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Employer Partnership

Grow your team through
apprenticeships

Hire skilled, motivated staff and have their training funded up to 95% by the government. PLUMS handles all the compliance, reporting and off-the-job delivery — you focus on running your salon.

Why an Apprentice?

Train someone who becomes exactly the stylist you need

Unlike hiring a qualified stylist, taking on an apprentice lets you shape their technique to your salon's methods, culture and clientele from day one. Research consistently shows that apprentices have higher retention rates and stronger salon loyalty than laterally hired staff.

PLUMS does the heavy lifting. We conduct the initial assessment, produce the learning plan, manage ILR reporting, deliver all off-the-job sessions and prepare the learner for End-Point Assessment. Your role is to provide a good working environment and allow time for learning.

  • Government funds up to £5,000 per Hair Professional or Barbering apprentice
  • Government funds up to £9,000 per Advanced Creative Hair apprentice
  • Non-levy employers pay just 5% of the training cost total
  • A £1,000 incentive payment is available for employers taking on 16–18 year olds
  • No recruitment fees — PLUMS helps match you with suitable candidates
Barber training an apprentice in a barbershop
What PLUMS Provides

A complete training
partnership for your
salon

From the first enquiry to your apprentice's achievement certificate, we manage every element of the training journey.

  • Candidate Matching We can identify and refer suitable candidates from our applicant pool to fill your vacancy — or we support you to recruit directly through our network.
  • Compliance Management PLUMS handles all ILR returns, ESFA funding claims, Commitment Statements and data retention. You sign the paperwork once and we keep everything current.
  • Regular Progress Reviews Your Skills Coach conducts tripartite reviews with you and the apprentice every 12 weeks. You receive written progress reports and can access the learner's OneFile portfolio at any time.
  • EPA Guidance We guide you through the EPA process, help you write the employer reference and advise on what to expect during the assessment observation in your salon.
Partner With Us Call 01582 486 200
Indicative Funding Breakdown (Non-Levy Employer)
Hair Professional L2 (ST0045)£5,000 band
Government contribution (95%)£4,750
Employer contribution (5%)£250
Advanced Creative Hair L3 (ST0014)£9,000 band
Government contribution (95%)£8,550
Employer contribution (5%)£450
Barbering Professional L2 (ST0043)£5,000 band
Government contribution (95%)£4,750
Employer contribution (5%)£250
Extra incentive: 16–18 year old apprentice
+£1,000 to employer
Our Process

From first conversation
to first day

Our onboarding process is designed to be simple for employers. Most salons go from initial enquiry to their apprentice starting within 3 to 4 weeks.

1
Initial Conversation

We speak with you about your staffing needs, the programmes available and what the apprenticeship involves for you as an employer. No obligation at this stage.

2
Candidate Referral

We refer suitable candidates from our applicant pool or support you to advertise the role. We conduct initial eligibility checks before sending candidates to you for interview.

3
Sign the Agreement

Once you select a candidate, we prepare the Apprenticeship Agreement, Commitment Statement and Individual Learning Plan. You sign once; we register with the ESFA.

4
Training Begins

Your Skills Coach visits the salon, completes the initial assessment and starts the programme. You receive a schedule of planned coach visits and a direct contact number for your dedicated coach.

Industry Recognition

Organisations that set the
standards we work to

PLUMS works in alignment with the key industry bodies and regulatory frameworks that govern quality, compliance and professional standards in the UK hair and barbering sector.

Apprenticeship Funding
ESFA — Education & Skills Funding Agency

The government body responsible for funding and regulating apprenticeship training providers. PLUMS is a Main Provider on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) contracted directly with the ESFA.

UKPRN: 10048792 | RoATP Main Provider
Qualification Awarding
City & Guilds

One of the UK's leading awarding organisations for vocational qualifications. City & Guilds Level 2 and Level 3 awards in hairdressing and barbering are widely recognised by employers across the UK and internationally.

Ofqual-regulated | Recognised by HABIA and NHF
Qualification Awarding & EPA
VTCT / NCFE

VTCT (now part of NCFE) is the specialist awarding organisation for the hair, beauty and wellness sectors. VTCT qualifications and End-Point Assessment services are used across both PLUMS hairdressing and barbering programmes.

Ofqual-regulated | Approved EPA Organisation
Industry Standards
HABIA — Hair & Barber Council

HABIA is the government-approved standards setting body for hair, beauty, nails and barbering. All PLUMS apprenticeship standards are developed in alignment with HABIA occupational standards and industry codes of practice.

Standards setting body for the sector
Employer Representation
NHF — National Hair Federation

The NHF (National Hairdressers Federation) is the UK's leading trade association for hair and beauty salons. NHF membership provides salons with employment law support, business guidance and access to the apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.

Trade association for UK salons
Employer Representation
NHBF — National Hair & Beauty Federation

Representing over 5,000 hair and beauty businesses in the UK, the NHBF publishes annual sector data and lobbies government on training, employment and business matters affecting salons and barbershops.

5,000+ member businesses | Annual sector report
Apprenticeship Standards
IfATE — Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education

IfATE develops and approves all apprenticeship standards in England. The ST0045, ST0014 and ST0043 standards delivered by PLUMS were developed by industry trailblazer groups and approved by IfATE.

Approves all Apprenticeship Standards in England
Quality Inspection
Ofsted — Office for Standards in Education

Ofsted inspects further education and skills providers including apprenticeship training providers. PLUMS is registered with Ofsted and subject to the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) for skills providers.

EIF Skills Provider | PLUMS Registration No. confirmed on request
Barbering Representation
The Barber Council

The Barber Council represents the UK barbering profession and works to raise standards through voluntary registration, CPD and advocacy for regulated barbering qualifications. PLUMS barbering programmes align with Barber Council standards.

UK barbering professional body
End-Point Assessment

How End-Point Assessment
works in your salon

EPA is the final assessment of your apprentice's competence and is conducted by an independent, Ofqual-regulated organisation — not by PLUMS. This is a deliberate safeguard to ensure that the grade awarded reflects genuine performance.

For Hair Professional and Barbering programmes, EPA takes place in your salon. The assessor observes two client services simultaneously, conducts a professional discussion and reviews the employer reference you provide. The whole assessment takes approximately two hours.

PLUMS prepares both you and your apprentice thoroughly for the EPA. Your Skills Coach will walk you through the employer reference process and advise you on how to set up the assessment environment in your salon.

VTCT / NCFE
Specialist hair & beauty EPA Organisation — Ofqual regulated
EPA Org
City & Guilds
UK's leading vocational awarding organisation — Ofqual regulated
EPA Org
Hair stylist demonstrating technique
EPA Grade Outcomes
Distinction — exceptional performance across all elements
Merit — above standard performance
Pass — meets all standard requirements
Employer Questions

Common questions from
salon owners

If your annual payroll is under £3 million, you are a non-levy employer. You pay just 5% of the total training cost — a maximum of £250 for a Level 2 programme or £450 for Level 3. The government covers the remaining 95%. The vast majority of hair salons and barbershops in the UK are non-levy employers, meaning apprenticeship training is highly affordable.

Apprentices must spend a minimum of 6 hours per week in off-the-job learning. This does not all have to happen away from the salon — a significant proportion can be conducted in-salon during working hours (model sessions, product training, coach observations, reading and written assignments). Your PLUMS Skills Coach helps you plan and record off-the-job time efficiently so it causes minimal disruption to salon operations.

Your key responsibilities are: employing the apprentice for the full duration and paying their wage; providing a suitable environment for learning; participating in 12-weekly progress reviews; completing a Gateway confirmation when your apprentice is ready; and providing an employer reference for EPA. Beyond this, PLUMS manages all the compliance, reporting and educational delivery.

If an apprentice leaves before completing, you only pay a proportion of the employer contribution reflecting the training received to that point. We also attempt to find the apprentice a new employer placement wherever possible so the qualification is not lost entirely. Planned withdrawals are reported to the ESFA and are handled in line with our Learner Withdrawal Policy, which you can review in our policies section.

Yes. There is no upper limit. We work with partner salons who run one apprentice at a time and with larger employers who run six or more concurrently. Each apprentice has a dedicated Skills Coach, so having multiple learners does not dilute the quality of support. We ask that apprentices are not left unsupervised in the salon at any time and that there is at least one qualified stylist present whenever a learner is working.

Register Your Interest

Ready to take on your
first apprentice?

Talk to a member of our team about your salon's staffing needs. We will explain the process, outline funding and answer any questions — with no obligation.

Call 01582 486 200 Email Us

Or write to us at: [email protected] — we respond within one working day.

Address
PLUMS Limited
Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1
Telephone
01582 486 200
Email
[email protected]
Office Hours
Monday to Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm