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POWERING BEAUTY & RETAIL TALENT

SPECIALIST TRAINING & APPRENTICESHIPS, TALENT ACCESS & GRADUATE RECRUITMENT

THE LONDON COLLEGE OF BEAUTY THERAPY (LCBT) IS LONDON’S NO.1 BEAUTY COLLEGE. WE PARTNER WITH LEADING BEAUTY EMPLOYERS TO DEVELOP WORK-READY TALENT THROUGH HIGH-QUALITY TRAINING, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.

Alongside our sister college, the Fashion Retail Academy, LCBT is part of Education For Industry Group, a leading education charity specialising in programmes designed to meet the skills needs of industry.

At LCBT we train students aged 16 and up in skills including beauty therapy, make-up, hairdressing and advanced aesthetics, across diplomas, apprenticeships and customised training solutions for businesses.

Through our industry-led, sector-specific education and training, we have produced thousands of job-ready graduates and upskilled thousands more professionals who work at hundreds of beauty salons, spas and retailers across the UK.

Whatever your goals, we can help you achieve them: whether that’s through attracting and retaining the next generation of beauty talent, or future-proofing your existing staff with the skills they need to succeed.

PROGRAMMES DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS

A LEADING EDUCATION

CHARITY,

DEDICATED TO SHAPING THE INDUSTRY LEADERS OF TOMORROW

UNRIVALLED ACCESS TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF BEAUTY AND RETAIL TALENT

APPRENTICESHIPS RATED OUTSTANDING BY OFSTED

CENTRAL LONDON LOCATIONS WITH DEDICATED BUSINESS TRAINING SUITES

DELIVERING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND OR CIRCUMSTANCE

APPRENTICESHIPS

An apprenticeship is an opportunity for an individual to train on the job and can be used to give training support to existing team members as well as new hires. They also enable individuals to gain additional skills to enhance their performance or progress through the business.

If your business pays the apprenticeship levy, you have already paid for this training which can be used for staff at any stage in their career. If you’re a small business which doesn’t pay the levy, you can still take advantage of government funding of up to 95% of the cost. We offer a number of different apprenticeship opportunities that can be utilised for retention, upskilling and succession planning.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST

DRIVE LOYALTY AND RETENTION WITH HIGH-PERFORMING CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS

Build confidence in navigating complex queries and complaint escalation, while improving service processes and standards through coaching junior team members. Embed data analysis and insight in front-line team leadership to support day-to-day excellence in customer service.

£4,000 per employee

DURATION

15 months

RETAIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE SUPERVISOR

BUILD OPERATIONAL, LEADERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS FOR SHOP-FLOOR TEAMS

This apprenticeship teaches best practice in retail customer service and builds sales, merchandising and leadership techniques to develop confident, capable supervisors. Apprentices will gain knowledge of advanced sales strategies to reach new customers and leverage the brand’s market position to inspire loyalty.

£4,000 per employee

DURATION

15 months COST COST

CLIENT EXPERIENCE SUPERVISOR FOR BEAUTY

DRIVE HIGH STANDARDS IN BEAUTY SALES WITH CONFIDENT, CAPABLE RETAIL SUPERVISORS

Our Client Experience Supervisor programme supports learners to take the first step on the beauty retail management ladder, to develop effective communicators and problem solvers capable of leading high-performing teams that provide exceptional customer service and learn beauty consultation techniques.

COST

£4,000 per employee

DURATION

15 months

AI & RETAIL DATA CHAMPION

EMBED DATA LITERACY ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS TO TURN INFORMATION INTO INSIGHT

Our Level 3 AI & Retail Data Champion apprenticeship programme builds confidence in sourcing, reporting and handling data and using AI to support business decision-making. Empower junior staff to deliver clear, contextual data-driven insights and build foundational AI knowledge.

COST

£13,000 per employee

DURATION

15 months

RETAIL MANAGER

CREATE A PIPELINE FOR COMMERCIALLY-FOCUSED AND MOTIVATIONAL STORE LEADERSHIP

This apprenticeship is the ideal progression route for team leaders and supervisors ready to step up to management level, or for existing managers wanting to enhance their skills and performance to consistently drive standards across beauty retail stores.

£5,000 per employee

15 months COST DURATION

DATA ANALYST

DEVELOP IN-DEMAND DATA ANALYTICS SKILLS FOR ROLES ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

Empower your team to use data to drive positive change across all business areas, from design and development to marketing and operations. Staff develop skills in data management, analysis and classification, whilst learning how to investigate and solve complex problems.

15 months COST DURATION

£15,000 per employee

BUYING & MERCHANDISING ASSISTANT

DEVELOP ENTRY-LEVEL TALENT TO SUPPORT BUYING & MERCHANDISING STRATEGIES

Designed for those starting out on a career in buying and merchandising, this apprenticeship explores all aspects of these functions, covering topics including the beauty retail business environment, planning and budgeting, range creation and trading.

£6,000 per employee

DURATION

15 months COST

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY & SUSTAINABILITY PRACTITIONER

EMPOWER SUSTAINABILITY ADVOCATES ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS

Designed to develop future beauty retail leaders who are passionate about sustainability and equipped with the business skills and ethical insights necessary to drive meaningful change in the industry.

COST

£14,000 per employee

DURATION

18 months

SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTITIONER

STRENGTHEN SUPPLY CHAINS WITH HIGH-PERFORMING PROCUREMENT, PLANNING AND LOGISTICS TEAMS

Build skills in recording, coordinating and optimising the movement of goods and services to increase efficiency and reduce waste. Learners will develop the skills to support the development of data-driven, risk-aware supply chain professionals with practical operational expertise in fast-paced environments.

COST

£15,000 per employee

18 months DURATION

PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTITIONER

SUPPORT SUPPLY CHAIN TEAMS WITH STRATEGIC, FORWARDTHINKING LEADERS

Develop commercial awareness, negotiation skills and a strategic approach to procurement, and be able to enact strategic, cost-effective decisionmaking based on marketing analysis, spend evaluation and risk forecasting.

18 months COST DURATION

£10,000 per employee

ASSISTANT BUYER/ MERCHANDISER

BOOST RETENTION WITH A SMOOTH PROGRESSION PATH FOR BUYING & MERCHANDISING TEAMS

Develop commercial and operational understanding in order to drive increased growth and profit. Offering a complete overview of best practice in buying and merchandising, learners will explore the core responsibilities of their role while gaining skills in leadership, project management and financial planning.

COST

£15,000 per employee

DURATION

18 months

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ONLY FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS OR YOUNG PEOPLE

Apprenticeships are open to anyone aged 16 and over, with no upper age limit. In fact, for some of our higher level apprenticeships, we rarely see those in their teens or early 20s enrol as the seniority required for the apprenticeship is typically more indicative of those in their 30s and beyond!

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ONLY FOR NEW HIRES

You don’t need to recruit new staff to engage with an apprenticeship. Most of our apprentices to date have been existing employees upskilling in order to add increased value to their organisation and be better lined up for promotions in the future.

APPRENTICES HAVE TO BE PAID LESS

There’s no requirement for staff to take a pay cut when starting an apprenticeship, and we definitely discourage it as this is likely to have a negative impact on talent attraction and retention.

YOUR SITES ARE BASED IN LONDON, SO IT’S NOT SUITABLE FOR US

While our LCBT and FRA campuses are in London, our apprenticeship delivery has operated nationally for many years. We offer many remote and blended learning programmes, meaning staff from all across England can access the same high-quality training without needing to travel. Even for those based in London, this has proven to be an attractive option for those with busy schedules!

ONCE STAFF FINISH THEIR APPRENTICESHIP, THEY WILL JUST LEAVE MY BUSINESS AND ANOTHER EMPLOYER WILL BENEFIT INSTEAD WILL GAIN THE SKILLS I INVESTED IN DEVELOPING

Our apprenticeship outcomes show that the majority of apprentices are very loyal to their employer, with many obtaining promotions upon completion and becoming mentors of future apprentices brands sign up. For retail, where turnover is very high, an apprenticeship can also be a reason for staff to remain with their employer as they have a personal ambition to stay to complete their programme.

IT’S HARD TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF APPRENTICESHIPS ON OUR BUSINESS

Our apprenticeships include structured progress reviews, clear milestones, and measured skills outcomes. We have a dedicated team to provide employers with regular updates and contextualise learning in the workplace. In our Ofsted inspection in March 2025, it was stated that: “Most apprentices gain promotions and permanent positions.”

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE VERY COMPLICATED TO SET UP

We have a dedicated team to support you through every stage of apprenticeship setup, meaning the majority of the administrative burden is taken care of - all you need to do is click a few buttons and sign a few documents.

APPRENTICESHIPS WILL BE TOO TIME-CONSUMING AND DISRUPTIVE TO OUR BUSINESS

All our apprenticeships are designed to be flexible. Direct training is often delivered via a blended method of online and in-person sessions, but these are timetabled to accomodate your business needs (for example, many retailers request no training in December to account for the busy Christmas period). The training also incorporates lots of work-based, self-led learning, meaning that the application of new skills at work both meets business needs and counts towards the apprenticeship.

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE EXPENSIVE AND NOT WORTH THE INVESTMENT

For levy-paying employers, apprenticeship costs are already fully funded through your levy ‘pot’. Nonlevy payers can take advantage of 95% government funding for apprenticeships, making them a much cheaper option than privately-funded CPD. Think of it like having a mandatory Netflix subscription: you could choose to buy a DVD tonight, but you could have watched an amazing film you’ve already paid for!

CUSTOMISED TRAINING

Your business is unique: that’s why we’ve developed a range of customisable training bootcamps that can be tailored to the specific needs of your brand to help boost productivity and commercial performance, as well as employee engagement and retention.

Customised training can be integrated into your people strategy to provide end-to-end learning and development solutions supporting organisational objectives and KPIs using data-driven insights. We deliver impactful results where your business needs it most, powered by the training expertise of the Fashion Retail Academy and London College of Beauty Therapy.

WHO IS IT FOR?

From early careers managers to senior leaders, store operations to fashion buyers, we provide a list of example roles suitable for our different bootcamps so you have confidence in your selection.

HOW LONG IS THE COURSE?

You set the pace of learning that makes sense for your business, from a one-week intensive bootcamp up to a full-year programme of sessions, ensuring your people receive the right training at the right time.

WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

Tell us what works best for your business and we’ll design a programme to suit: you can choose from online training, in-person at our central London training facilities, or even training delivered at your head office.

HOW WILL IT SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS?

All customised training programmes include a range of learning outcomes aligned to business objectives, but if you have predetermined KPIs, we’ll work with you to ensure measurable impact in your target areas.

Our range of customisable courses includes:

IN-STORE RETAIL

• Retail Sales: designed for supervisors and team leaders to drive conversion, maximise transaction value and increase sales productivity.

• Store Management: empowers store managers to deliver on sales targets while protecting profit margins and maximising productivity of store teams.

HEAD OFFICE

• Trading Fundamentals: builds skills for team leaders and supervisors to drive sell-through, protect margins and control stock investment.

• Commercial Negotiation: drives improved supplier performance through cost price control and margin negotiation techniques for managers.

• Product Strategy: created to help senior leaders shape category profitability, drive full-price sellthrough and build commercial range strategies.

In addition, you can bolt-on dynamic modules to any of our customised programmes to target specific skills gaps and increase the learning benefit:

• Excel for Retail

• Retail Maths

• Coaching for Retail

• Retail Management Styles

• Visual Communications

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Project Management Techniques

• Risk Management & Business Continuity Planning

• Fashion AI

• Beauty AI

• Beauty Consultation Techniques

SHORT COURSES

Short courses are the ideal bitesize solution for fast results in specific focus areas. Offered at highly competitive rates, our short courses can be run at any time throughout the year.

We can offer short courses in:

• Introduction to Buying & Merchandising

• Social Media for Fashion

• Classic Lash Extentions (Launching Soon)

• Lash Lift & Tint (Launching Soon)

More specialist beauty short courses launching soon.

Our short courses are delivered on-site at our central London campus and start from as little as £195 per delegate. There are a number of ways employers can use short courses to augment staff development, such as:

INDIVIDUAL STAFF

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT:

Staff can use their employersponsored personal L&D allowance benefit to study a role-relevant short course.

ONBOARDING/NEW STARTERS:

Introductory courses are a great alternative to internal inductions for graduate talent starting in your business.

SUPPLEMENT INTERNAL L&D:

Integrate short courses into in-house CPD schemes to support staff skills development and productivity.

INTEGRATED CAREER PROGRESSION:

Nominate high-potential staff to attend short courses as part of succession planning or leadership development.

APPRENTICESHIP BOLT-ON:

Short courses can be used for extra credit or skills development to maximise the value of their apprenticeship learning.

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL EXPOSURE:

Introduce staff to different areas of your business to broaden their understanding and career options.

EARLY TALENT IDENTIFICATION

IDENTIFY HIGH-POTENTIAL CANDIDATES EARLY TO STRENGTHEN EARLY-CAREER RETENTION AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF HIRES

Our close links with industry are what sets LCBT and our sister college the Fashion Retail Academy apart. Alongside courses developed in collaboration with industry experts, we work with dozens of top beauty salons, spas and retailers to offer our students a broad range of hands-on opportunities and ensure they start their future careers with the experience they need to succeed.

By partnering with us, you can not only benefit from early access to future talent, you can position your brand as an employer of choice to job-ready graduates whilst helping meet your ESG targets.

Opportunities to engage with our students include work placements, mentoring, projects and masterclasses across all our fashion and beauty specialisms. We welcome those with experience in areas such as:

• Marketing & PR

• Buying & Merchandising

• Beauty Therapy

• Hairdressing

• Sustainability

• Make-up

• Business & more

Access commercially aware fashion and beauty graduates ready to contribute from day one.

Identify high-potential candidates early through live projects, placements and assessment centres.

Try before you hire: Assess real capability in action and improve retention and time-toproductivity.

EXTENDED INTERVIEW PLACEMENTS (FRA)

Get early access to FRA students across different courses and levels, through our placement opportunities – like an extended interview and opportunity to assess real-world skills in the workplace! We offer placements from 3 weeks to 3 months and we’ll support you through the planning process with frameworks to help you prepare.

LIVE PROJECTS (FRA)

Understand how Gen Z perceive and respond to your brand and gain tangible ideas and insights by setting a real business challenge or project for our students.

Challenges are set by a brand in day 1 and student findings are presented back in day 2.

Projects for our degree students run for 8 –12 weeks. Students work in-depth on a brief created in collaboration with the brand and the module leader.

Projects and challenges run throughout the year.

MASTERCLASSES (LCBT & FRA)

Inspire the next generation of industry leaders by sharing your expertise in specialist areas, whilst raising the profile of your brand to support future recruitment needs. Talks for LCBT can also include a live demonstration.

MENTORSHIP (FRA)

Use our mentoring scheme to support your professional development, whilst gaining valuable insight into the way Gen Z think.

FE Mentoring - Industry professionals are paired with a class for three sessions between November and April.

Undergraduate Mentoring - Launching in March, our undergrad mentors meet with their student 1:1 once per term, to share insight and knowledge.

FOCUS GROUPS (FRA)

Gather insight direct from Gen Z by conducting a focus group, and gain valuable intel on your future workforce and your customer. Focus groups can take place at one of our campuses or your head office.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS (FRA)

A panel discussion can position you and your brand as thought leaders on key industry topics. Typically featuring 3–4 industry experts in conversation with one of our teachers, we explore themes relevant to students’ learning.

INDUSTRY/LOCATION VISTS

(FRA & LCBT)

Showcase your head office environment and boost your employer brand appeal while increasing awareness of career opportunities to students, to support your early careers recruitment pipeline.

PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS (LCBT ONLY)

Spot early talent and raise the profile of your brand to students by offering a hands-on learning experience led by an expert. Sessions typically include live demonstrations, practical tasks, 121 feedback and student insights.

CAREERS FAIRS (FRA & LCBT)

Access our emerging graduate talent at one of our careers fairs. Brands can speak to students about future careers, advertise any seasonal roles and fill the entry level talent pipeline

CASE STUDY: PROJECTS & CHALLENGES

COURSE

Level 4 Visual Merchandising for Fashion (Fashion Retail Academy)

TASKS

• 3D renders of the pop-up space

• Concept board

• Product dispay mock up

• Event planning

With over 150 years of advanced skincare technology, Shiseido is widely regarded as a leading innovator in the skincare industry. The team asked our Level 4 Visual Merchandising students to design an innovative pop-up space at Selfridges, for the relaunch of the brands best selling product, Ultimune Power Infusing Serum.

After receiving the brief from the Shiseido team, the students began their primary research with a visit to Selfridges, where they conducted a SWOT analysis of competitor brands. They applied classroom knowledge to develop 3D renders and mock displays, and developed a creative event concept aimed at promoting the product and engaging consumers.

The outcome was a valuable experience for everyone. The students built confidence in selfdirected research, presented their ideas to the VM team and received tailored feedback from industry experts. Meanwhile, Shiseido gained Valuable insight into the the Gen Z perspective. This offered a fresh lens to help the brand connect with younger consumers and expand its target audience.

ANH VONG SENIOR VM MANAGER & CHARLOTTE EARNSHAW HEAD OF STORE DESIGN

WE FOUND THIS A VERY EXHILARATING AND EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE. THE STUDENTS WERE ENGAGING AND SEEMED INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY VM BUT THE WIDER ROLL OUT OF A CAMPAIGN. IT WAS FASCINATING TO SEE THE DIVERSE WAYS THEY INTERPRETED THE BRIEF. WE’RE EXCITED TO COLLABORATE AGAIN IN THE

EXTENDED INTERVIEW PLACEMENTS (FRA)

Get early access to FRA students across different courses and levels, through our placement opportunities – an extended interview and opportunity to assess real-world skills in the workplace! We offer placements from 3 weeks to 3 months and we’ll support you through the planning process with frameworks to help you prepare.

WHAT PLACEMENTS DO WE OFFER?

Qualifying students are offered a 3 week, full-time work placement during their course. We also offer our degree students an extended part-time placement over 3 months, which sees the students spend 2 days per week on their placement alongside their attendance at the FRA.

CAN I CHOOSE WHICH STUDENTS I TAKE?

We work with our industry partners to ensure that we allocate those students best suited to the available opportunity, taking into account the nature of the placement, the location and the student’s attendance and work completion.

CAN I OFFER A VIRTUAL OR HYBRID PLACEMENT?

We recognise that it may sometimes be difficult to offer a physical placement due to the location of the student or the brand, so we are supporting our students to complete blended placements in some cases. Contact us to find out more about what kind of placements you can offer.

DO I HAVE TO PAY THE STUDENT?

No, our students have placements built into the course so payment is not required. Brands may consider supporting students with a contribution to travel or lunch.

ARE THERE SET DATES FOR PLACEMENTS?

There are certain times of the year that we offer placements to students depending on the type of course. Please contact us for further information on timings.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PLACEMENT?

Following completion of the work placement, both the student and the brand representative are asked to complete a short feedback form which helps us to ensure that future placements continue to offer value to both the brand and the student.

SUPPORT

If you choose to offer placements, we can support you with a range of suggested content and programmes, to take the pain of planning away from you and ensure you and the student gets the maximum out of this opportunity

There are many ways to tap into the bright young minds of our student cohort: with thousands of fashion enthusiasts passing through our doors each year, we can offer unparalleled insight into the attitudes and values of Gen Z as consumers.

PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS (LCBT)

LOCATION VISTS (FRA & LCBT)

Showcase your head office environment and boost your employer brand appeal while increasing awareness of career opportunities to students, to support your early careers recruitment pipeline.

FOCUS GROUPS (FRA)

PANEL DISCUSSIONS (FRA)

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Need an extra pair of hands for events? Our students are happy to help at fashion shows, press days, launches etc.

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT

Amongst LCBT’s vast network of students, recent graduates and alumni, there’s a good chance that we can help you find the perfect candidate to fill your salon, spa or retail vacancy.

Brands can get early access to meet our students before they graduate at our Careers Fairs – these are extremely popular with recruiters and places go quickly! Whether you are advertising part-time positions suitable for students to work alongside their studies, or entry-level roles for newly-qualified graduates, you’ll find an eager audience.

In addition, job vacancies are promoted to both current and former students, giving you access to the best pool of talent to fill your in-store, salon and head office vacancies at all levels. Our Careers team can work with you to make sure your vacancy gets in front of the right people at the right time.

JOB VACANCIES

Advertise your vacancy through the London College of Beauty Therapy and Fashion Retail Academy Careers team to reach both our current students and alumni network of thousands of fashion, retail and beauty professionals.

From entry-level and part-time roles to management positions, we can help you reach a highly relevant audience and enhance your team with top talent.

CAREERS FAIRS

Careers fairs are held on campus several times a year, offering an excellent opportunity to put your brand in front of our students and talk to them first-hand about careers within your business.

We run careers fairs for both head office recruitment and seasonal parttime workers.