Name : Ammanda Partridge
Skills Yukon Affiliation: National Technical Committee member
Age: 40
Trade & Certifications: Certified Cosmetologist—Esthetics
Current workplace: Elements Hair Studio and Day Spa and president of Elements Esthetics Academy
Tell us about your experience in the trade sector so far? I have worked in all aspects of my trade—from educator, to employee, to entrepreneur—and I am now opening a school!
What was the process of opening your salon like? Opening my salon was fairly easy because I took over an existing business and there was a good clientele that came with that. I had also worked in Yukon, for a few years, building my own clientele, so I had a great start. It definitely would have been more challenging if I didn’t have that clientele intact!
What were your breakthrough moments in the process of opening the school? Opening the school has been a long process; I have so much respect for educators and educational facilities, as I now know how hard they had to work to make it happen! My biggest breakthrough was hosting my first single skills course, and I am so looking forward to having my first diploma course in the new year! I’m most excited about my small class sizes making it a really personal experience for the students and me!
How did you start exploring the trades career path? Originally, I went to university after high school because I had received a full scholarship, but I always felt a pull to the trades. I enjoy the creativity and technicality involved in aesthetics, so I decided to pursue it, and I’ve never looked back. It has been the most-rewarding career and there is so much room for growth!
Was there someone who inspired your journey into the trades sector? My mom. She went back to school when I was 11 years old. She was a single mom with four kids and showed me it’s never too late to chase the dream.
How has your trade and/or technology career made your life better? I get to spend my days making people feel good about themselves; I have the best job in the world! I have enjoyed travel opportunities, educational opportunities and personal fulfillment in my career. I have also had the pleasure of watching other women succeed in their career while working with me!
What does a regular day on the job look like? Every day is different because of the variety of training I have taken: No two days are the same. I start my day by setting up and looking forward to the guests I will get to see. I have been in the industry a long time, so my guests are like friends and it feels so good to build those relationships with them and to help them feel their best.
If you met someone who was looking at exploring the trades sector, what piece of advice would you give them? Do it! It is an incredibly rewarding career path. There is constant change, constant room for growth. It is a lifelong journey, so start now.
What is the most-interesting project you have worked on? My experience teaching esthetics in Old Crow for Yukon College [Yukon University] is what inspired me to start a school here! Old Crow was such a unique experience: I met amazing people and the community was so welcoming and hospitable.
Is there something about your trade that you think not many people know? We make an impact—and not just from the cosmetic value of what we do. We are caretakers, and guests give us the honour of choosing us to be part of their best days (weddings, new babies, et cetera), but also their most challenging (after losses, periods of personal distress). To be chosen to support someone—not just in their best times, but also their most challenging—is a testament to what we provide for guests, beyond the cosmetic effects.
Where do you see your career in five to 10 years? I will have a thriving school and support industry growth in the Yukon by training new service providers who will hopefully bring their services to the communities.As the newest National Technical Committee member of Skills Canada Yukon, what do you hope to achieve with Team Yukon? I hope to build excitement and awareness about our trade. I hope to correct misinformation about our industry and to support young people in pursuing an incredibly rewarding career through mentorship and coaching!
