New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) (Level 3)

The Nelson Head Zone hairdressing salon aims to mirror the atmosphere of a commercial salon to prepare our students for entering the hairdressing industry.

Successful graduates of the programme will be ready to progress to the New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Emerging Stylist)(external link) or enter the industry as a junior apprentice having completed a proportion of the unit standards required to gain the National Certificate in Hairdressing Practice (Level 4).

NMIT is also involved in apprenticeship training.

Every year, we take the top 10 students from across the programmes to join us in Wellington at the World of WearableArt Awards Show.

Students get the chance to work at the event and experience the breadth of work that is available to skilled stylists.

There are plenty of opportunities to allow your creativity to shine throughout the programme through competitions and events.

Academic requirement

Applicants under 20 years must have a minimum of:

• At least 8 credits NCEA Level 1 showing basic literacy or equivalent
• At least 8 credits NCEA Level 1 showing basic numeracy or equivalent

Mature Students (20 years or older), no formal qualifications needed.

English language requirements

All applicants must have a level of English sufficient to be able to study at this level. Those students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate an IELTS Academic Score of 5.0 with no band score lower than 5.0 OR equivalent.

Other requirements

Likelihood of success on the programme demonstrated through interview. Physical fitness to withstand the demands of the hairdressing industry.

Special entry

In exceptional circumstances, an applicant who does not meet the full entry requirements may be granted admission to the Programme on the approval of the Academic Committee if the Committee is confident of the applicant’s ability to successfully undertake the Programme with a reasonable likelihood of success.

You will need a kit of equipment that is put together for you by Te Pūkenga NMIT, at your cost. This includes your uniforms, name badge, equipment and textbooks. The approximate cost for this kit is $1000 so be prepared and budget accordingly.

Costs for larger items

These costs are approximate and subject to change

• Name badge $18.22
• Hair product $18.98
• Uniform x2 $232.00
• Kitbag $753.28 

Required stationery items

• USB stick
• Folder
• Dividers
• Refill
• Notebook
• Fine tip whiteboard marker
• Pencil
• Rubber
• Coloured pencils/felts
• Highlighters

• Plastic sleeves (optional)
• Glue stick
• Pencil case
• Extra printing money

Make sure you have purchased all your equipment for the first day of your course as we will be diving straight in. For exact costs and advice, please talk to your programme coordinator who can help. 

The programme includes one late night and a Saturday a week so that you are used to industry hours and includes 50 hours work experience.

Classes are usually around school hours starting at 8.30 am or 9 am and finishing around 2.30 pm or 3pm. At least one day a week will be a 4pm finish and one day will be a late night.

During your interview as part of the application process, you will get more detail about the timetable for the intake you are looking to study on and you will receive a full timetable before you begin your studies.