24 October 2023

This week’s update covers the following: 

  • Government remains committed to T Levels
  • Simpler recycling for households and businesses in England
  • Campaigning for you – action on skills
  • Government consultation into licensing non-surgical aesthetic cosmetic procedures reminder

GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO T LEVELS

There has been some recent miscommunication circulating around T Levels. In reaction to this the Government wants to reassure everyone that they are not being dropped or de-prioritised. There are currently thousands of T Level students at present with tens of thousands set to join in the next few years and the Government remains fully committed to bringing in and promoting future talent. More information can be found here.   

SIMPLER RECYCLING FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES IN ENGLAND 

DEFRA (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs) this week announced a new simpler approach to managing recycling in England. Under these new waste reforms people across the country will be able to recycle the same materials and will no longer need to check what their council will accept for recycling. Read the full article here. 

CAMPAIGNING FOR YOU – ACTION ON SKILLS 

The NHBF attended the Department for Education (DfE) Intermediary Ambassadors Network (IAN) in central London last week. The network allows us to represent the hair & beauty sector helping us influence and support the standards and quality of education and training to ensure a pipeline of talent into the sector. 

There was sharing of best practice throughout the session with presentations on the challenges of engaging with skills as a small business, the growing need for a combination of both technical and tech/digital skills in different sectors, ways to improve the employer/provider relationship, role of trade associations in encouraging investment in skills and training. Research from ‘Be the Business’ also shows that small businesses have a good degree of confidence about the future but are not investing in skills or tech. They are also working towards an Apprenticeship Ambassador Network with an Apprenticeship ambassador in every school across the country. 

On T-levels, DfE were keen to say that Technical levels are ‘alive and well’ and that the Government is ‘fully committed’ to rolling them out. The implementation of the new Advanced British Standard announced recently is ‘ten years away yet’. 

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION INTO LICENSING NON-SURGICAL AESTHETIC COSMETIC PROCEDURES REMINDER 

The Health and Care Act 2022 gave the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to bring into force a licensing scheme in England for non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that consumers who choose to undergo a non-surgical cosmetic procedure can be confident that the treatment they receive is safe and of a high standard.

The long-awaited consultation on the Government’s detailed proposals for a licensing scheme in England for was launched in September and beauty businesses and the public are being urged to have their say here, be quick though as you only have until Saturday 28 October.

We are also submitting our own response to the aesthetics consultation on behalf of our Members, and have also been collaborating with the Beauty Industry Group (BIG) on a sector wide response to the Government.