Nhf welcomes review into future of apprenticeships

The National Hairdressers' Federation (NHF) has welcomed findings of the latest review into UK Apprenticeships. Commenting on the implementation plan for the Richard Review on apprenticeships, published today by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Hilary Hall, chief executive of the NHF, said: “The National Hairdressers’ Federation is delighted to see today’s report, the Future of Apprenticeships in England, puts employers firmly in the driving seat. We also welcome the report’s recognition that the new-format apprenticeship standards must work for small businesses, as well as large employers. “The NHF has long called for assessment independent of training, for example through practical ‘trade tests’ at the end of a programme. Measures such as these will give employers greater confidence trainees will finish training ready for the hard reality of working in a salon. “Hairdressing and barbering has an excellent track record in its commitment to offering apprenticeships for young people, and its voice needs to be heard. “NHF has therefore today applied for ‘Trailblazer’ status, a move we hope will allow us to work closely with the government as well as build on our existing work in this area, notably our pan-industry expert reference group, which is creating a blueprint for future standards, and our apprenticeships ‘manifesto’, published earlier this year, which outlined a six-point plan to create a more ‘salon-ready’ workforce.”