A traineeship is a skills development programme that includes a work placement. It can last from six weeks to a year, although most last for less than six months.

Traineeships help 16-to-24-year-olds - or 25-year-olds with an education, health and care (EHC) plan - get ready for an apprenticeship or job if they don’t yet have the appropriate skills or experience to start one. 

The benefits of a traineeship to hair and beauty employers include: 

  • They are flexible, sector-focused and funded by the government.
  • Your current employees will gain experience in training and mentoring.
  • You can design a programme that suits both the needs of your business and the needs of the trainee.
  • Traineeships can help you increase capacity and productivity.
  • They can help you develop a loyal and talented workforce.
  • They provide a route into apprenticeships, allowing you to get to know and work with someone before taking them on as an apprentice. 

NHBF Trade Members offering information and qualifications 

Two NHBF Trade Members offer traineeship information  and qualifications: 

VTCT:

City and Guilds:

Funding 

The traineeship is free to your business, but you may support trainees with expenses such as transport and meals. 

Employers who make new work placement opportunities available may receive an incentive payment of £1000 per learner for up to ten learners. Find out how funding for traineeships works on the government website.

Your commitment 

When offering a traineeship work placement, you need to provide:

  • A safe, meaningful and high-quality work experience.
  • A minimum of 70 hours of work experience – (no more than 240 hours for benefit claimants) during the traineeship (maximum of one year) and as agreed with the traineeship provider.
  • Constructive feedback and advice to the trainee. 

Designing the traineeship programme 

The training provider will assess the needs of the trainee. Trainees may need pre-employment training before starting work experience. You and the provider will then plan and agree:

  • Which days the trainee will work.
  • How the programme will be delivered.

Traineeships are flexible. You can adjust the programme as you go to make sure you and the trainee get the most out of it. 

At the end of the traineeship, you should: 

  • Offer the trainee an interview if a job or an apprenticeship is available in your business.
  • Provide an exit interview with meaningful written feedback if no job or apprenticeship is available.

Getting started 

Find out more by emailing the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) or calling 0800 015 0600 for advice and support on traineeships. The NAS can also help you set up a traineeship and publicise it via Find a traineeship. 

You can contact a local training provider directly to design a traineeship. They can also publicise the traineeship for you. 

See guidance and resources on good work experience including:

A procurement opportunity is being launched for providers to access additional funding to delivery 19-24 traineeships. Further information can be found in the traineeship news story.

Guidance:

Find a traineeship

Traineeship provider list

Offering a work placement for traineeships

Traineeship information for employers 

Traineeship employer incentive registration form

Links to all updated guidance can be found HERE.

In Conversation with the National Barbering & Hairdressing Federation 8 October 2021 presentation.