Beauty Qualifications Need Industry Feedback

Kia ora koutou katoa.

My name is Scott Fack, and I’m the Director of Operations at The National School of Aesthetics, New Zealand’s oldest beauty therapy education organisation. NaSA’s been qualifying beauty therapists and nail technicians for over 37 years now, and I’ve been a part of that for 26 and a half years.

This post is a long one, so grab a cup of coffee and put on your thinking cap. I’ll be discussing the proposed changes to the New Zealand beauty therapy qualifications, out for consultation now.

Qualifications, programmes, outcomes: What do they all mean?

To briefly try to explain terminology I’m using here: an education provider’s programmes (what the education provider teaches) have to align to the outcomes (what graduates should know or be able to do) of the beauty therapy qualifications (the piece of paper the graduate gets at the end). This means if one of the outcomes of the qualification is for a graduate to be able to perform a manicure while knowing the contraindications, tools, and products used and can show how to use those tools and products correctly, then they should be able to do that once they graduate.

Credits determine the number of hours of teaching and off-campus activities like homework and studying. 1 credit equals 10 hours.

As many of you know, the qualification system in New Zealand shifted to the suite of New Zealand beauty therapy qualifications a few years back. Instead of having each education provider having their own beauty therapy qualification, all education providers now need to offer the same beauty therapy qualification so our graduates basically have the same skills and knowledge when they qualify.

Who’s making the changes?

This year, the Workforce Development Council (WDC for short) took over the development and maintenance of most of the beauty therapy qualifications. There are 6 WDCs in New Zealand. Ours is Toitū Te Waiora, which deals with a range of industries in the health, education, community, and social services areas.

Right now, our WDC is redeveloping our qualifications — this is a regular process — and they are seeking your input as people in the industry.

What are the proposed changes?

While I don’t want to repeat what they have listed, here are some of the major changes proposed and what they mean.

New Zealand Certificate in Nail Technology

• The New Zealand Certificate in Nail Technology (Level 4) may decrease from 120 credits (1200 hours) to 70 credits (700 hours).
• The nail technology qualification is too long for the subject matter.
• While we feel 70 credits is still a smidgeon too long, it is achievable and a vast improvement on being 120 credits.
• 70 credits is more in-line with what some states in the USA require for licensing or certification in nail technology.

New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy

• The New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Level 4) may decrease from 120 credits to 90 credits.
• It is proposed to also be remained to “New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Emerging Therapist)” as someone who will gain this qualification will technically not be a full beauty therapist.
• It removes all body therapy (body massage) and places it in the level 5 qualification.
• It continues to include:
  • manicure and pedicure
  • facial and skin care services
  • eye treatments (excluding lash extensions)
  • make-up
  • waxing, and
  • spray tanning.

New Zealand Diploma in Beauty Therapy

• The New Zealand Diploma in Beauty Therapy (Level 5) faces a huge change.
• Because it decreases from 120 credits to 90 credits, it loses its diploma status.
  • As a side note, NZQA requires a diploma to have at least 120 credits and 72 of those credits to be at level 5 or higher.
  • While the level of this qualification doesn’t change, the credits do, and therefore it drops to a certificate.
  • This would become the New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Level 5).

The feedback we have received from industry over the years is that they feel there should be a level 5 diploma in the system.

I asked the WDC about this (as the paperwork still says “New Zealand Diploma”), and they confirmed to me that this qualification will become a certificate if it stays at 90 credits.

This qualification also faces a shift in its content too. This isn’t a bad thing.

• It includes a deeper understanding of facial therapy services and facial electricals.
  • Although it is not specific on what treatments exactly should be offered, this is good as it allows education providers to adapt their programmes to shift to new treatments that may become available.
• Body therapy:
  • eliminates body wraps and exfoliation methods
  • keeps Swedish massage
  • adds fundamental aromatherapy and hot stone massage.
• Body electrical services are kept as well, although, again, this is not specific.
• Epilation (electrology) also stays in the qualification.

Other Beauty Therapy Qualifications

The New Zealand Certificate in Spa Therapies (Level 5) has had its review postponed. Not many education providers offer it, so its future remains unclear.

The New Zealand Certificate in Specialised Skincare Therapy (Level 6) also has had low usage, although two education providers have recently gained approval to offer it. The WDC and education providers have proposed letting a few groups of students complete the qualification before reviewing it.

The New Zealand Certificate in Specialised Epilation Therapy (Level 6) has had no usage, and the WDC is proposing to let it expire at the end of this year. That means no education providers will be able to offer it in the future. The purpose of this qualification (like the other level 6 qualification) is somewhat niche and unclear on how it would be used in the industry.

Why is this important?

The WDC is seeking feedback by Friday, 26 August 2022.

This is important as the qualifications will most likely not be reviewed again until 2027, so we need to make sure the qualifications are fit-for-purpose and what the industry wants and needs.

My suggestion is this: If you feel strongly for or against these changes – and you can be for some and against others! – make your voice heard. Don’t let others make that decision for you or assume that someone will put in the same input as you. As someone who has worked a lot in quality assurance and gained feedback, if I read the same or similar comments from 12 people (for example), that holds a lot more weight than that feedback from 1 person or organisation. I’m more likely to think, “Something is going on here. We need to look into that more.”

Your input is important, and your thoughts and opinions are important.

What do you feel about these changes?

For me personally (and in general):

• I agree with the changes to the New Zealand Certificate in Nail Technology – it is a beast of a programme to deliver at 120 credits and will be far more manageable at 70 credits – and also with the New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Level 4) focusing on what we’d call beautician or beauty specialist skills.
• I disagree with the name change to add “Emerging Therapist” on the end; it’s too vague and needs to be more specific, I feel.
• As for the New Zealand Diploma in Beauty Therapy (Level 5) dropping to a certificate, I’m not a fan of that idea.
  • The diploma is our major qualification, and we’ve had a diploma available in the 37 years the school has been around.
  • While the level at which we are teaching isn’t lowering or being “dumbed down” – a change from a diploma to a certificate does not reflect a “dumbing down” of the difficulty of the content – there is a stigma attached to that.
  • More importantly, many past and current students have worked their tails off to get their qualifications, and a diploma is a reflection of that hard work.

Where can I find out more and how can I give my feedback?

You can find all the proposed changes on the Toitū Te Waiora Web site here: https://www.toitutewaiora.nz/latest-news/beauty-services-qualification-reviews-3443-3444-3445-3457-3458-3459-and-3442-in-collaboration-with-toi-mai-august-2022new-blog-post/

Feedback is due by Friday, 26 August 2022 to beautyquals@toitutewaiora.nz

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know, and I’ll try to help out as best as I can.

I hope you all are staying safe, warm, dry, and well.

Ngā mihi,
Scott Fack
Director of Operations
The National School of Aesthetics