Yesterday I got my password for the academy online training website and, being the little geek I am, I had to log on and start my training immediately! I had been worried that, as it states we have 2 weeks to complete the training, it would be a very long and involved process and that working the hours I am I wouldn’t have the time to dedicate to it. I needn’t have been worried though as I managed to complete my training in one day. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that time frame unless you have done extensive pre-learning and are willing to dedicate time to continue your learning afterwards.
The set up is much like that of any further learning academy that uses online learning tools; a personalised log in page with courses and modules that you enroll on yourself by activating them, which then gives you access to the online seminars. The content itself is laid out in a powerpoint type presentation format that has a few interactive click-through buttons to lead you through the content. I was initially a little worried that I was missing content as the slide numbers do skip around somewhat but just trust steiner and you will see every slide by the end of module exam!
The first course I completed as a masseuse was on board health and safety, a course which I would expect everyone will have, no matter what their profession, which was relatively straight forward. My only gripe with this is that one of the questions on the test appears to mark the correct answer as wrong, and I did double check against the information given within the presentation as I have meticulously screen printed each one in order to make a full set of learning flashcards (told you I was a geek!) to ensure my knowledge is sound. It didn’t matter a great deal in the long run as you only need a certain % to pass which I achieved, but it irks me none the less.
The second course I enrolled on was the elemis products course, of which I had the face and body modules. This course was much more information heavy and I would recommend looking through the material a few times before taking the tests as you do only have two attempts to pass each one. This course took me a good few hours to complete and I did find that some of the questions asked in the tests were for products not given within the study material. There is always the chance I missed some slides but I did go onto the slide menu and look through that way so I don’t think that’s the case. I am going to email the training coordinator and put these questions to her so I’ll get back to you with her response when I receive it.
All in all I think the online training facility is wonderful and really helps with getting yourself in the mindset to join the ships in your last few weeks before London. For me I have timed my training purposely to coincide with the time I would normally return to university, had I not just graduated, as my mind will automatically be geared towards learning and ready to settle back into a fairly punishing routine, however some will not have been in an academic setting for a while and for them this online learning stage will be very useful – settling them back into learning gently.
Now, onward to the embassy!
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