The New Zealand hairdressing industry faces a “concerning” skills gap as apprentices struggle to find salons willing to take them on. Just over 1000 hairdresser apprentices are now working with the New Zealand Hair and Beauty Industry Training Organisation (HITO), about 100 fewer than the same time last year and in 2022. Because of the unregulated nature of New Zealand’s hairdressing industry , apprenticeship qualifications aren’t a requirement to enter the workforce.
And as fewer salon owners open their doors to students, more are being forced to enter the industry without proper training. “It is a worry,” Stay in Style owner Sunette Hughes told Focus. “If we don’t take these guys on, help them guide them, be patient with them and not just shove them on the floor when we think they are ready to help clients, they are learning, they are making mistakes, and that’s what we’re here for.
” Georgia Luxford, 18, is almost done with her apprenticeship at Stay in Style, an experience she says has been invaluable. “After I finished my two years of Level 3 and 4 at Sevilles, I still didn’t feel quite confident within myself to go straight on the floor and start working on clients,” Luxford said. “My work here has been more real-life scenarios.
“There’s theory we do together, there’s on-person, real-life stuff we do together. What you learn in the academy is what to do on the basic human, but every human is different.” Hair & Barber NZ chief executi.
