The beauty therapist apprenticeship at level 2 is approved for delivery!

As part of the government’s apprenticeship reforms, the level 2 Trailblazer beauty therapy apprenticeship standards and assessment plan at level 2 have finally been approved for use in England, with a maximum funding cap of £7,000.

These standards will make apprentices more ‘salon ready’ when they finish training 

George Hammer, the chair of the Trailblazer Steering Group for beauty professionals, said: “My thanks go out to all the beauty salon owners who have put in considerable time and effort to make these standards a reality. These standards will make apprentices more ‘salon ready’ when they finish training and so I feel what we’ve achieved will make a real difference.”

Diane Hey, the employer champion of the Trailblazer Steering Group for beauty professionals added, “The beauty therapist apprenticeship will provide apprentices with the right skills, knowledge and behaviours to work within the beauty therapy sector at level 2 and will set a great foundation for professional development and progression. It has been a challenging process completing these standards and assessment plans, but we’re delighted to have a standard that is right for our industry.  The new standards will include a practical test, known as an end-point assessment, which will be carried out by independent end point assessors, to check if an apprentice is meeting the required standards.  They will also be graded, so the best apprentices can be rewarded with a distinction grade.”

Small employers with less than 50 employees who take on 16-18 year olds or those aged 19-24 who have been in care, or who have a local authority care plan will not have to pay anything towards the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment.  An incentive payment of £1000 will also be available to them and to their training provider to support the additional costs of training these groups.  However, employers taking on older apprentices will be expected to contribute one tenth of the cost.  As the government has confirmed funding of £7,000 per apprentice, employers will be expected to contribute a sum of £700. 

The Nail Services Technician and Beauty and Make-up Consultancy standards are still with the IfA awaiting approval. 

For more information on the Trailblazer Apprenticeships to date, visit the Institute for Apprentices website  https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org