Source: New Zealand Hair and Beauty Industry Training Organisation (HITO)
Throughout September and October, HITO celebrated it’s return to industry ownership with stakeholders at events across New Zealand. Over drinks and nibbles, hairdressers, barbers, and beauty therapists connected with industry professionals, local schools, and HITO representatives to mark a new chapter of industry training for the hairdressing, barbering, and beauty industries.
“It has been wonderful to celebrate this milestone with our supporters across the country, says Kay Nelson, HITO Chief Executive. “We are delighted to bring industries together and are looking forward to continuing to support them as an industry owned Private Training Establishment.”
A welcome change for industry-led training
For businesses across the country, HITO’s move to industry ownership has been welcomed with open arms.
“Having ownership in the industry is a great change for young apprentices navigating their careers,” says Thao Nguyen, Salon Business Manager at Badaro Hair Salon, Wellington. “It’s a great way to keep the industry looking fresh, with new ideas, and keeping it real for the new generation that’s coming through.”
“HITO’s vision is still the same, 100% Qualified,” says Ali Al Mansori, Owner of One Eighty Barbershop in Upper Hutt. “The decisions are being made by the industry, which I’m happy about.”
“It’s a really positive move,” says Rachel Ryan, Clinic Manager and Senior Therapist at Skintopia Khandallah. “It’s being run by people who are actually in the industry, as opposed to a big organisation that doesn’t know a lot about what we do and who we are.”
Supporting industry for over 30 years
HITO’s history of supporting industry training for hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy spans over 30 years, with over 9,600 professionals gaining a HITO qualification over this time.
“HITO is, first and foremost, for industry and by industry,” says Ms. Nelson. “We are fully dependent on our employers and trainers, who play a huge role in training apprentices and investing in the future of the industry.”
Through apprenticeships and on-job training, HITO supports industry professionals to become qualified through their Level 4 programmes that have been designed in collaboration with industry, which ensures the skills learnt meet industry standards and fit industry needs.
“It is well known that industry-led training results in a highly skilled and experienced workforce,” she says. “With over 6,000 small businesses and 13,000 people working in hairdressing, barbering, and beauty therapy in New Zealand, HITO’s goal is to lift the standard of training and ensure a strong future for our industries.”
HITO transition
On 1 July 2026, HITO transitioned operations to the Hair Industries Support Opportunities (HISO), an independent charitable trust representing the hairdressing, barbering and beauty industries in New Zealand. HITO is now operating as an industry-owned Private Training Establishment and is continuing to offer work-based apprenticeship training in hairdressing, barbering, and beauty therapy.
“This transition means HITO can remain industry focused, with our stakeholders, including our current employers and their apprentices, as our priority,” says Ms. Nelson. “We are pleased to have a permanent home for HITO with HISO, creating certainty for apprenticeships and training in our industries.”
As part of the vocational education and training reforms, HITO transitioned from Te Pūkenga to the Services Industry Skills Board in January 2026, with a legislative requirement to transition from the Services Industry Skills Board before the end of 2027.