As part of the Reform of Vocational Education, HITO’s previous responsibility for standard setting (qualification reviews and provider moderation) passed to two Workforce Development Councils (WDC) on 4 October 2021.

Please contact your new WDC If you are looking for information on:

  • Qualification and unit standard development and reviews
  • Applications for programme endorsement support letters
  • Consent to assess applications
  • Pre moderation applications
  • Post moderation submissions

The split in WDC coverage for qualifications is as follows:

Toi Mai WDC – https://www.toimai.nz/

  • Hairdressing
  • Barbering
  • Makeup Artistry

Toitū Te Waiora WDC – https://www.toitutewaiora.nz/

  • Nail Technology
  • Beauty Therapy

What does this mean for qualification reviews?

Your involvement with qualification reviews and unit standards will now come through the Workforce Development Councils, rather than through HITO.

Hairdressing Qualification Review

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the first part of the hairdressing qualification review in 2020. The proposed changes were accepted by NZQA and are outlined below.

The next stage is to develop the specific unit standards that make up the qualifications.

Main changes resulting from the review:

New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 3)

  • “salon support” removed from title.
  • wording of Graduate Profile Outcomes (GPOs) simplified to reflect what a graduate is expected to know, do, and be.
  • the use of cutting tools to demonstrate basic cutting techniques was added as a graduate outcome to reflect that graduates are on a pathway to becoming hairstylists, rather than simply salon support workers.
  • unit standard listings were removed from GPO conditions.
  • the education and employment pathways were updated to reflect the changes made to this qualification, and the hairdressing qualification pathway.
  • the general conditions were updated to include relevant legislation and publications, and to reflect current industry expectations.

New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Emerging Stylist) (Level 4) was discontinued without replacement.

New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Professional Stylist) (Level 4)

  • qualification credits reduced from 310 to 120 to acknowledge that this qualification forms a pathway following on from the New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 3) and is not a separate pathway.
  • wording of purpose and GPOs simplified to reflect what a graduate is expected to know, do, and be.
  • unit standard listings were removed from GPO conditions.
  • the education and employment pathways were updated to reflect the changes made to this qualification, and the hairdressing qualification pathway.
  • the general conditions were updated to include relevant legislation and publications, and to reflect current industry expectations.

New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Advanced Colouring Skills) (Level 5)

  • unit standard listings were removed from GPO conditions.
  • the general conditions were updated to include relevant legislation and publications, and to reflect current industry expectations.

New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Advanced Cutting Skills) (Level 5) 

  • unit standard listings were removed from GPO conditions.
  • the general conditions were updated to include relevant legislation and publications, and to reflect current industry expectations.

Administrative changes were made to all qualification specifications, and transition information.

HITO