Angela Cowan

'I have resided in Redland City for 10 years and I have been witness to the overwhelming community growth and positive development of major infrastructure during this time. I am delighted to have the opportunity to be able to offer additional opportunities in vocational education and training at Advanced Education Colleges for local and interstate communities to assist young and mature age students to gain competencies either on campus or by distance education.'

After leaving behind a career as a flight attendant for the Qantas group in 2004, Angela decided to enter the world of beauty, successfully completing a Diploma of Beauty Therapy. You may ask - why beauty? It seems a world away from the jet-setting lifestyle of a flight attendant! Surprisingly, the roles have many parallels. As a flight attendant, Angela was responsible for passenger comfort and safety, ensuring she met with relevant government regulations, legislation and airline policies and procedures. As a beauty therapist, the role is very similar. Whilst the work environment doesn't move quite as fast as a Boeing 737, you still work in confined spaces. A beauty therapist is equally responsible for their client's comfort and safety, while meeting relevant legislation, policies and procedures.

After some time managing her own salon, Angela decided she needed to further her studies to explore advanced aesthetics as a dermal therapist. Angela successfully completed an Advanced Diploma of Cosmetic Dermal Science, whilst also completing a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. As a requirement of her advanced aesthetics training, Angela gained valuable experience training in a plastic training surgery framework in Subizco, Western Australia. Western Australia, whilst a world away from Redland City in Queensland, is where the story of Advanced Education Colleges begins.

Realising the enormous gap in opportunities for community residents, Angela set about developing the necessary policies, procedures, training and assessment strategies to meet with AQTF standards to gain registration as a Training Organisation, with the Department of Education in Queensland.

In November 2009, the dream was a reality. Fit-out commenced on the new premises in Victoria Point where the vision was to create a learning environment that met with industry standard, with an emphasis on sophistication and state of the art facilities to support learning. Angela focussed on ensuring that every student would have adequate equipment necessary to train effectively and not have to wait to use one piece of equipment shared by many in a class - a common occurrence at colleges who cut corners for budgetary constraints. The result has to be seen! Angela also ensured that students would graduate from college with not only simulated work experience, but REAL work experience. Le Spa was developed on site, which now allows for students of ACAA and trainees of Le Spa to gain invaluable experience training on fee for service clients.

'Too many students are signed as competent who have never actually worked with a client other than their study buddy or family member'.

'Clients are winners - being pampered with treatments in a luxurious day spa environment at a significantly reduced price.'

Advanced Education Colleges has now extended its scope to include vocational education and training in Business and Finance, with a view to increase scopes as community demand and industry dictate need.

The campus boast virtual classrooms with all face-to-face delivery classes being recorded for quality assurance and continuous improvement in addition to supporting their distance education students. Facilitators are available on skype for students who are unable to physically attend classes, but may need an aspect of their learning demonstrated or require feedback from their facilitator.

Angela has promised that 'Advanced Education Colleges will continue to explore the latest technology and equipment to support and develop the continuous improvement of the college training and assessment strategies for all students, whilst maintaining our dedication toward employing industry current educators to impart knowledge from real experience.'