Commissioners Information Bulletin 408
Date of effect: 9 April 2009

Beauty Therapy - Vocational Training Order variation

The Commissioner for Vocational Training, in consultation with the NSW Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services Industry Training Advisory Body, has varied the Vocational Training Order (VTO) for the trade vocation of Beauty Therapy.

The VTO reduces the nominal term of the apprenticeship from four (4) years to three (3) years, as prescribed in the Hair and Beauty (State) Award.

The VTO specifies a number of matters including the term of training, probationary period, competency outcome and course of study to be undertaken.

The VTO supporting the trade vocation is at Attachment A.

WRB04 Beauty Therapy Training Package

WRB04 includes nine qualifications ranging from Certificate II to Diploma level and offers training in nail technology, make-up services, retail cosmetic services, beauty services and beauty therapy.

The beauty industry provides a range of specialised assessment and clinical services to clients from very small businesses to larger enterprises operating in both cities and remote areas. The industry also has a retail focus through the sale of home care products via salons and retail cosmetics and skin care products through pharmacies and large department stores.

Qualifications

There is no change to the beauty therapy trade qualification. Apprentices in the beauty therapy trade will continue to undertake the WRB40105 Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy qualification.

The packaging and combination of the minimum number of units required for the apprenticeship pathway to which this VTO applies are outlined at Attachment B.

Job description

The beauty industry consists mainly of employees who are qualified beauty therapists, apprentice beauty therapists or reception and salon assistants. Beauty therapists perform complex skin therapies and treatments including:

• client physiology analysis - skin and body care, nutrition and exercise
• eyelash and eyebrow treatments
• skin condition treatments
• make-up
• manicures and pedicures
• acrylic nail applications
• facial and body hair removal
• facial treatments using electrical equipment
• facial and body massage
• aesthetic aromatherapy treatments
• integrated beauty treatments.

Industrial arrangements

Applications under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 to establish any apprenticeship or traineeship will not be approved unless the Commissioner for Vocational Training is satisfied that appropriate industrial arrangements are in place.

Industrial arrangements under which Beauty Therapy apprentices can be employed are listed at Attachment C.

School Based Apprenticeships

The NSW Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services Industry Training Advisory Body has recommended WRB40105 Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy as suitable for delivery in schools.

The Hair and Beauty (State) Award specifies that “a school based apprentice is as an employee who is undertaking an apprenticeship, declared or recognised by the State Training Authority, under a training contract while also enrolled in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The School base apprenticeship may commence upon the completion of Year 10 School Certificate exams.”

For all school based part-time apprenticeships currently being delivered in New South Wales, refer to School Based Apprenticeships.

For further information on the delivery of training for school based apprenticeships, refer to Training Arrangements.

Learning resources and assessment materials

Service Skills Australia sells a full set of all 40 Beauty Learner Guides in electronic format, packaged on a single CD-ROM.

Licensing

There are no licensing requirements that apply to this apprenticeship.

Current apprenticeships

For apprentices who started their apprenticeship before this Vocational Training Order came into effect, the nominal term of the apprenticeship remains four years.

Availability of Registered Training Organisations

Training organisations registered to deliver training in New South Wales for qualifications from WRB04 Beauty Therapy Training Package are listed on National Training Information Service.

Note : This Commissioner’s Information Bulletin (CIB) supersedes information about beauty therapy apprenticeships in CIBs 144 and 260 and wholly supersedes CIB 280.

Note: For transition arrangements, refer Transition Arrangements for Training Package Qualifications under Apprenticeship and Traineeship Arrangements

For any enquiries regarding this CIB, please contact the Vocational Training Tribunal Unit on (02) 9266 8579.

PHILLIP MOORE
Commissioner for Vocational Training