Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Professional Stylist) (Level 4)
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
310
NZSCED
110303
Food, Hospitality and Personal Services > Personal Services >
Hairdressing
DAS classification
967
Service Sector > Beauty Services > Hairdressing
Qualification developer
New Zealand Hair and Beauty Industry Training Organisation Inc
(HITO)
Next review
December 2020
Approval date
24 March 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the hairdressing
industry with qualified hairstylists who have the obtained the
knowledge and practical skills to independently perform salon
and client services that contribute to the effective operation of a
commercial salon. It is aimed at learners who are already
employed in the industry having already made the decision to
progress towards becoming a fully qualified hairstylist, most likely
through an apprenticeship programme. These learners may or
may not already have some pre-trade training.
Graduates will be recognised by industry as qualified
Professional Hairstylists, capable of operating with complete selfmanagement, integrating fashion services and meeting
commercial salon requirements.
This qualification is the third of three qualifications that provide
alternative pathways to recognition as a qualification Professional
Hairstylist. It may be achieved through workplace-based training
in a commercial workplace.
Graduate profile
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:
1. Manage own client’s services and journey through the
commercial salon
2. Identify current fashion trends to support fashion in the salon
Outcome Statement
3. Perform client consultations and diagnosis and establish a
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
plan for future hair treatment services for a commercial client,
including prescribing a complete home hair care plan to
support in-salon services
4. Perform a broad range of integrated fashion services to meet
commercial client requirements, including cutting, styling,
colouring and chemical reformation
Page 1 of 6
5. Identify and offer solutions to remedy colouring and chemical
reformation errors
6. Acquire, manage and grow a commercial client base to
contribute to salon financial sustainability
7. Understand health and safety legislation and apply an
existing health and safety plan
8. Understand key performance indicators (KPIs) and their
financial implications on the commercial salon
9. Identify and access options and resources for ongoing
professional development
Education pathway
There are multiple pathways to recognition as a qualified
Professional Hairstylist and to advanced skills in this industry.
The first pathway involves entering an apprenticeship
programme leading to award of this qualification. The second
pathway is for graduates of the New Zealand Certificate in
Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 3) [Ref: 2411] and/or the
New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Emerging Stylist) (Level
4) [Ref 2412] who then enter into workplace-based training
towards award of this qualification. They will only need to
complete training for the further skills and knowledge required for
this qualification. This typically means an additional 70-190
credits worth of learning, practice and assessment in order to
meet the graduate profile outcomes of this qualification.
Other pathways may include those who enter into a programme
leading to the award of this qualification, but is not entering into
an apprenticeship.
Graduates of this qualification may choose to go on to complete
advanced specialist hairdressing qualifications.
Employment pathway
On completion of this qualification a graduate will be recognised
as a Professional Hairstylist.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by HITO.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification
bears the New Zealand Qualifications Framework logo. It will
also include the name and/or logo of the awarding body.
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Page 2 of 6
Evidence requirements for assuring
consistency
All TEOs either arranging training or delivering programmes
that lead to the award of the qualification are required to
participate in a consistency process scheduled by NZQA.
This will involve reviewing evidence associated with
graduate’s achievement of outcomes, establishing a periodic
cycle for a review focus for the external consistency review,
and agreeing acceptable standards and/or benchmarks for
qualification outcome achievement, and areas for
improvement.
To demonstrate how graduates are achieving the
qualification graduate profile outcomes, TEOs are required
to produce their own evidence in a high level report.
Evidence will include the following:

Employer surveys to determine if graduates of the
qualification are achieving graduate profile
outcomes.

Evidence of effective processes to identify changing
training needs of industry.

A range of workplace evidence demonstrating that
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes.

Any other relevant evidence as appropriate.
The purpose of the managing consistency event is to:

review evidence associated with achievement of
qualification outcomes at the level of the
qualification.

identify issues or opportunities associated with
outcome achievement.
Further information can be found on the NZQA website.
Credit transfer and recognition of
prior learning arrangements
Recognition of existing skills and knowledge will be arranged
by the tertiary education organisation (TEO) providing the
programme leading to the qualification.
TEOs must have policies and procedures in place for
managing credit transfer and for recognising prior learning
and current competency. These policies and procedures,
along with details of associated fees, must be available to
the applicant prior to their enrolment.
To facilitate credit transfer, TEOs must clearly demonstrate
the equivalency between each of the outcomes in the
graduate profile, and the assessment components of their
programmes.
Graduates of the New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing
(Salon Support) (Level 3) [Ref: 2411] and/or the New
Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Emerging Stylist) (Level
4) [Ref: 2412] qualifications who then enter into workplacebased training towards award of this qualification will be
granted credit recognition. They will only need to complete
training for the further skills and knowledge required for this
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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qualification. This typically means an additional 70-120
credits worth of learning, practice and assessment in order
to meet the graduate profile outcomes of this qualification.
Minimum standard of achievement
and standards for grade
endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for the
award of the qualification will be the achievement of all the
graduate outcomes in the graduate profile.
There are no grade endorsements for this qualification.
Entry requirements (including
prerequisites to meet regulatory body
or legislative requirements)
N/A
Qualification conditions
Overarching conditions relating to the qualification
Conditions for programme
Programme delivery must ensure that assessment of the outcomes
structure
requires candidates at all times to follow safe practices that ensure
personal safety and the safety of clients, staff and the environment.
Conditions for programme
context
Programme delivery must ensure that for all practical hairdressing
skills assessment must happen on live models unless specified that
mannequins may be used.
Other conditions
Where programmes do not include the optional unit standards set out
below as specific conditions relating to the graduate profile,
programme developers should consider the listed unit standards as a
guide to the minimum requirements for programme content.
Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
Manage their own client’s
services and journey
through the commercial
salon.
10 credits
Unit standard 2759 Outcome 2
Unit standard 2891
Mandatory or
Optional
Mandatory
Optional
Unit standard 21938
Unit standard 21940
Unit standard 25435
2
Identify current fashion
trends to support fashion
in the salon.
15 credits
Unit standard 28841
Optional
Unit standard 28843
Unit standard 28844
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Page 4 of 6
3
Perform client
consultations and
diagnosis and establish a
plan for future hair
treatment services for a
commercial client,
including prescribing a
complete home hair care
plan to support in-salon
services.
Unit standard 2755
Optional
Unit standard 2873
Unit standard 2878
Unit standard 25436
Unit standard 25794
Unit standard 28838
Unit standard 28840
Unit standard 28848
40 credits
4
Perform a broad range of
integrated fashion
services to meet
commercial client
requirements, including
cutting, styling, colouring
and chemical reformation.
200 credits
Unit standard 2757
Mandatory
Unit standard 2866
Optional
Unit standard 2869
Unit standard 2870
Unit standard 2871
Unit standard 2879
Unit standard 2880
Unit standard 2884
Unit standard 2885
Unit standard 2889
Unit standard 2890
Unit standard 2892
Unit standard 9953
Unit standard 12313
Unit standard 19791
Unit standard 19792
Unit standard 19793
Unit standard 25076
Unit standard 25077
Unit standard 25078
Unit standard 25438
Unit standard 25789
Unit standard 25791
Unit standard 25792
Unit standard 25793
Unit standard 28835
Unit standard 28837
Unit standard 28839
Unit standard 28842
Unit standard 28848
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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5
Identify and offer
solutions to remedy
colouring and chemical
reformation errors.
Unit standard 13467
Optional
Unit standard 13468
Unit standard 28836
15 credits
6
Acquire, manage and
grow a commercial client
base to contribute to
salon financial
sustainability.
Unit standard 2759 Outcome 1
Mandatory
Unit standard 25437
Optional
Understand health and
safety legislation and
apply an existing health
and safety plan.
Unit standard 15189
Optional
5 credits
Unit standard 28845
Understand key
performance indicators
(KPIs) and their financial
implications on the
commercial salon.
Unit standard 28846
15 credits
7
8
Unit standard 25439
Unit standard 25790
Optional
5 credits
9
Identify and access
options and resources for
ongoing professional
development.
Optional
Unit standard 28847
5 credits
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaced the National Certificate in Hairdressing
(Professional Stylist) [Ref: 0022].
The last date of entry in to programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2016.
People currently working towards the replaced qualification must complete its requirements, or transfer to
a programme of study or training leading to this qualification, by 31 December 2020.
It is anticipated that no existing candidates will be disadvantaged by these transition arrangements.
However, anyone who feels that they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the New Zealand Hair and
Beauty Industry Training Organisation Incorporated at the address below. Appeals will be considered on
a case by case basis.
New Zealand Hair and Beauty Industry Training Organisation Incorporated
PO Box 11764
Wellington
Telephone
04 499 1180
Email
enquiries@hito.org.nz
Qualification Reference 2413
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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