“Panic.”
That from Sault College student Myla Angus, currently enrolled in the postsecondary institution’s three semester, 45-week Esthetician diploma program, when asked by SooToday how she felt when the college’s doors were closed (only online instruction available) due to the provincial government’s shutdown of the province due to fears of COVID-19 in March.
“The unknown was scary because I was ready to graduate. I had a plan (to open her own esthetician practice in northwestern Ontario) and it was getting mixed up (by the shutdown),” Angus said Wednesday.
However, Sault MPP Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities, announced in June some students in Ontario colleges and universities (depending on the nature of their programs) in their final year of study who were aiming to graduate in the spring and enter the workforce, would be allowed, beginning July 2, to enter their schools or work placement areas for essential hands on training in order to complete their education.
The move benefits students in areas of study such as nursing and apprenticeship programs.
Students in several Sault College programs returned to the college or their work placement areas July 6.
While students right across the board were able to continue the theory component of their programs with their professors online throughout the COVID shutdown, Esthetician and Hairstyling Apprenticeship program students are clearly happy to be back inside the college to finish off their required hands on training.
“It was like ‘what’s going to happen?’ We thought ‘how are we going to finish our year?’ It was confusing and stress inducing,” said Esthetician student Tawnia Murray.
Esthetician students, while not working on clients at this time to prevent spread of COVID-19, are wearing masks, distanced from other workstations and practicing on each other in teams of two in a partner system.
“We’ve got the best skin in school,” Angus laughed, referring to herself and her student partner.
“We just wanted to get what we hadn’t gotten yet, to complete our program (with hands on work) and not put anybody else at risk. It’s great to be back and knowing we’re going to finish. We’re almost there,” Angus said.
“I was so relieved to find out we were going to be able to finish what we need to learn. Our theory had already been done, which was great, now we can actually do the practical application of it,” said Murray, who plans to open up a mobile esthetician salon of her own locally.
Hairstyling students are performing hands-on learning at the college’s hairstyling salon from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
“When we first heard about COVID we weren’t sure how it was all going to play out. I was confused for a couple of days but then we were set on track (for online, theory-based learning) and now we’re doing it hands on. It’s worked out pretty well,” said Hairstyling student Daniel Hermiston.
“It’s great to be back. I’m glad to be back in the routine. I’m glad we’re finishing like we were supposed to (as opposed to being in a state of indefinite limbo).”
Hermiston said Hairstylist Apprenticeship students had “about 10 weeks left” in their program when the COVID lockdown came.
“It was disheartening because this is something that I’m really passionate about and I love to be here, but then our teachers got us back on track with doing the online part of the course, they checked in with us with video calls and did everything they could to keep us going,” said Hairstyling student Samantha Payment.
Students have leaned on each other for support needed during the pandemic’s upheaval.
“We messaged each other and when we were feeling down we brought each other back up and encouraged each other not to quit,” Payment said.
Students are at their work stations distanced two metres apart, with masks on the entire day.
The masks do indeed get hot, but “it’s a small price to pay for your education,” Payment said, smiling through her own mask.
“It (the COVID lockdown in March) was pretty shocking,” said Hairstyling student Rebecca Bigg.
“We (students) had a personal chat room we used and a private chat room with our teachers. We did daily calls every day to keep up to date and we had some guest speakers come online to give us some additional knowledge we may not have learned in the classroom, which was nice...we did what we could.”
“Now is the time we’re starting to look at what salons might be looking for an apprentice to come on,” Bigg said, hoping for an apprenticeship “in the next few weeks.”
“It feels awesome. Awesome. We didn’t know how long this was going to go on. After a while it was starting to get discouraging. It had been so long, being out of school. We were starting to fear we wouldn’t graduate on time. Even though the online work we were getting was excellent, and we were able to get a lot of theory out the way, it (the absence from the classroom) was month after month. We were questioning when we would get back. Being back is great, and the changes we’ve had to implement have been working for all of us. It’s been good.”
Hairstyling student Lynn Chiblow, also clearly glad to be back in the salon, and in gratitude to usually unsung heroes, added “the custodians and cleaning staff here have been doing a phenomenal job. I see them three or four times a day coming in here to clean.”
“I’m so glad they’re back to do the practical aspect of it,” said Jordan Boniferro-Knight, Hairstylist Apprenticeship program coordinator/professor.
“We’ve been keeping up with theory, but of course it’s a hands on program. I know they’re really happy to be back, and I’m happy they’re here, back in the salon. It’s great to see their motivation and dedication. They’re following the safety protocols. They’re doing a good job.”
Hairstyling students, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, are not working with real, live clients, but are instead working with hair sprouting from mannequin heads only.
It isn’t the same as the real thing of course, but then the hairstylists won’t receive any complaints of ‘you cut my hair too short.’
“They (the mannequins) don’t talk back,” Payment chuckled good naturedly.
Hairstylist students hope to complete their studies by Aug. 20.
Final exams for Esthetician program students are coming up in mid-August.
Sault College officials said there are 15 Hairstyling Apprenticeship students and 11 Esthetician students currently finishing off their studies at the Northern Avenue campus.
Approximately 180 Sault College students were eligible to take advantage of the summertime opportunity to complete required hands on training to earn their diplomas as a result of the provincial initiative.
69 of them are eligible to study on campus, stated Colin Kirkwood, Sault College vice president academic and research, addressing the college’s board of governors June 25.
It is anticipated such students will be able to complete their studies by September.
