How to Choose the Right Barbering Training Program Near Owensboro Kentucky
Now that you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Owensboro KY, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a bit more regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Owensboro residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing possible barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little 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 Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any barber college you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Owensboro KY home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in Owensboro KY for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Owensboro KY barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Kentucky school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 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 desire is to start a barber shop in Owensboro KY, 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 poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and refining barbering skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Owensboro KY barber school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that he or she receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with local businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Owensboro KY area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask 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 Aid Offered? Many 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 office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered in Owensboro KY.
How to Train in Barbering in Owensboro
Enroll in the Right Owensboro Barber College
Picking and enrolling in the right barber school is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional barber in Owensboro Kentucky.