Knockback for beauty Trailblazer apprenticeships as Government rejects formal qualification

Beauty employers are taking a stand after the Government has rejected plans to have a formal qualification linked to the new beauty Trailblazer apprenticeships.

The beauty industry Trailblazer group, managed by standards-setting body Habia and made up of beauty employers including Saks, has been working on the new apprenticeships standards for the past few years, with a formal qualification linked to them that is “fit for purpose”.

But the Government has rejected the formal qualification, meaning the standards will not be ready for delivery on May 1. The Trailblazer group is now required to submit a new assessment plan.

It comes as a blow to the beauty industry, especially after the apprenticeship standards for hair professionals were approved and published in January, just weeks before the Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) changed their policies.

Caroline Larissey, head of standards and qualification at Habia, said, “We now have to state a case for the qualification to be in the standard because after May 2017, the DfE/BIS policy is that we can’t include a qualification in development within any standard. We will have to use existing qualifications, but some do not meet the new National Occupational Standards and have not been updated since 2010.”

Habia and Saks Education are now requesting letters of support from employers in their fight to ensure a “fit for purpose” qualification in Beauty Therapy is included within the Beauty Professional Apprenticeship Standard. Letters can be emailed to Caroline. Larissey@habia.org or Tina Rook, head of education at Saks Apprenticeships, at Tina.Rook@sakseducation.co.uk.