How to Find the Best Barbering Classes Near Lafayette Colorado

Now that you have decided to attend a barber school near Lafayette CO, the process begins to find and enroll in the best school. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We'll speak a little bit more about that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lafayette residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.

Why Become a Barber?

Barbershops have always been a place for men to get their hair cut, socialize, and gab about everything from sports to stock tips. Although today some women visit barbershops and some men visit stylists and salons, the barbershop and its iconic red, white, and blue striped pole is still a cornerstone of male culture. If you’ve got an eye for style, a creative flair, and an appreciation for America’s unique barbershop culture, a career as a barber could be your calling. As a barber, you’ll cut, style, shape, and treat men’s hair, and sometimes women’s and children’s hair, too. You’ll give shaves and trim facial hair and sometimes perform neck and scalp massages. Like all specialists in the field of cosmetology, you’ll make a ritual out of maintaining your tools, station, and clients to the highest standards of hygiene and sanitization.

What to Ask Barber Schools

Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any barber school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lafayette CO home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in Lafayette CO for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Lafayette CO barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Colorado school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that focuses on 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 vision is to start a barber shop in Lafayette CO, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting barbering skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber courses you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Lafayette CO barber college offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from a barber college, it's essential that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with area employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which Lafayette CO area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of 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 drop it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered in Lafayette CO.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Lafayette

Enroll in the Best Lafayette Barber School

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal barber college is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional barber in Lafayette Colorado.

Lafayette Barbering Training | Lafayette College Of Barbering