Rebuilding the Foundations: ABIC’s Unified Reform Strategy for the Beauty, Dermal and Aesthetic Industry

By Stefanie Milla, CEO & Director, The Aesthetic and Beauty Industry Council (ABIC)

The beauty, dermal and aesthetic sector is undergoing a long-overdue structural overhaul. For decades, our industry has lacked formal recognition across government classification systems, educational alignment, and industrial frameworks. The result has been confusion, stagnation, and a fragmented identity.

At the Aesthetic and Beauty Industry Council (ABIC), we have launched a unified reform strategy to address these deep-rooted challenges by rebuilding the foundations that define our professions. This strategy is structured around three interdependent pillars:

1.    Occupation Classification Reform

2.    Education and Qualification Reform

3.    Award and Wage Framework Reform

Each of these areas depends on the other. Without accurate occupation recognition, there is no foundation for fair wages. Without meaningful education reform, there is no basis for classification. Without scope clarity, training and employment cannot align. Reform in our sector must be systemic and sequenced, and this is precisely the approach ABIC is taking.

1. Occupation Classification Reform: Establishing the Framework

The national classification of occupations in Australia is governed by the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), previously known as ANZSCO. This system defines the job roles used across workforce planning, visa pathways, award systems, and statistical reporting.

Historically, our industry has been poorly represented or entirely absent from these structures. In 2023 and 2024, ABIC made formal submissions to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to rectify this. In December 2024, the ABS released its final decisions following the national review.

The Classification Outcomes

•    Dermal Therapist

o    Newly recognised with its own occupation code: 461132

o    Assigned Skill Level 2

o    This acknowledges the advanced clinical skill set and AQF6 qualification (Advanced Diploma) associated with the role.

•    Dermal Clinician

o    Classified under Health Professionals (NEC)

o    Assigned Skill Level 1

o    While not yet assigned a standalone code, this classification acknowledges the higher education pathway (Bachelor level) and clinical scope of practice. Further advocacy is underway to elevate this role to its own code.

•    Cosmetic Nurse

o    Currently nested under Registered Nurse classifications (Skill Level 1)

o    As a specialist field within nursing, this role requires further industry-led evidence to justify a unique occupational code. More work needs to be done.

•    Beautician and Beauty Therapist

o    Grouped together under a single occupation code: 461131

o    Assigned Skill Level 3 (manual, semi-skilled work)

o    A somewhat disappointing but justified outcome. The ABS determined that the Certificate IV and Diploma of Beauty Therapy are too similar in scope and competency to justify separate classifications. 

Why Beauty Therapist and Beautician Were Not Separated

The decision not to separate these roles was based on how qualifications are currently structured within the national training package. The ABS found that both Certificate IV and Diploma graduates perform similar treatments, under similar conditions, with overlapping competencies.

While the sector considers these qualifications distinct, this is not reflected clearly in training outcomes, job titles, or scopes of practice. The ABS specifically noted the following concerns:

•    The Certificate IV lacks a sufficiently differentiated scope from the Diploma

•    Both qualifications are being used interchangeably in the workplace

•    There is no formal or statistically reliable way to distinguish the two roles at a national level

•    The ABS suggested to retire the diploma, as there was already an advanced qualification pathway in dermal therapy.

ABIC’s Counter-Proposal

In consultation with members, educators, and clinics, ABIC presented a clear pathway forward:

•    Retain the Diploma of Beauty Therapy as the primary qualification for Beauty Therapists

•    Phase out the Certificate IV to eliminate redundancy, if the industry supports this move

•    Establish Certificate III as the standard for Beauticians (Skill Level 3)

•    Position Diploma-qualified Beauty Therapists at Skill Level 2 to reflect higher complexity, autonomy, and breadth of scope

The ABS has shown support for this proposed structure, provided it is supported through national training reform and wide spread industry support. A follow-up review is scheduled within 12 to 24 months, aligned with the ongoing national education review process.

2. Education Reform: Building the Pathway to Clarity and Progression

To support occupational reform, ABIC is working in direct consultation with SaCSA (Skills and Creative Services Australia) to modernise the qualifications underpinning beauty, and determining how they fit into the dermal and aesthetic framework.

Key priorities include:

•    Restructuring qualification levels to reflect true scope, complexity, and workplace application

•    Defining stackable, tiered education pathways from Certificate to Bachelor level

•    Clarifying scopes of practice across Beautician, Beauty Therapist – distinguished from Dermal Therapist, Dermal Clinician, and Cosmetic Nurse roles

•    Developing outcomes-based learning frameworks that match classification language and policy standards

This work is now in progress through ABIC’s Education Committee, with input from RTOs, employers, and clinical educators. Reform of this nature is led by government and will take time, but we are positioned at the centre of its development.

3. Award and Wage Reform: The Final Stage, Not the Starting Point

Award reform is often the most talked-about, but it is the final step in a three-tier process. Once occupation classification and education alignment are achieved, we can move forward with:

•    Reviewing award coverage (e.g. Hair and Beauty Award, Health Professionals Award)

•    Proposing new classifications or wage levels where none currently exist

•    Working with the Fair Work Commission to develop submissions

•    Engaging legal, IR, and sector partners to prepare for formal reform

This process is expensive, technical, and slow. But once the foundations are in place, it becomes both viable and achievable.

Conclusion: The Future is Being Built. Now

We are not simply updating titles. We are rebuilding the professional framework that defines what it means to be a qualified practitioner in beauty, dermal or aesthetic medicine in Australia.

This means:

•    Fixing occupation codes

•    Restructuring qualifications

•    Clarifying scopes of practice

•    And finally, advocating for fair, reflective remuneration

Each step depends on the one before it, and ABIC is leading all three simultaneously, with structure, evidence, and sector support.

This is not quick cosmetic change, it is systemic reform. And while it takes time, it is already underway.

A Final Word: Help Us Finish What We’ve Started

This work requires time. It requires expertise. And it requires significant investment and funding, both financial and intellectual.

What it needs most of all is industry support, now, not later.

Not after it’s done.

Not when it’s already been delivered.

Not when the change is secure and the hard work is behind us.

We often hear, “We’ll support ABIC when it proves itself.”

The truth is, we already have.

This work is proof. The progress is proof. The recognition by government, SaSCSA, the ABS and other regulatory bodies is proof.

What we need now is for professionals, educators, clinic owners and suppliers to stand with us, not because it’s easy, but because it matters.

This is not the time to ask, “What has ABIC done for me?”

This is the time to ask, “What can I do to support my future and that of my industry?”

Join. Volunteer. Speak. Participate.

Because together, we are not just shaping an industry.

We are elevating our professions.