any of the techniques they've learned any time.
We've created a culture based on sharing ideas and encouraging professional as well as life development. We'd love you to be a part of this experience.
WHAT POLICIES ARE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THE VHA IS A SAFE PLACE FOR ME TO GET MY HAIRDRESSING EDUCATION?
We take the safety and comfort of all VHA students very seriously. Please take some time to read some of our policies and charters