How to Find the Right Barber Training Program Near Dodge City Kansas
Now that you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Dodge City KS, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right school. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be rather 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 kind of school. We'll speak a bit more regarding that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Dodge City home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when evaluating potential barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are thinking about 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 Choose Barbering?
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 Barber Schools
Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any barber school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Dodge City KS home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber training program you enroll in 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 meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in Dodge City KS for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each barber school 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 endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Dodge City KS barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Kansas school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete 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, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a barber shop in Dodge City KS, then you need 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 need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Dodge City KS barber college furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's crucial that she or he receives aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which Dodge City KS area shops and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided in Dodge City KS.
How to Choose a Barber College in Dodge City
Choose in the Best Dodge City Barber College
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber training program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional barber in Dodge City Kansas.