SHB20216 is the nationally recognised Certificate II in Salon Assistant. It prepares you for work as a hair or beauty salon assistant. It has been the current version on the national register since 2016, when it replaced SIH20111. 5,920 people enrolled in 2024, up 19% on the year before.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035, national enrolments are rising and the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
None of the occupations this qualification leads to is rated as in shortage on the official list. In the 2025 Occupation Shortage List assessment, Civil Celebrant, Body Artist, First Aid Trainer, Religious Assistant and Personal Service Workers nec are rated not in shortage.
Employment in these occupations is projected to grow. Government projections put them at 21,000 workers in May 2025, 22,100 by May 2030 (up 4.9%) and 23,500 by May 2035 (up 11.5%).
Outcomes for this qualification run below what is typical for a Certificate II. In the latest national outcomes survey (2025), 78.2% were employed or in further study after training, against a Certificate II median of 77.6% across 63 qualifications. Median income after training was $28,900, compared with $41,400 typical at this level. 91.5% were satisfied with the training, against 91.4% typical.
Enrolments in this qualification are growing. National enrolments rose from 4,975 in 2023, to 5,920 in 2024 (up 19%).
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
State funding for SHB20216 is being verified against official program lists.
Eligibility and student contributions vary by program and provider. The official state listing is the source of truth. In a subsidised place the government pays most of the tuition and you pay a co-contribution set by the program and provider.
No Get Course partner currently lists this qualification. Check the national register for organisations approved to deliver it, and remember that approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. You can browse live courses from our partners and enquire today.
Browse coursesGet Course maps SHB20216 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 4518) so the mapping can be checked. Job advertisement counts come from the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index and count online ads, not vacancies filled. Enrolment counts come from NCVER Total VET Activity and count people in training, not completions. Outcome benchmarks marked “typical” are medians computed by Get Course across all qualifications at the same level in the same NCVER collection; they are derived figures, not official NCVER benchmarks. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; NCVER Total VET Activity 2024 collection; NCVER Student Outcomes survey 2025 survey; register training.gov.au, synced 26 August 2026; Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; register synced 29 Aug 2026. Page last updated 30 Aug 2026.