A career in hairdressing or commercial barbering
Hairdressers cut, colour and style hair. It’s a creative career that requires an eye for detail and an understanding of past and current trends. You’ll learn hairdressing techniques to create different styles, and build your knowledge of hair and skin types and how they react with various products.
Hairdressing is a highly flexible career. You might work from home, join a salon, start your own business or work as a stylist in the magazine, television or fashion industries. Some hairstylists, called barbers, specialise in cutting men’s and boys’ hair, including shaving and trimming beards.
An important part of hairdressing is helping clients feel relaxed, and communicating well with them so you’re clear about what style they want. That means you’ll need to be friendly, polite and a good listener, and enjoy talking to people.
How do I train?
Trades training is flexible. You can:
- Do a pre-trades programme, then get a job and apprenticeship
- Get an apprenticeship straight away and study while you work
Many people start with a pre-trades programme at a training institution. This will give you the hands-on experience and theory you need to prepare you for work. If you qualify for one of our scholarships, you can study for free – and we’ll help you find work when you finish.
If you already have experience in the trades or are ready for working life and happy to study while you work, you might look at going straight into an apprenticeship. We can help you make that decision, and we might even know someone who needs an apprentice like you.
How do I fund my training?
There are a few ways to get your fees paid – but they’re not all the same.
Only available to Māori and Pasifika learners, the MPTT scholarship doesn’t just cover your course fees, it gives you the most well-rounded support to get a job in the trades.
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Find a course
You can apply for the MPTT scholarship programme now, but make sure you enrol in your chosen course as well. Here’s what you need to do:
- Check out the courses for hairdressing below, and follow the links to find out more. Once you’ve chosen your course, you’ll need to apply for it through the course provider (e.g. MIT).
- Apply for your MPTT scholarship and, if you qualify, we’ll let your chosen course provider know you’ve been awarded an MPTT scholarship to get financial help and other support.
Find out which hairdressing course is right for you using the links below.
Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT)- New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 3)
- New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Emerging Stylist) (Level 4)
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Find an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are managed by Industry Training Organisations (ITOs), who make sure you get the training you need to earn your qualification. The ITO for hairdressing is HITO.