Austin’s School of Spa Technology has a rich history of training beauty industry professionals dating back to 1930. Until September 2008 students were trained as cosmetologists in a quaint building on Central Avenue which, in recent years, was also equipped to handle training in Barbering and Nail Technology. With the addition of an Esthetics program, however, it became clear that more space was essential for the school’s continued success.
Austin’s, which is owned by Empire Education Corporation, is the sister school to Mildred Elley, a career college previously located in Latham, NY. Mildred Elley had also outgrown its location and the schools’ leadership saw an opportunity to bring the two together under one roof at 855 Central Avenue.
“The new facility at 855 Central has had a tremendously positive impact on Austin’s,” said Jill Delaney, School Director. “The students benefit from our increased space, brighter, more professional surroundings, and increased capacity for student resources. We have a student kitchen, library equipped with computers, and a student lounge for studying. It offers much more of a campus feel to our students and surely contributes to their success.”
In addition, the school has added a fully-functional spa to serve as a learning environment for senior-level students in all programs that Austin’s has to offer. Plus, the massage therapy students from Mildred Elley utilize the spa as the reception area for their practical work. The spa, named Mirror Images Salon and Spa, is open to the public offering services in hair, nails, facials and massage at highly discounted prices. All services are performed by students under the supervision of a licensed instructor.
“Mirror Images has really enhanced the training that our students receive by giving them real-life experience in providing services and cross-selling spa experiences,” says Amber Caruso, Spa Manager. “We have also become the Premier Redken School in the region, which gives our students the opportunity to utilize salon-quality products and teaches them to up-sell these products to their clients who are receiving services. The educational experience is second to none in the beauty school industry!”
If you’re interested in receiving services at Austin’s Mirror Images Salon and Spa, you’ve got quite a menu of options from which to choose. Thanks to the well-rounded curriculum of the cosmetology program, customers can choose from everything from a wash and set to chemical services for their hair, a manicure or pedicure, and even eyebrow arching.
The barbering students provide a great experience to customers looking for men’s cuts, facials and shaves. “This is the only school in the entire region to teach barbering,” said Ms. Delaney, “and we are overwhelmed with the interest we’ve seen from men and women alike to learn this trade. ” The growth of the barbering program has been so big, in fact, that Austin’s has added a day program in addition to the current night schedule.
The nail technology program is a small but strong program offering a much more extensive education in nail instruction than one would receive as part of the cosmetology program. In this program, students learn not only a spa manicure and pedicure, but artificial nail application and nail art, among other areas. These more in-depth nail services are open to the public based on availability during weekday hours.
Austin’s newly-launched Esthetics training program is too new to participate in the spa just yet, but these students are eager to make it to the senior level and share what they’ve learned with the public. The school has developed the program using the same methodology used to teach all it’s program – known internally as “the Austin way”, the school combines theory and book education with hands-on practical training right from the start. “Students can get bored just reading and listening to lectures at the start of a program, noted Ms. Delaney. “At Austin’s, we have always encourage the students to jump right in on their mannequin’s to try out what we’ve just taught them. It keeps their interest and helps develop the confidence they’ll need to pass the state boards and move toward successful careers – which is the goal of every instructor here!”