Cert IV Beauty Therapy

You must complete 23 units in total: 18 core units and 5 elective units. The electives break down into 1 unit from Group A (Infection control), at least 2 units from Group B (General elective units), and up to 2 units chosen from the listed electives, elsewhere in the SHB Training Package, or any other current Training Package or accredited course.

No. The National Training Register states there are no entry requirements for SHB40121. However, some individual units are marked as including one or more prerequisite units of competency, so check each unit's details before enrolling in it, because a prerequisite may need to be completed first.

Group A offers two options: HLTINF005 Maintain infection prevention for skin penetration treatments, or SHBBINF002 Maintain infection control standards. You need 1 unit from this group. Choose based on the treatments you intend to perform and the job outcome you are targeting, since the packaging rules require elective selection to be guided by the job outcome, local industry requirements and AQF-level complexity.

The core units cover cosmetic tanning, body massage, lash and brow services, facial treatments and skin care recommendations, waxing, make-up, manicure and pedicare, electric file equipment for nail services, skin and body structure knowledge, nutrition promotion, salon financial transactions, salon client services, organisational requirements, safe hygiene and work practices, ethical social media use and retail selling.

Start with the knowledge and safety foundations, such as skin and body structures, safe hygiene and work practices, and organisational requirements, because they underpin practical treatments. Then progress through the technical core units, checking prerequisites as you go. Add the Group A infection control unit before skin penetration or advanced treatments, and finish with the elective units that match your intended job outcome.

Common issues include underestimating prerequisite units, choosing electives that do not match the intended job outcome, and neglecting the non-treatment core units such as salon financial transactions, retail selling and ethical social media use. Candidates also underestimate the independent-judgment requirement: the role involves solving non-routine problems and taking responsibility for their own outputs, not just following set procedures.

No. The register states that no occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication. You must still apply your skills in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice, and check any local requirements that may apply to specific treatments.

Use the Find RTOs section of the National Training Register entry for SHB40121, which lists approved providers with their RTO status, extent of scope, scope start and end dates, and delivery notification by state, territory or international. Confirm the provider's scope is current and covers deliver and assess before enrolling.

Yes. SHB40121 is listed as current, first released 16 December 2021, and the register shows Release 1 as the current release. It supersedes SHB40115 and is not equivalent to it, because the packaging rules, core units and elective units changed. Always confirm the release shown on the register before you enrol or plan your units.