The Advanced Loctician Certificate Course comprises of the Natural Loctician Certificate Level 1 and Level 2 Extensions and Wraps Course combined in 4 days face to face training. This Advanced Course has been created due to student feedback in wanting to learn all dreadlock service skills as once to enable people to start with a full service offering in their new Dreadlock lifestyle businesses. In 2019 Em is not offering Level 1 and 2 separately to new students. Read the contents of each level below. 

The Natural Loctician Certificate Course is a 3 day course created by a professional teacher and Dread Loctician,  so each day is tailored to allow students to learn with ease, have fun, learn a LOT of content and not get bored. You will learn a mixture of practical and theoretical skills on day 1 and 2, while on day 3 you will utilise all your previous knowledge and "live a day in the life of a Natural Dread Loctician" as you get to create your first full or partial head of natural dreadlocks on a true client (who has agreed to model for the course).

Here is what the course will cover:

1. Divine Dreadlocks & your trainers history.
2. Information on the most common dreadlocking methods.
3. Information on the Divine Hand & Hook method & why is produces the best dreads instantly.
4. All related Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S for natural dreadlocking).
5. How to section hair for dreads depending on hair type.
6. Sectioning shapes bricklayer style, rectangles & triangles. Touching on diamond shapes.
7.  The art of diverse conversation & how developing rapport increases business.
8.  Your dreadlock work space set up (tailored to home but applicable to changes in a salon)
9.  How to make dreadlocks using the Divine Hand & Hook method.
10.  Learn about tips: open, closed or tapered.
11. Learn how to close (round off) a tip neatly.
12.  Standard maintenance issues and how to fix them.
13.  How to deal with client inquiries for maintenance and new dread creation, pre & post booking.
14. How to offer high end customer service.
15. What to charge: hourly rates scale and fixed prices.
16. How to log your times and quote, when to raise rates.
17. Natural dreadlock aftercare knowledge.
18. Natural product knowledge & wholesale account for Divine Dreadlocks natural products & tools.
19. Knowledge of different hair types and how they dread. 
20. How to answer all client questions at any stage. 
21. Basic marketing essentials (post course support emails)
22. Free advertising on Divine Dreadlocks Website, Facebook & Instagram accounts.
23. Free online support in a private Facebook group for minimum 1 year.

1. Handling a dread extension client enquiry and remote booking.
2. How to order the right hair extensions for custom made work. 
3. How to prepare the hair extensions for dreadlock creation. 
4. Custom locking of dreadlock extensions.
5. Mapping out your sectioning for dread extensions. 
6. How to do the seamless strong V join for dread extensions.
7. How to do the Octopus join for balayage or ombre extensions .
8. How to complete the extensions job so it's perfect and you can't even tell they're extensions.
9. How to add extensions to mature dreadlocks.
10. Dread Extension after care advice. 
11. Dreadlock wraps (crisscross and solid)
12. Full support in Level 2 group post course for minimum 1 year. 

Q - I am not from Australia or don't live in Australia, can I still study this course?
A - YES, this page relates to the live course but you can study the same course online if you can't get to Austalia to do this 4 day training! No matter where you live in the world people wanting dreadlocks will recognise your training with Divine Dreadlocks as valuable and indicative of you being a qualified dread-loctician - you can be seen as a professional Loctician especially if you choose to operate your dread biz in a professional manner! It is a private certificate which means it can be used in any country. 

Q – Is the certification nationally recognised or Government accredited?

A – Yes and No.... The course has not become a government endorsed ("accredited") course due to the Australian Government not recognising the Natural Dreadlocking Trade as an industry.  It is the owner's choice not to gain recognition as a government accredited training centre within Australia as we do not wish to be classified within the hairdressing industry, nor do we wish the courses to cost 3 x the current amount or more. Being a private Certificate means that it is open to people of all nationalities around the world and will not involve expensive licensing.  The certificate has helped people get jobs in salons as dread locticians as well as operate as a dread loctician within the person's own salon or at home studio. People who are searching for dreadlock services recognise Divine Dreadlocks as having a very high reputation for providing excellent natural dreadlocking services & top customer service since 2006 in Australia & 2000 in parts of Europe. The skills offered by this certificate will be recognised as valuable by the people who matter most: your clients.  

Q – Can I get any government assistance to pay the course fee?

A –No. Unfortunately the Natural Loctician Certificate cannot be registered as a government approved Vocational Education & Training (VET) course due to the fact that Dreadlock Services do not qualify for approval with ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority). They are not seen as “meeting an established industry, enterprise, educational, legislative or community need”. Dreadlocks are not recognised as necessary in any way by the Australian (or any) Government! How strange. But we love it this way!!

Q – I am really keen to study this course but I am on a low income or a student and I can’t afford the course fee in one hit. Do you have any payment plans??

A – Yes anyone wishing to attend a live course can pay in 5 installments. The entire course fee must be paid in full within a week before the course start date. Email Em for approval: training@divinedreadlocks.com
A  - Formal payment plans are not yet available for the online courses, although they can be individually created by paying installments via bank transfer and receiving a free code for the course once the full course price is paid. Many people are taking this option. 

Q- Can I genuinely make $Au1000/$Us700/£600 in a 2 or 3 day week?

A- Yes, but remember that your income will be based on your level of quality, speed, experience & the           demand for your services. This demand is dependent on your personal motivation level and ability to market your services, including word of mouth from happy customers. If you apply all your learning correctly and are motivated you CAN make this kind of income within 3-12 months. Hourly rates of dreadlocking for an experienced or high quality natural dread Loctician range from $40-150/hour. Your trainer has capped rates at $70 per hour due to low overheads and the desire to stay affordable for many (not a few). 

Q- What can I charge as a Dread Loctician?

A- You will get current market rates in the course info, but essentially you can charge from $Au25/$us20 per hour when starting, up to $100/80 per hour once your speed/quality/reputation are high. At Divine Dreadlocks, we have capped our rates at $70/hr even with 19 years experience as we feel even great dreads should be affordable, however since 2015 there are Locticians in Australia charging up to $160 per hour, up to $100 in the US and £70 in the UK. Keep your rates at a place where you and your client are happy. It must be a win win. 

Q - Do I need any other formal qualifications to be a Natural Dread Loctician?
A - No, literally speaking, you only need to know how to create and maintain dreadlocks on people and provide a good customer experience; but the logistics of operating your service depends on where you are going to operate your dreadlocking service, ie: which country and literal location (eg: home or in town) and how you are going to define your dread service and business. Depending on your location & service definition you'll be subject to different rules.

• In Australia there are no other certificates or licence needed to create or maintain dreads for people. If you are choosing to open a new "salon" on a main street in a city or town then your new premises will need to tick all the local council boxes. If you tell them you are working with hair then they may categorize you under the hairdressing umbrella and they may expect you to have your hairdressing qualifications (from TAFE). However, this is not a requirement. To be on the safe side it is best to categorize your work as dread "art" and fall under the "artist" category which has no restrictions. Try to avoid any association with hairdressing (unless you're a qualified hairdresser and wish to operate from your salon). Remember that unless you ARE opening a hairdressing salon, you don't need a hairdressers licence or certificate!  
• In America, all states have different laws regarding working on hair. They even have laws regarding working on hair naturally (eg: not using chemicals) and natural dreadlocking can fall under these laws. Again it literally depends how and where you choose to operate your service. The easiest way in the USA to dreadlock is to just lock from home more like a "hobby" that requests a "donation" for your time. Such a service has more freedom. Some states require people to get a cosmetology licence and/or study cosmetology which gets expensive and can be time wasted if you don't want the other cosmetology skills. It is up to you to check the laws in your state if you are an American Citizen & wish to study with Divine Dreadlocks Australia online. 
• Here's a link to some information on the laws around working with hair in California. There, it seems you don't currently require a licence to do dreadlocking. 
• According to a court victory anyone creating "sisterlocks" in the state of California is EXEMPT from getting a Cosmetology licence. So you could say that you create "sisterlocks" to the necessary people. (but don't advertise this to clients as this method can create locs for sisters but NOT "sisterlocks" which is a terminology used to define a different method of dreadlocking specifically on afro hair, whereas the divine hand & hook method is for ALL hair). 
• Divine Dreadlocks is unaware of any such laws in UK and EUROPE. If you live in that part of the world, please check your local laws or ask other Dread Locticians in your area (or another area if you wish to be more anonymous). And then send Em an email at training@divinedreadlocks if you discover any interesting news!
• Just remember that in most western countries creative services can be either be more like a "hobby" or more like a "business". Until you know that you are going to operate a "viable business" you can start as a hobby! And when you decide that your busines is viable you will need to get a tax number or ABN in Australia for tax purposes. 

Q - I am an afro hairstylist. I would like to learn how to make dreadlocks without using wax, oils or products. Is this possible with your method and will it work on my clientele with afro hair?

A - YES! The Divine Hand & Hook (DH&H) method works perfectly on ALL hair types to create instant low maintenance locs that don't ever need palm rolling, locking products, wax, chemicals or much maintenance. Ema spent 8 months living in Africa and has used this method on many people with Afro hair. The only variation of the method required is that you can skip back-combing or only slightly backcomb tight afro hair & you can create slightly smaller sections on afro hair than caucasian. 

Q - I want to make dreads for my partner/friends/son/daughter. Is this the right course for me?

A - NO, this course is specifically aimed at teaching people how to create & maintain dreadlocks and run a dreadlocking service with their skill. It is essentially for people who desire to lock regularly and earn money from the skill. 

Q - I run a hairdressing/hairstylist salon/studio and wish to learn to create and maintain dreadlocks without all the chemicals and wax. Is this the right course for me. 
A - YES! It is perfect for you! It will teach you exactly what you need to know and we can do a bundle discount on the online courses if you'd like any staff member trained as well. It is wise to have at least 2 people trained in Natural Dreadlocking when working in a hair salon environment to reduce the time it takes to service new dread clientele. This is an artisan method, very different to the tradition hairdresser's method of dreadlocking and it takes time, therefore working in two's on big jobs is very beneficial when you want to get long dreads created in  day! Email Em for more info.

Q - What are the differences between the Natural Loctician Certificates ONLINE V's LIVE Course?

• A - The biggest difference is price. Online is about half the price of the live course, therefore if your money is always tight, the online course may be more suitable for you. 
• The live Advanced course costs $2800 (and is only available within Australia). It also includes the Loctician Kit in the price. The online Advanced course costs $Au1347, but the Loctician kit is an extra $150 or it can be sourced by the student.
• The next difference is obvious: one is learning LIVE with your trainer standing there in the flesh to show you how to perform each skill and with the online course your trainer sits in studio in a screen and shows you how to perform the skills via HD video tuition. Both formats provide top tuition, but it all depends on what type of learner you are, as to which is best for you. 
• Some people really need to learn things in the flesh to "get" them. If this is you then the LIVE course will suit you better. Other people can learn in the flesh and online via video equally, therefore either course would suit you, whereas others are very adept at learning online and therefore they could benefit from saving the money with the online course. 
• The content is the same in the LIVE and ONLINE course but with the online course you have the 11 HD videos to keep for life to review your training anytime and you have the 7 PDF's of theory available forever. However for an extra $50 all students of the LIVE course can get the entire online course as well. 
• The live course has the benefits of being able to ask questions regarding any aspect of the course then and there and in the case of a question about your application of the practical techniques you can have errors ironed out immediately and learn tricks to improve on the spot. This isn't possible in the online course (although can be achieved in a sense via a skype call or sending videos), however this support can't compare to your trainer watching you locking for 3 days & helping you in the moment.
• The live course has more benefits in that you have full support and assistance with your first guinea pig clients. This support can enable you to fine tune & improve technique as well as get support with such issues as customer relations, dealing with scalp sensation of clients etc
• The best thing about the live course is that by experiencing your first maintenance and new dread creation client, you gain loads of confidence to start locking as you have already done it!
• The online course has 3 assessment tasks to complete within a 3 month time frame (2 practical and 1 theory). Your theoretical knowledge is checked by a online test that you mark yourself (it is just to remind you of the things you most need to know when you start your dread service). Your dreadlocking knowledge is tested via you completing new dreads on a hairdressers mannequin and performing dread maintenance on a client/friend then sending in photos and videos to get feedback and assistance from your trainer.  For some this is easy. Others find it hard to be self motivated enough to complete this. 90% of all online course students have completed this and gained the certificate!
• In the LIVE course the assessment is done throughout the course. Your trainer will give you live feedback and assistance every step of the way, with theory knowledge and practical skills so you don't have to do any kind of assessment. For some this is preferable to being assessed online. 
• With the live course students get to meet other training locticians and form bonds. With the online course you can connect through the online group. 
• There is full online support for all students no matter which course you study. In fact the after support is the same overall, however you may feel more comfortable connecting with your trainer online after having formed a personal bond during the live course.

PLEASE CONTACT Em, by emailing: training@divinedreadlocks.com if you have any more questions.