Spotlight on Talent: Stephanie Blower

Stephanie Blower
Level 3 Beauty Therapy, Silver Medalist at World Skills UK Nail Services 2016

“I still can’t believe I’ve won a silver medal and that all the hard work and practice I put in before the final has paid off.”

Following her passion and studying Beauty Therapy led determined Stephanie to win a silver medal in the World Skills UK Nail Services final at The Skills Show, NEC Birmingham last Winter.

Curriculum Manager for Beauty at Walsall College, Jo Small, said: “Hundreds of students across the UK originally entered this competition, so coming second is a massive achievement and we are incredibly proud of Stephanie. She has come a long way since starting her course and has worked hard and received great support from her tutor Vicki Warren, to develop her skills for this competition. Taking part in competitions is a great way for students to push their skills to the next level and reach their full potential, as Stephanie has shown.”

Stephanie made it to the final after qualifying with the highest marks in a regional heat of the competition. In the final, eight students from colleges across the country put their skills to the test and were tasked with completing a full set of nails using a variety of different techniques and incorporating nail art in just three hours.

Stephanie said “I still can’t believe I’ve won a silver medal and that all the hard work and practice I put in before the final has paid off. I feel very proud of myself – it’s a great feeling knowing that I’m one of the best in the country at what I do at this level. I currently work part time at the college alongside my Level 3. I get to put my learning into practice on a daily basis and I love working with the public and developing my own client base. I am hoping that all of this experience will help me progress further in my career. Long term I would like to carry on expanding my skill set with different treatments and eventually work my way up the ladder in the salon.”