VTCT Level 2 Certificate in Barbering at Elstree
A short 20 day VTCT certificated barbering course for students on our 2 Year BTEC Diploma, taught on Fridays alongside the two year training.
Starts 9th Oct 2026
Add a Barbering Qualification to Your Two Year Course
This VTCT certificated barbering qualification runs on Fridays across 20 sessions, alongside our 2 Year BTEC Diploma, which runs Monday to Thursday.
Fee: £3,950 inclusive of VAT
Deposit: £500
Payment plans available to suit your circumstances.
VTCT exam fee: £108*
*Subject to change
The VTCT Level 2 Certificate in Barbering is the perfect short course to help you on your way to a successful career in the TV, theatre, and film industry. The skills you gain will enable you to maintain continuity haircuts for male actors throughout the duration of a production, whether working on the main team or in the crowd room, contemporary productions, or period dramas. The course will give you the confidence to carry out everything from a quick trim and tidy-up to a complete restyle. It can be completed either after finishing the 2-year BTEC course or alongside your training at Brushstroke.
This barbering course is also ideal for our 7 Month ITEC students. For those who have not attended one of our courses before, you can still enrol, though it helps to have some basic hairdressing skills before you start.
Students on our 2 Year Make-Up and Hair course can now gain a VTCT Level 2 Certificate in Barbering on Fridays, running alongside the main course. The qualification comprises 20 sessions, taught on Fridays during term, with a few extra days added during half term. Our graduates have even worked on the stage production of Sweeney Todd, the most famous barber in theatre, which feels rather fitting for a course like this.
We already offer the VTCT qualification on our full time 32 week women’s and men’s barbering course and we now also offer the same qualification on our advanced training programme.
Qualification Units
The certificate is built from four VTCT units:
- UV20483 Follow health and safety practice in the salon
- UV20386 Client consultation for hair services
- UHB340 Cut hair using barbering techniques
- UV20505 Cut facial hair
Assessment and Models
To complete the course at assessment level, students will need to achieve 4 exams and 4 assignments, along with:
- 8 different gents assessment cuts
- 4 different gents facial hair cuts
Students train first on blocks and then on training models, so a minimum of 16 gents is needed. A model can be trained on and brought back a few weeks later for the assessment, so it can be achieved with 8 gents.
Students will also need to buy a kit: 2 head blocks, clippers and scissors.
Course Dates
This course consists of 14 Fridays during termtime, with a further 6 sessions taking place on selected days during the half term holidays to comprise the full 20 days training.
| Session | Date |
|---|---|
| 1 | 9th Oct 2026 |
| 2 | 23rd Oct 2026 |
| 3 | 13th Nov 2026 |
| 4 | 8th Jan 2027 |
| 5 | 22nd Jan 2027 |
| 6 | 5th Feb 2027 |
| 7 | 26th Feb 2027 |
| 8 | 12th Mar 2027 |
| 9 | 16th Apr 2027 |
| 10 | 30th Apr 2027 |
| 11 | 14th May 2027 |
| 12 | 28th May 2027 |
| 13 | 18th Jun 2027 |
| 14 | 2nd Jul 2027 |
Course Checklist
Qualification: VTCT Level 2 Certificate in Barbering
Duration: 20 sessions
Structure: 14 Fridays during term time + 6 sessions during half term holidays
Times: 9.45am to 3.30pm, with a half hour lunch break.
Locations: Elstree Studios
Kit: Students buy their own kit of 2 head blocks, clippers and scissors
Entry requirement: Open to current Two-Year students who have completed their hair-cutting training
Fee: £3,950 inclusive of VAT
Deposit: £500
Payment plans: Available to suit your circumstances.
Taken alongside: 2 Year Make-Up and Hair (BTEC Level 3 Diploma)