The National Hairdressers Federation and National Beauty Federation report that in common with many other sectors, the number of apprenticeship starts in the UK is down by a quarter from 15,450 to 11,486.

The decline is due to changes to the apprenticeship standards and funding which meant that employers were having to make a financial contribution of 10% towards the cost of training and assessment (£900 per apprentice) for learners unless they are 16-18 year olds (or 19 or over with a local authority care plan).

Hilary Hall, NHF/NBF chief executive, commented:

“we have campaigned hard against the introduction of employer contributions, and we were delighted that the government announced in the Budget that contributions would be halved by April 2019. With other changes to apprenticeship funding, this means that employers will be paying £350 per apprentice rather than £900.”