The Pet Industry Federation and Hadlow College in Kent have this week extended their joint venture and officially opened a new dog grooming school in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The Hadlow PIF (Greenwich) Dog Grooming School will offer City & Guilds qualifications for dog groomers which are recognised by industry as providing the ideal foundation for those embarking on a career in dog grooming.
The school operates as a commercial grooming salon, as well as providing outstanding teaching to dog grooming students, under the watchful eye of qualified dog groomers and teachers.
The venture continues the unique relationship between industry and education, which begun in 2015 when the grooming school sited at Hadlow College opened.
Situated along Shooters Hill, the Hadlow PIF (Greenwich) Dog Grooming School presents new opportunities for the area and builds on the existing solid links with the local community.
The RBG Horticultural Skills Centre in Greenwich is an Olympic-legacy partnership initiative between RBG and Hadlow College. The grooming school offers the best in modern facilities, with generous space in which to care for customers and their dog’s needs. This includes a reception area, outdoor kennels and indoor holding area, a large fully-equipped grooming room accommodating 12 grooming tables, a hydro bath, top of the range blasters and a walk in wet room for bathing large breeds.
Speaking at today’s official launch, Councillor Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Apprenticeships, Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “This school will provide recognised qualifications that can set students up for employment in a growing multi-million pound industry. I am confident that the local people who take up these courses will be able to build rewarding, long term careers and I hope many of them will, one day, launch their own businesses.”
Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Group Deputy Principal at Hadlow College explained the importance to Hadlow College of the joint venture by saying: “When we established our first dog-grooming school with PIF at Hadlow College in Kent three years ago, the venture was the first of its kind - bringing industry and education together to strengthen our students’ journey into the commercial world via PIF’s network of pet specialists. The huge success of our first joint venture with PIF has inspired this leading-edge new facility.
“The next generation of dog groomers we welcome here at the centre will be benefitting from teaching staff with the highest level of expertise possible in the field and the demand for a centre such as this is proof that there is a very strong market for qualified groomers. We only see this industry going from strength to strength.”
This sentiment was echoed by Nigel Baker, Chief Executive of the Pet Industry Federation, who added: “One of PIF’s core aims is about raising standards within the pet industry. This successful partnership with Hadlow College provides unique opportunities for dog grooming students to access the highest standards of teaching within state-of-the-art facilities enabling them to be fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to enter the pet grooming workplace.
“The Hadlow PIF grooming school here in the Royal Borough of Greenwich offers these fantastic opportunities to a new community and we look forward to watching new students flourish and to local dog owners benefitting from the excellent facilities and care provided here.”
Operating on a commercial basis, the Hadlow PIF Grooming School will not be constrained by the academic calendar and will operate all year round, thereby helping more student groomers achieve success.
Registrations of interest for the City & Guilds qualifications can be made via the website: www.hadlow.ac.uk.
Dog grooming appointments can be made be telephoning the school directly on 020 8856 2960.
