HOW TO SET UP A HAIR OR BEAUTY APPRENTICESHIP

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Posted December 19, 2016

Last week we spoke about how to find the right apprentice to bring into your salon and what you should be looking for in that person. Now that you have found the right apprentice, how do you get them set up with your salon so that both of you can begin to work? Here are the three steps to onboarding your new apprentice:

1. Offering the position

   Once you have chosen your newest team member, pick up the phone and tell them the good news! Use this as an opportunity to invite them back into salon so that you can provide them with a letter, a formal offer of the position and the contract that they need to sign. Alongside the contract you should always provide any new employee with:
   – A copy of the Fair Work information statement (which you can get here)
   – A Job Description (for Beauty, download here) (for Hair download here) and
   – Your policy and procedure manual, if you have one (here is how to get a draft of one)

   All of this comes under the official offer for position and is the best part of bringing on a new apprentice – the excitement and joy of someone starting on a brand new career path.

2. Choosing a registered training organisation (RTO)

   It is really important to sign the apprentice up to a training contract as soon as possible through the relevant RTO in your state. This means that your new apprentice will be attending their location to gain “off the job” training requirements such as the necessary theories and modules needed to become a fully trained stylist. Choose the right RTO for both your organisation and your apprentice – whether it is TAFE or a private college – and ensure that their modules are in line with the Australian training packages before commencement.

3. Contact an Australian Apprenticeship Center (ACC)

   After you and your apprentice have agreed upon an RTO, you as the salon owner must contact the ACC as soon as possible to register your apprentice. This is so that the apprentice is recognised by the government as an apprentice under the correct scheme, but also so that the employer avoids potential underpayment or penalties. The Australian apprenticeship program offers a number of incentives that benefit both the employer and the apprentice – so make sure to contact the ACC to see which incentives are applicable for you as these are subject to regular review and change quite often.

And there you have it! 1 registered, bonafide apprentice ready to hit the salon floor and learn all they can. This is such an exciting time for everyone in salon as you can all get behind your new apprentice, bring them into the fold and create a fantastic new stylist for your salon, so enjoy it!

Check back next week to get up-to-date information on apprentice entitlements and probationary periods, ready for your new apprentices in 2017!