Hands-on (haptic/tactile) art and design, barbering, hairdressing, beauty, fashion, advertising, visual media and communication. Toi ā-Ringa uses a range of tools, materials and technologies to shape creative outputs. Almost three in four people in this sector are women, and hairdressing is the largest of the Toi ā-Ringa occupations.
Kia Ita! is the first workforce development plan (WDP) for Toi ā-Ringa (the art and design sector) created by Toi Mai Workforce Development Council. This plan specifically focuses on the barbering and hairdressing industry and is supported by the results of sector data/analytics and interviews, wānanga and other engagements with barbers and hairdressers from across the motu.
This WDP takes barbering and hairdressing back to its roots in Aotearoa, promoting the need for support for this industry by emphasising the cultural significance of hair within te ao Māori, drawing inspiration from the ancient Māori story of Māui surviving from the topknot of Taranga – “to be tight” (as in a topknot) is a strong theme throughout.
In our engagements and research, Toi Mai found that barbers and hairdressers faced many different but similar challenges. To tackle these challenges, the plan has identified various solutions-focused recommendations and actions. Our hope is that these, if enacted, will bind together the loose strands of dishevelled hair within the industry and unite the hair and barbering communities, just like the heru – a traditional Māori comb used to keep long hair fastened into a topknot – does so effectively, as we work towards a thriving workforce by 2035.
Toi Mai would like to acknowledge and thank those who shared their invaluable feedback on the draft WDP. The final plan (including the final recommendations and actions) is linked to in the resources below.
Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
The research, facilitation, analysis, writing and documentation of this workforce development plan has been completed by the Toi ā-Ringa team at Toi Mai, ably led by Astrid Visser and Daniel Payne.
Also, thanks to Kashmir Kaur for help with writing and editing, Simon Holbrook for his theming guidance and whakaaro, and Anton Matthews for his kia ita metaphor that brought this plan to life.
But mostly, we would like to thank the many industry representatives across the motu who opened their doors from the barbershops, hair salons, Hair and Barber New Zealand, training providers, and industry advocates, whose honest and open feedback enabled us to gain compelling insights so that together we can shape a better future for barbering and hairdressing and the people of Aotearoa.
We would also like to acknowledge the time and contribution of the following people:
Ali Al Subi, Capital Barbers
Nadya Ashley, Mane Salon
Trudy Brown, Te Pūkenga Southern Institute of Technology
Matt Brown, My Fathers Barber
Randy Buckley, Access Long Hair
Patrick Cameron, Access Long Hair
Nicola Chittenden, Just Cuts
CiCi, New Era Barbershop
Deb Clark, Varda
Tyrone Clark, Cutthroat Brothers
Jabez ‘Makawe’ Collins, Makawe Barbershop
Jess Corbett, Premier Institute of Education, Hair & Barber NZ
Erica Cumming, Waihanga Ara Rau
Rachelle Cummings, Te Pūkenga Southern Institute of Technology
Megan Currie, Te Pūkenga Southern Institute of Technology
Trish Dowling, Te Pūkenga Southern Institute of Technology
Danny Edwards, Nexus Barbershop
Ian Filo, UGC – Underground Cutz
Seletar Taputoro Filo, Whanganui District Employment Training Trust
Russell Finlay, Te Pūkenga Southern Institute of Technology
Fitz, twosevenfive Barbershop
Pip Grundy, Zibido Hair
Te Arai Hakopa, Only Fades Barbershop
Lauren Harrison, Kulture
Jeremy Hava, Hava & Co. Barbering
Kylie Hayes, Moha Hairdressing
Carol Hayward, Chonel Hairdressing, Hair & Barber NZ
Cara Healy, Varda
Amelda Henderson, Headhunters
Niq James, Headspace Hair, Dapper Barber, Hair & Barber NZ
Ben Jarvis, Hair & Barber NZ
Simone Jones, Headstart Total Body, Hair & Barber NZ
Marie Keast, Rodney Wayne
Luke Koia, MoTown Barbershop Studio/Te Pūkenga Ara
Jason Lee, Nexus Barbershop
Julian Maloney, Maloneys Barbershop
Zaccari Marsters, Boar & Blade
Lynden Mason, VIVO
Jordan McDowall, Jordy Barber
Boaz Mellor, Barbers on Manners
Wanda Menchi, Te Pūkenga, Hair & Barber NZ
Sam Monaghan, Monaghans Barber
Rachel Mountstevens, Te Pūkenga Ara
Wayne Newman, Cuba St Social
Peleti Oli, twosevenfive Barbershop
Maui Ormsby, Cuba Street Barbers
Michael Petrie, Cuba Street Barbers
Stacey Rangitakatu, Blow
Jess Robinson, Aroha’s Way – She Fades
Mason Robust, Dela Llana Salon
Hohepa Rutene, Boar & Blade
Jeremy Scarle, Coiffed by Jeremy Stuart, Hair & Barber NZ
Michelle Shirkey, Kulture
Janine Simons, Mane Salon
Tame Soatame Taufa, Tame X Barber
Bianca Southey, Mane Salon
Tony Stowers, Groove Kuttz Barbering Academy
Chantal Taylor, Taylor Fadez
Ghanum Taylor, Tommy Guns
Johnnie Timu, Brown Pride
Amanda Tonge, Mane Salon
Devante Waho, Cutthroat Brothers
Donna Waterson, Hair To Train
Amanda Whitaker, Te Pūkenga
Through the second half of 2023, Toi Mai kaimahi conducted an around-the-motu hikoi to gain insights from barbering and hairdressing business owners, employees, learners and industry bodies.
This was a key opportunity to capture what’s top of mind for these industries and how Toi Mai can help ensure that Toi ā-Ringa is future-proofed and supported by a skilled and thriving workforce.
Watch this space as we release a series of videos throughout the month of February 2024, sharing the thoughts of the wider barbering and hairdressing industry of Aotearoa on topics from fair industry practice to the value in qualifications.
As the workforce development council for the barbering and hairdressing sector, Toi Mai is positioned to help the industry to thrive and prepare for its future by being the voice of the collective in the vocational education and training space.
Meet our dedicated team of Toi ā-Ringa experts and begin the journey to creating a skilled and thriving workforce for today and the future of the industry.
Meet Michael Petrie, owner of Cuba Barbers in Wellington, and hear his take on the barbering industry today and what it needs to thrive going forward.
Meet industry newcomer Maui Ormsby, barber at Cuba Barbers in Wellington, and listen as he shares his whakaaro as a recent learner and apprentice barber.
This instalment in the barbering and hairdressing video series has the talented, award-winning hairdresser Mana Dave sharing his rich insights into the industry’s qualifications, its place in the international market and what needs to happen for its future.
The final instalment in our barbering and hairdressing video series features Niq James, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Hair & Barber New Zealand.
Watch the video to hear Niq share Hair & Barber New Zealand’s vision, with vocational education and training playing a key part in ensuring its industries are supported by a skilled, diverse and thriving workforce.
Toi Mai offices are closed from midday on Friday 20 December and will reopen on Monday 6 January 2025.
We will not be checking phone messages or emails during this period, however please feel free to leave a message and we will respond when we return in the New Year.
Meri Kirihimete me ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa!
