100 signatures reached
To: Australian State and Federal Governments
HAIR STYLING APPRENTICES & OUR INDUSTRY DESERVES BETTER
Hair styling apprentices are some of lowest-paid workers in Australia. They often face some of the highest levels of exploitation with things like underpayments, harassment, bullying and poor training.
Currently, government financial support for employers is heavily geared towards the first 12 months of an apprenticeship. The Government's new subsidy program is supposed to help create 100,000 new apprenticeships with apprentices and trainees now receiving a 50% wage subsidy paid out to their employer - but only for 12 months.
We see a massive 'churn and burn' in the industry, where employers take an apprentice on to receive a subsidy, only to dump them or force them out after 12 months, when the money dries up.
Most Salon owners and apprentices do the right thing and deserve more support in these tough times. We need to reward employers and apprentices who stick out the full 3 years.
We're calling on all governments to extend existing subsidies to the entirety of the apprenticeship, to help reduce turnover and drop-outs, and support apprentices and their employers.
Why is this important?
We all want a professional and highly skilled industry, and to achieve this we really need to fix the current funding model.
Completion rates for hair styling apprenticeships are the lowest in any industry - just 30% of apprentices will complete their Cert 3.
The current funding model provides significant subsidies for employers who take on apprentices - but only in the first 12 months of an apprenticeship. At a time when 140,000 apprentices have lost their jobs across Australia, the Government really should be supporting those apprentices who are still working, or who have just lost their position.
The current subsidy provides no funding or support for them, and actually rewards employers who push them out, only to take on 'fresh blood'.
Who are we?
Hair Stylists Australia is Australia's only dedicated union servicing the hair and beauty industry. We represent hair stylists, barbers, apprentices, make-up artists, beauty therapists, and beauticians across the country.
We're a small but dedicated team working to make the hair and beauty industry fair for everyone, by protecting penalty rates, campaigning for fair and equal wages + entitlements, and advocating for higher standards of training for apprentices, more respect at work, and safer workplaces