West Nottinghamshire College has been awarded a Gold College of Excellence 2024 by Ragdale Hall Spa to recognise outstanding practice and standards in beauty training.

The Gold College of Excellence award certifies that the college has high standards of training and consistently supports and communicates with Ragdale Hall Spa regarding events to enhance employment opportunities.

Ragdale Hall Spa, based in Melton Mowbray, works with several colleges of the gold status to inspire students to excel in careers within the beauty industry. These colleges benefit from a career presentation and open evenings with treatment demonstrations at Ragdale Hall Spa.

Colleges are reviewed annually and must continue to meet Ragdale Hall Spa’s criteria to maintain their College of Excellence status.

The college’s head of hairdressing and beauty therapy, Nicholas Thorpe, said: “We’ve worked with Ragdale Hall for a number of years now. They’ve always been incredibly accommodating in enabling our beauty therapy students to visit so they can understand the range of job roles required at the spa, to speak to members of staff about their careers and to see their incredible facilities.

“It’s a real privilege to be awarded the Gold College of Excellence award and it means that we are able to send up to four students, who are interested in careers at Ragdale, to their November open evening, where they can observe treatments and apply for work experience opportunities.

“We’re particularly delighted that one of last year’s Level 3 students, Ruby Tomlinson, has now secured a job at Ragdale Hall, whilst advancing on to her Level 4 diploma with us.”

Ragdale Hall Spa training and development supervisor Lynne-Marie Benzie said: “West Nottinghamshire College has been awarded Gold College of Excellence status due to the tutors’ ongoing dedication to their students’ skills and progression into industry by ensuring all opportunities are embraced by means of continued communication with Ragdale Hall Spa.

“Each year we offer the students a career presentation along with the opportunity to visit Ragdale Hall Spa. This enables them to meet our therapists and experience one of the UK’s busiest and most highly regarded spas, hopefully to inspire them to develop and want to work in such an environment at the end of their course.”