HITO and NZARH
The HITO and NZARH have a history of working together which extends over 15 years. For those relatively new to the industry, both organisations may appear to be entirely separate. In this issue I though that it would be beneficial to remind the industry of the close working and functional relationships that bind the two organisations together to work to continue to bring professionalism, excellent employment and effective training practices to the hairdressing industry.
A prime example of the close working relationship has been our joint commitment to look at the future needs of industry. On Monday 25 May 2009, the NZARH and HITO co-hosted a Future Directions meeting which brought together industry representatives to discuss future developments that will impact on the hairdressing and barbering industries.
The meeting was well attended and focused on 6 general topics:
1. Information technology in the salon and the benefits it can bring
2. Code of Practice relating to professionalism, national register and legislation
3. Building lasting and profitable relationships with product companies and
customers (after service care and market segmentation)
4. Salon Wellness including reducing salon carbon footprint, wastage and improving
business models
5. Patch testing and legal responsibilities of salons and stylists
6. Economic impact of the recession on industry and how to manage it
The outcomes from these discussions do not stop here. Both the NZARH and HITO have listened closely to what industry has suggested and we will be engaging on several projects to bring real change and useful information to industry.
Employer Professional Development (EPD)
You may have heard that HITO is bringing Employer Professional Development (EPD) seminars to towns and cities across New Zealand, helping employers and trainers bring new skills, knowledge and information back into the salon environment.
Feedback from the 8 sessions which have been run so far has been overwhelmingly positive with attendees particularly interested in the legislative requirements of being an employer.
HITO will be running a further 15 sessions around the country. You can find out more and book your place here.
October 31 and November 1: Keep your Diary Free
HITO is constantly committed to raising the profile of industry training and recognising those who demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic contribution to industry training.
We therefore proud to announce that we will be holding the 2009 HITO Annual Awards in Wellington on Saturday 31 October 2009.
At the awards we will be recognising the recipients of:
- The HITO Apprentice of the Year Award 2009
- The 2009 Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship
- The HITO Training Salon of the Year Award 2009
- The HITO Tutor of the Year Award 2009
The HITO Training Salon of the Year Award and the HITO Tutor of the Year Award are new awards for 2009 and will recognise the hard work and commitment over 2009 for these groups of people not normally recognised for their contributions.
Nominations for all categories will be open soon and you will be able to find details and application forms from the HITO website shortly at www.hito.org.nz.
On Sunday 1 November, HITO will also be holding further Worldskills and training workshops in Wellington.
Mark these dates in your calendar and book your tickets to Wellington for the weekend. We will be in touch soon to bring you more details.
HITO and the Beauty Industry
As you may be aware, HITO is currently undertaking a series of forums around the country. We are meeting beauty therapists and their employers to gain more information about the Beauty industry and their current and future needs.
HITO has already gained NZQA approval to manage the beauty qualifications in New Zealand, so these consultation meetings are the first step in incorporating the Beauty industry into the HITO family of qualifications.