The provider’s training facility is one of eight finalists in the 2018 Australian Beauty Industry Awards Educator Organisation of the Year category.

Hair, beauty and wellness senior educator Kathy Hall said it was an honour to reach the finals. “It shows we’re giving our students the best opportunities with great training and facilities, regardless of whether they live in the city or a regional area,” Ms Hall said. “Given that it is an Australia-wide award, just to make the finals is a something to get excited about. It’s great for our students and for the south-west region.”

“These are the top independent beauty awards in Australia,” Ms Hall said.

It is the first time South West TAFE’s Pure Academy has reached the competition finals and most finalists are from metropolitan areas.

The Pure Academy was revamped in 2016 with state-of-the-art facilities and new training programs.

“We have excellent staff with different skills who are experts in their field and the training programs we’ve developed in conjunction with industry aim to ensure our students get the skills they need to be work-ready,” Ms Hall said.

“There is a huge demand for beauty therapists; it’s a significant growth area so there are plenty of opportunities for graduates to find work.”

Other finalists in the category are Box Hill Institute, Dermalogica Australia, East Coast TAFE, Elleebana, Tamarua Beauty Academy and The Australian Dermal & Laser Institute.

Representing the highest accolade within the industry the Australian Beauty Industry Awards have cemented themselves as the benchmark of excellence and the most coveted accolade in the industry.

The awards, in their seventh year, also recognise the beauty therapist of the year, business owner of the year, cosmetic tattooist of the year, salon design, best marketing, best salon training, customer care, individual educator of the year, salon team of the year, tanning salon of the year, and beauty salon of the year.

The winners will be announced on September 9 in Sydney.