A hairdressing apprenticeship will enable you to gain experience working as part of a team in a hairdressing salon. You’ll have excellent communication skills enabling you to communicate with clients and team members alike.
Hairdressing apprentices are able to offer clients a consultation, sell products and services, and tailor technical hairdressing techniques to suit each client. This will include offering services by designing haircuts, trims, colouring and lightening, and hair styling ideas.
If you’re the type of person who likes to work with their hands, has strong attention to detail, good communication skills, and can work to a deadline, then a hairdressing apprenticeship could be the ideal choice for you.
Typical duties of a hairdressing apprentice
A hairdressing apprentice will learn how to provide services while maintaining environmentally sustainable and safe working practices.
Typical duties will include:
- Shampooing
- Colouring and lightening
- Neutralising undesirable shades and tones
- Creating different types of haircuts
- Organising tools, equipment and working spaces
- Developing and expanding the existing client base
- Offering hair straightening and relaxing treatments
- Identifying and treating hair and scalp problems
- Conducting transactions
- Working whilst complying with organisational requirements
- Communicating with clients and team
- Working in compliance with health and safety at work requirements
How long is a hairdressing apprenticeship?
A hairdressing apprenticeship can last between three and four years. However, you can opt to study full time and complete the certificate III in about a year.
Gaining the Certificate II in Hairdressing will give you all the skills needed to become a hairdresser. If you’re looking to work in a salon, this qualification (plus the initial certificate) could be all that’s needed, however, this is going to depend on the state in which you live. In New South Wales and South Australia, you are going to need to get a Certificate III in order to become a qualified hairdresser.
Qualified hairdresser’s average wage
A full-time hair stylist can earn an average wage of around $54,000 per annum and barbers an average wage of $57,000 per annum. These figures are from au.indeed.com and were calculated by averaging anonymous salary submissions they recieved, you can see this in more detail here for hair stylists, and here for barbers.
Some of the more popular certificates include:
Certificate III in Hairdressing
With this qualification, you’ll gain the technical and supervisory skills you need to be a professional hairdresser. This means potential employers will consider you to have a solid skill set, which is highly desirable. It’s also essential if you want to be a salon manager.
Barber Certificate III
As a barber, you’ll work in a team in a hairdressing salon or a specialist barber shop. This qualification enables you to offer barbering services like styling, shampooing, trimming and cutting hair. You’ll also be able to recommend products and services, trim beards and give shaves.
Hair Stylist Certificate III
As a Hair Stylist, you’ll work in a team in a hairdressing salon. You may also choose to work on men’s cutting and styling for events. There will be lots of communication with others involved in this occupation. You’ll be happy to recommend and sell products and services to clients, while using your skills to design and apply your technical hairdressing skills from lightening or colouring hair to haircuts and trims.
How to find and secure a hairdressing apprenticeship
Australian Apprenticeships Pathways has information about apprenticeships, career pathways and useful aptitude quizzes. You can find a wealth of useful information related to hairdressing apprenticeships here. This is the ideal place to start looking for a hairdressing apprenticeship or qualification.