Government urges jobseekers to consider careers in “booming” beauty industry
This week marks British Beauty Week (26th – 30th October) which highlights Britain’s thriving and influential beauty brands.
The beauty industry is worth 20 billion to the UK economy
This week marks British Beauty Week (26th – 30th October) which highlights Britain’s thriving and influential beauty brands.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is using the celebration to call on jobseekers to consider one of the range of roles and fields the sector offers as their next career move, with over 4,000 vacancies live on the Government’s Find a Job portal. This includes beautician, merchandiser and lecturer roles, and other fulfilling positions to suit different levels of experience.
The Prime Minister has previously praised the British industry for being the best of British business and with an annual worth £20 billion to the UK economy, the sector is an important part of the Government’s drive to grow the economy.
Diane Whitbread, one of the DWP’s Employer Engagement Advisors, said:
“I encourage jobseekers from all backgrounds to use British Beauty Week to consider a role in beauty as their next move. This booming sector offers a range of exciting roles and skills development along with progression opportunities and a new sense of purpose.
“Our Jobcentre network can provide crucial advice to all jobseekers and my dedicated colleagues, including work coaches stand ready to help people begin rewarding careers within this dynamic industry.”
Jobcentres across Great Britain are available to help claimants secure a beauty-based role and work closely with employers to fill and promote key vacancies, including Elite Hotels, who own three premium hotels in the South of England. The Government works closely with the British Beauty Council to drive excellence across the industry. Since its inception in 2018, the council has acted as the champion of the sector, providing financial support and guidance to hundreds of thousands of workers.
Millie Kendal OBE, the British Beauty Council’s CEO added:
“The British Beauty industry makes a bigger contribution to the UK’s GDP than the creative, arts, and entertainment sector, and the aerospace manufacturing sector, however many people are unaware of the diverse range of opportunities available in the sector.
“In order to highlight the diverse opportunities available in the sector, the Council has launched its ‘Future Talent Programme’, which is designed to uncover unique roles in technology, fragrance, sustainability, and cosmetic science to people aged 11-18 years old. Through engaging short films, the programme is dedicated to ensuring a pipeline of unique talent to a creative, innovative, entrepreneurial sector.”
Jobseekers can also tap into the DWP’s Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). SWAPs provide opportunities to learn new skills and get working experience in relevant industries. Lasting up to six weeks, schemes involve pre-employment training, work experience with an employer in the industry and at the end of the programme, either a job interview or help with the application process. There are several SWAPs linked to beauty with a specific focus on job vacancies in hair, beauty and fitness.
This summer, Jobcentre Plus ran a SWAP with leading firm L’Oréal Paris in North London for Beauty Counter Advisor which included bespoke training from a local college. All candidates were successful in securing a role with the French company.
Additional information
- According to the Value of Beauty report (2023), the industry supports 550,00 total jobs across media, services, STEM roles and more. 81% of those employed are women and 86% of business-owners, providing that beauty opportunities provide a strong basis for social mobility and access to under-represented portions of the population.
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