Government approve employer-led standards for hair and beauty apprenticeships

Industry employers are celebrating today following news that Government have approved new employer-led standards for hair and beauty apprenticeships. The standards, which were developed and submitted by the Trailblazer Steering Group, are set to make apprenticeships easier for employers to run and, at the same time, ensure learners are 'salon-ready' when they qualify. Supported by sector skills body Habia and the National Hairdressers’ Federation, the apprenticeship standards have been developed by employers. Offering five pathways for learners, across the two disciplines, the new apprenticeships focus on ensuring learners develop the skills needed for them to work within the industry. The hair standards offer two pathways which cover hairdressing and barbering respectively; their beauty counterparts offer three pathways covering beauty and make-up consultancy, beauty and spa therapy and nail services. Speaking of the approval, Hellen Ward, Chair (Hair) for the Trailblazer Group said: "My thanks go out to all the salon owners who have put in considerable time and effort this year to make these standards a reality. They will make apprentices more 'salon ready' when they finish training, so I feel what we have achieved will make a real difference." Skills Minister Nick Boles added: "I congratulate members of the Hair and Beauty Trailblazer group on their involvement in designing the new apprenticeship standards, which we have published today. I am proud to say that through working with leading employers, we have now reached our target of creating two million apprentices since 2010. However two million is just the start; I want more employers to follow suit and start making apprentices a key part of their growth strategy.” The next stage in development of these apprenticeship pathways is to work with awarding organisations and industry associations to develop practical and theory assessments by independent examiners. This will be crucial to ensure the deliverability and desirability of the apprenticeships, which still require considerable work to take them off paper and into reality. It is hoped that the hair and beauty apprenticeships will be live from September 2015, however the application and implementation is very complex so learners may have to wait until the beginning of 2016; the priority is to ensure they are right rather than rushing them. The full standards can be found on the website for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.