Beauty Therapy Apprenticeship to Standardise Industry

Queensland’s beauty industry is undergoing a major makeover with practitioners encouraged to complete an on-the-job apprenticeship designed to improve industry standards and client safety. 

Recognising the need to standardise advancing technical and invasive treatments within the 6.5-billion-dollar industry, the Diploma of Beauty Therapy as an Apprenticeship is open to all practitioners and students in Queensland – the first of its kind in Australia. 

National Retail Association Chief Executive Dominique Lamb said the introduction of a formal training pathway will meet the employment and training demands of the sector. 

“The expectation of practitioners to be highly skilled and highly knowledgeable is growing with the advancement of treatments, which require a great amount of education and expertise to perform,” Ms Lamb said. 

“But what we have seen is the industry become increasingly unregulated and many workers are performing these invasive treatments without formal training that ensures best practice. 

“This makes it difficult for consumers to make decisions about beauty treatments as there are so many practitioners who offer them, all with varying degrees of skill and experience.” Ms Lamb said the introduction of the apprenticeship brings much needed standardisation to the industry. 

“This apprenticeship will help secure and safeguard the industry’s integrity, reduce the inconsistent training standards and create a benchmark of qualified industry experts,” “It also guarantees a high practicing standard in health and safety and duty of care for clients.” 

Accredited training provider Katrina’s School of Hair and Beauty owner Katrina Gilligan said the apprenticeship bridges the gap between study and the evolving needs of clients. “We’re seeing beauty treatments become more personalised to celebrate our individuality, and consumers want a holistic approach to their beauty and skin routines,” Ms Gilligan said. 

“But there is a gap between study and working in a clinic environment. The hands-on learning and experience you get from being employed is not accessible in institutional based training alone. “Making the diploma of beauty therapy an apprenticeship gives the employee the opportunity to learn on the job, grow with the business and receive support from team members with more experience. 

“It ensures all practitioners meet a minimum standard of on-the-job training to be able to provide tailored treatments that are safe and effective.” 

The Diploma of Beauty Therapy Apprenticeship is proudly funded by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training, and is offered through accredited training provider Katrina’s School of Hair and Beauty. 

The National Retail Association is the voice of modern retail, representing more than 60,000 stores across Australia. It has been serving businesses in the retail and fast-food sectors for close to 100 years. 

Media Release by National Retail Association

The National Retail Association is the voice of modern retail, representing more than 60,000 stores across Australia. It has been serving businesses in the retail and fast-food sectors for close to 100 years.