The National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Hairdressing have been approved and published by Government, following consultation with Habia – who worked alongside industry employers and leading experts. The British Beauty Council’s Education Pillar supported Habia in developing an inclusive National Occupational Standard that fully meets the needs of the UK’s diverse community.
As part of Habia’s standard-setting role, the organisation worked alongside industry employers to form the expert working group, where the remit focused on a review of the existing NOS, update and agree on the changes necessary to ensure the NOS are reflective of industry changes, to maintain and improve standards of practice.
The latest NOS, now published, has been written by our professional employer experts to ensure they respond to the developments in the rapidly changing and increasingly more diverse hairdressing sector. The draft NOS went out to public consultation in December 2020, which captured views from the broader industry and fed into the review of the national standards.
Commenting on the review of the standards, Joan Scott, Chair of Habia said: “Despite a very challenging year for the sector, we’re delighted the review of the national standards hasn’t been delayed. There was a great deal of interest in the hair standards as it was important, they should be inclusive of all hair types, including wavy, curly & coily. The hair standards have been updated by employers to ensure they reflect current technical developments and meet the needs of the UK’s diverse community. Special thanks go to all the employers who contributed their valuable time and knowledge to be involved in this important project, both as part of the expert working groups (EWG) and also all those that provided feedback during the consultation process”.
The British Beauty Council supported Habia with the drive to develop an inclusive national occupational standard that fully meets the needs of the UK’s diverse community. British Beauty Council Race and Equalities Advisor, Sharon Lloyd was appointed to Habia’s steering committee and worked alongside an esteemed Task Force selected from our Advisory Board.
“We worked closely with Habia as it was paramount that hairdressing standards and qualifications reflect and represent the diverse range of hair types and textures of clients across the hair and beauty sector. At the British Beauty Council, we believe the hair and beauty industry can and should be truly inclusive. Our aim is to amplify and celebrate the voices of all the communities the industry serves to ensure each and every one of us feels seen, heard, valued and excited to engage with the beauty industry. We are delighted to hear that the new NOS for hair has been approved and we look forward to continuing our work with Habia to champion change in the industry.”
– Helena Grzesk, COO of British Beauty Council