During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Skill Training and Education or Vocational Education and Training had a major international resurgence. In this time, standards based on industry input were the basis of the training and qualifications for skilled trades.
Qualified and skilled trades people were demanding that their skills be recognised wherever they went. Industry and government were eager to see legitimate reciprocal recognition and many countries and organizations had established standards setting bodies. Skills were mapped against national and international qualification frameworks. These qualification frameworks and industry endorsed standards became the benchmarks on which international recognition was based.
In 2006 representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa commenced a series of discussions about the possibilities of creating a process for international recognition for the Hair and Beauty industries.
After many months, an agreement was reached and the IPSN (International Professional Standards Network) was created.
The following principles were the basis of the formation of the IPSN.
- Each participating country would have a vote on major decisions
- The development of IPSN standards based on a detailed mapping of each country’s standards would be used to describe and set the international standard
- Each member country would pay an annual membership fee
- Each country would have a primary representative and a technical delegate for industry sectors
- Each country would undertake to manage some of the IPSN administrative duties to reduce costs of administration
In 2022, the headquarter is moved to Japan. The greatest attraction of IPSN is the mapping process that has been developed over many years. In addition to it, while continuing to contribute to the international qualifications within the industry, knowledge sharing and technological development among member countries, we are heading for a new direction as a new system.
the ipsn 