Welcome to the Beauty Professional website
Welcome to the world of a Beauty Professional, as a career choice you will work in one of the largest, trusted, professional and continually expanding industries within the Hair and Beauty Sector; a sector with a multi-billion-pound global economy, which is continuing to expand.

The work environments can be varied in size, style and ambiance, you could work on cruise ships, in a small bespoke salon or luxury high end beauty salons and spas, in addition to the beauty retailing spaces in large department stores and nail bars. Over the lifetime of your career you could work in all or some of these environments and expand further into other related specialisms. As a Beauty Professional you will complete all duties and treatments within the scope of the occupational role. You will act with professionalism, having exceptional communication and presentation skills, without supervision and observe safe working practices to a high level of precision.

This website has been developed to provide further and underpinning information to support the Beauty Professional Apprenticeship Standards suite, beginning at level 2 with three different job roles, Beauty Therapist, Beauty Make-up Consultant and Nail Technician these are seen as the foundation to a career as a Beauty Professional.

Apprenticeship standards or commonly known as ‘trailblazer’ standards have been designed by beauty employers to cover the knowledge skills and behaviours for competency (job ready) at a specified level for a particular job role. The Institute for Apprenticeships (IfATE) is the body responsible for improving the quality of apprenticeships in England and Ofqual is the body that provides the external quality assurance.

Apprenticeship standards are developed by the Beauty Professional Apprenticeship Trailblazer Steering Group (BPATSG), which will replace the current apprenticeship frameworks. This group made up of employers within the beauty sector which meet the IFATE requirements. This group will also subsequently review the apprenticeship standards and check if they are still required and are fit-for-purpose.

The Beauty Professional suite of apprenticeship standards include:

 

Level 2                                                                Beauty Therapist                                              Beauty and Make-up Consultant                        Nail Services Technician 

Level 3                                                     Advanced Beauty Therapist                        Wellbeing Therapist 

Level 4 (in development)
Beauty Advanced Practices Professional

Blog

As part of the government’s apprenticeship reforms, the draft level 5 Aesthetic Practitioner Skin Rejuvenation Trailblazer standard is now available for review. To ensure the standards reflect industry practice once they’re finalised, the Beauty Professional...

Beauty apprenticeship trailblazer statement regarding temporary adaptions for the beauty apprenticeship suite of mandatory on programme qualifications (diplomas), flexibilities, and dispensations for the End Point Assessment (EPA) due to COVID-19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in restrictions to beauty apprenticeship education and training during the spring and summer of 2020. Guidance has been provided by the Government, with varied opening dates for businesses. Some services and treatments...

Paul Edmonds reflects on the hair and beauty route review

 

The hair and beauty route review has provided an opportunity to reflect on the route and the technical education programmes within it, both in terms of what employers requires now and in the future. Hair and beauty businesses continue to evolve, both through innovations to better meet client their own needs and also to meet wider requirements, such as introducing enhanced hygiene practices to keep everyone as safe as possible. Reviewing and updating the occupations and technical education provision within the route is a way to ensure that what is available to employers and learners is up to date, relevant and most importantly meets their needs.

As both a business owner and chair of the Hair and Beauty Route Panel for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, I have seen the impact and disruption that COVID-19 has had on every part of our lives. That said, I am thankful that I work in a sector that is entrepreneurial and energetic. It is filled with innovation, and continually responds to an ever-changing marketplace.

While many salons have had to close as industries contract, I ask myself: is this an opportunity to make some changes? Could, and should, there be a greater focus on apprenticeships and technical education to support sectors in its recovery from the effects of COVID-19? What might this mean for the industry?

As sectors emerge from this pandemic, I believe we will see a shift in where the industry’s new starters are coming from. With a potential move away from a largely school leaver base, it seems likely that there will be an increase in the number retraining. This may be while earning on an apprenticeship or taking a qualification that gives them a great foothold in their new chosen career.

In the past, apprenticeships and technical education has been seen as the poor cousin of A Levels and degrees, but they are more than equal. Yes, the new apprenticeships and the ‘hair, beauty and aesthetics’ T Level offer quality assurance, but more than that, the amount of thought, work and skill put into upgrading skill sets is huge. Seeing the desire to learn and the implied commitment by the learners is essential for those recruiting new talent.

I believe the new apprenticeships and T Levels are a great way forward, not only in our sector, but across the board in the country. They provide practical insight and experience, give new talent the confidence to make waves and offer the sector a new talent pipeline. The new T Level in hair, beauty and aesthetics is due to start in September 2023 and I believe both this, and apprenticeships, in the route will provide the right education as the economy starts to regrow.

A D3 Beauty apprenticeship trailblazer statement regarding temporary adaptions for the beauty apprenticeship suite of mandatory on programme qualifications (Diplomas), flexibilities, and dispensations for the End Point Assessment (EPAs) due to COVID-19.

10 September 2020

Purpose
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in restrictions to beauty apprenticeship education and training during the spring and summer of 2020. Guidance has been provided by Government, with varied opening dates for businesses. Some services and treatments were not permitted to open, and it is possible that the public health restrictions may continue to occur either locally or nationally during the rest of the year. We know that both
employers and training providers wish to continue with delivery of apprenticeships, the mandatory on-programme diploma qualifications and End Point assessments (EPA). In this paper we will set out the factors we are proposing to enable the mandatory on-programme diploma qualifications and EPA of beauty apprenticeships to continue……

For more information please click the link below

https://beautyprofessionalapprenticeship.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Beauty-Apprenticeship-trailblazer-statement-due-to-COVID19.pdf

Trailblazer apprenticeships: IfATE approves The Advanced Beauty
Therapist Apprenticeship Standard and End Point Assessment

22 May 2020

The Beauty Professional Trailbalzer steering group are pleased to announce the Trailblazer standards and assessment plan for the Advanced Beauty Therapist Apprenticeship at level 3 have been approved with a maximum funding cap of £8,000. This apprenticeship will now be providing a progression pathway for the industry.

George Hammer, the chair of the Trailblazer Steering Group for beauty professionals, said: “the advanced beauty therapist apprenticeship standard at level 3 will provide apprentices with the right knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers want for their staff to competently work within the beauty therapy sector”

Diane Hey, the vice chair of the Trailblazer Apprenticeship Steering Group for the beauty professionals, said: “we have a world class Apprenticeship Standard and End Point Assessment Plan that really raises the bar and allows an apprentice to demonstrate their professional skills and knowledge in beauty therapy, to maximise treatment benefits and technology. We would like to extend our special thanks to all who contributed to its development”

Link to Ifate Advanced Beauty Therapist Apprenticeship Standard and EPA:
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/advanced-beautytherapist/