How to Choose the Best Barber Classes Near Parker Colorado
Since you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Parker CO, the task begins to find and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction 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 kind of school. We'll speak a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Parker residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at later within 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.
Questions to Ask Barbering Schools
Below is a series 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 Parker CO residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in Parker 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, many 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 Good Reputation? Any barber school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Parker CO barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to start a barber shop in Parker CO, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining barbering skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a Parker CO barber college furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with local employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which Parker CO area shops and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be offered in Parker CO.
How to Train in Barbering in Parker
Enroll in the Best Parker Barber College
Locating and enrolling in the ideal barber school is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure 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 data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional barber in Parker Colorado.