Hair and Beauty Apprentices

• An Australian Apprenticeship is a learning pathway that combines paid on-the-job training and formal study with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), often through TAFE
• You can pursue a hair and beauty apprenticeship by completing a Certificate III in Hair and Beauty and working as an apprentice for a relevant employer 
• Completing a Certificate III without an employer will still give you a nationally recognised qualification, but it is not an apprenticeship

Your rights as a hairdressing or beauty therapist apprentice: 

• Most hair and beauty apprentices are covered by the Hair and Beauty Industry Award which sets out the minimum conditions for your work, including the minimum rate of pay for hairdressing and beauty therapist apprentices in the award
• Under the award, your employer has to:
  • release you for training and assessment; either at TAFE or on site 
  • reimburse you for all fees paid by the apprentice themselves to a registered training organisation (RTO) i.e TAFE
  • Provide you with relevant work and supervise you appropriately

• You’re entitled to be a member of a trade union as an apprentice
• Being a member of your union means you can have the tools and support to stand up for decent wages, safety and respect at your workplace
• Hairdressers and hairstylists are covered by the Hair Stylists Australia - https://www.awu.net.au/industries/hsa/ 
• Beauty therapists can join several unions, depending on where you work. Find the right union for you here - https://www.australianunions.org.au/about-unions/which-is-the-union-for-you/