Hair and beauty therapy » Employment sector information » 16+ courses - Making the right decision » Learning

There are an estimated 45,000 salons in the UK, 7,000 of which are beauty salons.

Nationally about three quarters of the workforce are estimated to be employed by salons whilst the remaining quarter is self-employed.

42% of people working in the hairdressing and beauty sector do so on a part-time basis. The majority of part-time workers do so through choice, and not because they can't find full-time work. Hairdressing and beauty has a relatively large proportion of young workers, with over half of the workforce between the ages of 16 and 34.

People working in beauty salons have to be multi-skilled, as they often have to provide a wide range of treatments to clients. This means that training is important in keeping up to date with techniques.

The hairdressing and beauty industries are both highly dependent on regular repeat business from satisfied clients. This means that interpersonal skills are very important, especially the ability to communicate verbally so as to customise the service to meet individual needs.

An apprenticeship can be a good route into these careers. Taking an apprenticeship means you are learning while you are employed. As well as taking a qualification, you will also cover key skills that are essential for a successful career.

What we think will happen

Although to a certain extent hairdressing is seen by many as an essential service it has still been hit by the recession. Once the worst effects of the recession are over it is likely to recover again.

The training authority reports positive growth trends in the industry, though predicts that growth will be dependent on an adequate supply of suitably qualified personnel. Particular difficulty is reported in the recruitment of beauty therapists, nail technicians, tattooists, body piercers, stylists and barbers. Between 2002 and 2012, 18,000 of those working in leisure and other personal service occupations (which includes jobs in this sector) will have retired.

New qualifications, called Diplomas, are being introduced in the next three years. These will help people prepare for university, college or work. There will be a Diploma in Hair and Beauty. Look out to see what's on offer locally from September 2009.

Is this you?

Like meeting and working with people
Good communication skills
Have stamina, patience and concentration
High level of personal grooming
Interested in science, anatomy and physiology

What 16 year olds did in 2008

In 2008 a total of 504 year 11 school leavers from local schools started full-time employment or work-based training. Of this number, 32 went into hair and beauty therapy related work. Just over 6% of all year 11 local school leavers went into this sort of work.