our years ago, whenshe was at college, pursuing a B.Com degree, Shivapriya decided to take up a three-month beautician course rather than a professional course allied to her field of study.
Now, as a beautician, she earns as much as her classmates who had pursed B.Com with her, and she enjoys what she is doing.
“My parents were initially reluctant to let me work in a parlour, but now that I have settled down in my profession, they are happy for me,” she said. There are many others like Shivapriya who choose vocational training in the beauty and wellness industry, making it one of the fastest growing vocational courses.
In the past five years, there has been a huge shift in the way service industries have been functioning. Beauty and Wellness is the fastest growing industry, followed by Travel, Tourism and Hospitality and then the retail sector, according to data from Orion Edutech, an NSDC skill training partner.
According to Manish Agarwal, founder and director, Orion Edutech, these industries have shifted their focus towards increasing quality of service. “With these industries seeking more skilled labour, there is more demand for these vocational courses,” he said.
According to N. K. Ranganath, who is on the skill committee of Confederation of Indian Industry, the growth in these industries has also led to greater employment opportunities for women.
“The beauty and wellness industry and the retail industry have helped provide employment to a large number of women from rural areas and lower income groups. Most super markets, salons and spas have a majority of women on their workforce. This largely contributes in increasing India’s GDP,” he said.
Since there is much demand in the industry, it has become viable option for people to start on these vocational courses. Currently, women in the country make up for less than 20 per cent of the organised workers. Any improvement in employment prospects for them is good for the country, he added.
When it comes to the beauty industry, there is also an increase in the number of people from higher income families seeking to work in it, Pavithra Karthikeyan, MD, Maha Elegance Styling Salon said. “The industry is growing, the competition is high, which means the salaries are also improving in the industry,” she said.
For people who finish the basic beauty training course, salaries tend to be around Rs.10,000. With greater training and more experience, pay increases.
“Apart from beauty training courses offered by institutes, major brands like L’Oreal conduct specific training. There is a high demand for people who have finished these courses,” she said.
