6 minute read
National Training Reforms
By Anthony Gray – M.I.G Training
Reshaping Hairdressing and Barbering Education
The Australian hair and barbering industry is preparing for one of the most significant changes in vocational education in more than a decade. The national qualifications that underpin the training of thousands of emerging professionals are being reviewed, restructured, and reimagined—bringing with them the promise of a better-prepared, more technically capable, and more future-focused generation of stylists and barbers.
Led by Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA), the reform of the Certificate III in Hairdressing (SHB30416) and Certificate III in Barbering (SHB30516) aims to eliminate duplication, raise technical standards, and bring qualifications into closer alignment with what salons, barbershops, and clients expect today.
These reforms aren’t being developed in isolation. They’re the product of extensive national consultation with salons, educators, apprentices, and industry representatives— voices that have made it clear: while the current qualifications have laid strong foundations, they no longer reflect the complexity, creativity, and commercial realities of modern industry life.
The Problem: A Disconnect Between Training and Industry
For years, industry stakeholders have raised concerns about the structure of the current training packages. While they contain many important components, they’re often criticised for:
• Repetitive or overlapping content across units between the hairdressing and barbering qualifications,
• Limited emphasis on foundational skills such as communication, customer service, and client consultation,
• Rigid qualification structures that don’t easily allow for career progression or cross-skilling between the two crafts, and
• Insufficient technical depth in some areas of cutting, styling, and colour.
These issues have real consequences. Employers are finding that many graduates aren’t fully job-ready. RTOs (Registered Training Organisations) are working overtime to stretch the curriculum to meet workplace needs. And learners—many of whom are apprentices— struggle to see how their training connects to their day-to-day work or long-term career goals.
As one salon owner recently put it, “We’re not just teaching someone to cut hair. We’re building professionals. And right now, the training system isn’t making that easy.”
A Single, Stronger Qualification Model
At the heart of SaCSA’s reform plan is a bold move: to explore the development of a single Certificate III qualification for both hairdressing and barbering. Rather than separating the two trades entirely, this model would introduce distinct specialisation streams—likely a Creative stream (hairdressing) and a Service stream (barbering)—within a common qualification framework.
The benefits?
• It reduces unnecessary duplication, especially across shared foundational units.
• It recognises the shared core competencies between hairdressers and barbers, such as hygiene, customer care, and consultation.
• And it enables customisation and career mobility, giving learners the opportunity to develop specific technical specialisations while still building a well-rounded skill set.
This model, if adopted, would represent a major shift—but one that brings greater flexibility and relevance to how we prepare our future professionals.
Building Better Foundations
A major focus of the reform is ensuring that learners are work-ready from day one. This means placing greater emphasis on the foundational skills that matter most in real-world settings:
• Interpersonal communication
• Client consultation and service
• Teamwork and time management
• Personal well-being and resilience
As anyone in the industry knows, technical skills will only take you so far. True success in the salon or barbershop depends just as much on the ability to connect with clients, work well with others, and deliver consistently high-quality service.
The new qualifications will aim to build these capabilities into the learning experience in a more deliberate, structured way—ensuring graduates don’t just know how to cut, colour or style hair, but know how to do so in a professional, clientcentred environment.
Technical Excellence Front and Centre
While foundational skills are critical, there’s also a clear directive from industry to raise the bar on technical training. The reforms will prioritise:
• Stronger technical content, particularly in cutting and styling
• Clearer assessment expectations, with a focus on practical competency
• Reinforced repetition where necessary to build muscle memory and precision
• Greater alignment with workplace practice, ensuring learners are exposed to current tools, techniques, and technologies
This will be supported by improved implementation guidance—resources that help trainers and assessors deliver the qualification more effectively, and more consistently, across Australia.
Ultimately, the goal is to empower RTOs and employers alike with qualifications that are clearer to navigate, easier to deliver, and more effective in producing confident, skilled professionals.
Future-Focused Career Pathways
Beyond the Certificate III, SaCSA’s reform process is also exploring how to establish clearer pathways for career development—from apprentice to senior stylist, educator, manager, or creative director.
This includes looking at how qualifications can better link from:
• Certificate II entry-level training
• Certificate III trade qualification
• Certificate IV and Diploma-level education
By creating visible and achievable progression steps, the industry has a better chance of retaining talent, fostering ambition, and developing future leaders.
A Collaborative, Transparent Process
Importantly, SaCSA is not undertaking this reform in isolation. Over the next 18 months, they will continue to engage with:
• Employers and business owners
• Industry associations and peak bodies such as the Australian Hairdressing Council
• Training providers
• Current students and apprentices
• Product companies and education partners
This co-design process ensures that the final training products are not only technically sound and pedagogically robust—but that they also reflect the real-world needs of modern hairdressing and barbering.
As SaCSA stated in its reform outline, “We are committed to qualifications that serve learners, support industry, and strengthen the future of our craft.”
Key Milestones
The project officially commenced in February 2025, with a planned completion date of September 2026. The key stages include:
• Consultation and industry engagement –already underway
• Design and drafting of new qualifications and units
• Validation and pilot testing
• Publication and endorsement
• Implementation planning and support for RTOs
Training providers, salons, and learners can expect to see new training products ready for enrolment from early 2027, depending on the national endorsement process.
What It Means for the Industry
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the foundation of hair and barber training in Australia.
For employers, it means better-prepared apprentices.
For educators, it means clearer pathways and stronger support.
For learners, it means training that reflects the industry they’re entering.
And for the industry as a whole, it’s a step toward stronger professionalism, technical excellence, and recognition of the incredible work hairdressers and barbers do every day.
Whether you’re an RTO, salon owner, apprentice, independent educator or industry leader—now is the time to engage, contribute, and be part of shaping the next chapter in our story.
