Hairdressing Apprenticeship Guide: Everything you Need to Know

Becoming a hairdresser in Australia is a great career choice. If you’ve got an eye for detail, you’re outgoing and friendly, and you love to work with your hands, you’ll definitely thrive as a hairdresser.

The road to becoming a hairdresser in Australia is a little bit complicated, but this guide takes you through the entire process. It will give you insights on:

• How to become a hairdresser in Australia
• How to get a hairdressing apprenticeship
• Hairdressing apprenticeship information

This guide also explores the hairdressing industry and offers insights into where your career can take you. 

You can be any age to start an apprenticeship and there are plenty of mature age apprentices out there.

Hairdressing also offers both full-time and part-time work opportunities. Just under 50% of current hairdressing professionals work part-time hours, allowing plenty of time for other life commitments while still building a career!

A hairdresser’s education is important because it creates a foundation for the practical and theoretical skills they’ll use for the rest of their career.

To become a fully qualified hairdresser, you must complete a hairdressing apprenticeship or at least hold a Cert III in Hairdressing. The good news is that there are minimal requirements for beginning your apprenticeship. You only have to be over 16 and have a minimum completion of Year 10 Literacy. If you don’t have this Year 10 Literacy pre-requisite, you can apply to study a VCAL Hair and Beauty course alongside your Year 10 studies at school. The Certificate II in Salon Assistance (SHB20216) is a great option for you!

A hairdressing apprenticeship allows you to study the technical aspects of hairdressing and give you hands-on work experience to put those skills into practice in a professional environment.

To get your first hairdressing apprenticeship, you’ll need to find a salon that will take you on as an apprentice. You’ll need to enrol in a Certificate III in Hairdressing (SHB30416) with an RTO, and the salon may specify their preferred RTO. 

When it comes to studying hairdressing, there are a variety of qualifications available. They all stack together to offer a well-rounded learning experience.

This is the order hairdressing qualifications stack together in Australia:

For a salon to employ you as a hairdresser, you’ll be required to hold a Certificate III or have completed a hairdressing apprenticeship.

If you’re unsure about hairdressing, but you’re interested in the beauty industry, there are also more general beauty courses such as a Diploma in Beauty Therapy or a Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy, which includes learning about massage, facials, waxing and more.

In a first-year hairdressing apprenticeship, you’ll get to dive into the professional environment of hairdressing and have your learning guided by the professionals running your course and the hairdressers working in your salon.

While studying hairdressing, you’ll work through a variety of modules that will impart relevant skills. Your studies will likely be a mix of technical knowledge and practical skills.

During the practical aspects of your apprenticeship, you will be learning and refining your hairdressing skills.

First-year hairdressing apprentices generally assist with the upkeep of the salon, deal with clients (normally at reception), carry out some basic hairdressing services and assist colleagues. Be prepared to spend most of your time on your feet, moving around the salon. And it’s important to ensure you can be flexible and adapt to whatever schedule your salon wants you to work.

As you learn more and complete assessments, you’ll get to expand your duties within the salon.

Assessments during an apprenticeship include hands-on work (such as workplace tasks), written assignments, tests and team projects.

Hairdressing is a skill needed in multiple industries, including retail, health and social care and education. However, most hairdressers find themselves working within the beauty industry either in salons or as mobile hairdressers.

Some of the hard skills involved within hairdressing include:

However, hairdressing is not just about hard skills. ‘Soft skills’ or interpersonal skills are incredibly essential as a hairdresser. We’ve all been to the salon before and accidentally spilled our guts out to our hairdresser.

And they seem like great listeners, right? So, you can imagine their people skills have to be pretty impressive. Hairdressing is a social job and requires excellent customer service skills.

Some of the soft skills involved in hairdressing include:

• Be able to actively listen to your client and understand what they want/need
• Offer your professional advice or opinion about the clients’ hair
• Take on and handle criticism from clients and management
• Manage your time efficiently
• Being able to read a customer’s body language and facial expressions to ensure all needs are being met

Like carpentry, hairdressing is also an apprenticeship. Hairdressing is more than just grabbing a pair of scissors and hoping for the best. It involves precise motor skills, in-depth industry knowledge, organisation and fantastic customer service skills. That’s why completing a hairdressing apprenticeship is essential to begin your hairdressing career.

What many people don’t realise is that there are multiple career opportunities within hairdressing! There are numerous roles available to you after completing your apprenticeship and gaining more experience in the industry – it’s just up to you what part of hairdressing you enjoy the most!

Some careers are: 

By completing a hairdressing apprenticeship, you’re given a hands-on approach to learning the required skills for one of the most steady, reliable businesses in Australia. Within a year, you could be a newly qualified hairdresser with multiple career pathways at your fingertips. If you’re a social, practical, hands-on person, this is the career for you!