How to Choose the Best Barbering School Near Pine Bluff Arkansas

Once you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Pine Bluff AR, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We'll speak a bit more about that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Pine Bluff home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.

Why Become a Barber?

Barbering is an art form, according to many, so it’s no surprise that individuals interested in becoming a barber must become authorities before they can command a barber’s chair. And one of the best and most effective ways to do so is through a comprehensive educational program. Since the early 1880s, barbering has been a tradition among men. Visiting the barber shop was often a weekly occasion, where a shave and a cut, and a little socialization among friends, were as popular as a trip to the local saloon. The barber experience still lives on, and many say it is even making a comeback as men realize the value of a great cut and a close shave. Today’s barbers must be able to deliver the highest quality services to their clients, services that cannot be found at a local mall hair salon or a unisex discount salon. Therefore, a solid education, complete with plenty of hands-on training, is a must. It is also a must for licensure, a requirement in every state. Although some states do recognize an apprenticeship as a route to licensure, all states recognize an accredited program.

What to Ask Barber Training Programs

Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Pine Bluff AR residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in Pine Bluff AR for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Pine Bluff AR barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Arkansas school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a barber shop in Pine Bluff AR, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a Pine Bluff AR barber college furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's crucial that she or he gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with local businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Pine Bluff AR area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available in Pine Bluff AR.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Pine Bluff

Choose in the Right Pine Bluff Barber School

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal barber training program is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional barber in Pine Bluff Arkansas.

Pine Bluff Barbering Courses | Pine Bluff Barbering Colleges