Thanks to L'Oreal Singapore, some students from Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East in Simei Avenue could well be the David Gans of tomorrow.

Hair professionals from the French-based beauty and haircare giant are teaching courses like hair colouring and client communication under the school's new National ITE Certificate (Nitec) hair fashion and design course.

The classroom for students in the two-year programme is a $540,000 hair design training centre that L'Oreal Singapore helped design.

The 5,000 sq ft set-up comprises a styling studio, a washing studio and a chemical treatment studio.

ITE decided to offer a hair design course after a survey of ITE students and secondary school students in 2006 showed a demand for it, says L'Oreal Singapore's corporate communications manager Carolyn Giang.

While the collaboration was inked only last Wednesday, ITE had approached L'Oreal Singapore to be a partner as early as January last year and plans were firmed up last June.

The contract lasts only for three years, but future cohorts will still benefit from L'Oreal's expertise as ITE lecturers will be trained by the company, Giang says.

Classes for the pioneer batch of students started in January this year.

It is the first time L'Oreal Singapore is teaming up with a school here.

Graduates will receive an internationally recognised certificate in hair fashion and design, issued jointly by ITE and L'Oreal.

Response towards the course has been overwhelming.

Some 270 applicants fought for the 40 spaces in the January intake, while the April intake saw 139 kids jostling for the 40 slots.

If only school was this cool when we were students.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Mar 6, 2008.