How to Select the Right Barbering Academy Near Akron Ohio
Once you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Akron OH, the process begins to find and enroll in the right school. It's important that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction 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 speak a bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Akron home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating possible barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.
Why Become a Barber?
The majority of today’s barbers no doubt were inspired to explore this profession because of their own sense of style coupled with fond memories of visiting their local barber shop. For those considering this career, several trips to the barber is most definitely in order. Taking in the atmosphere, the clientele, and the work is one of the best ways to become familiar with how a barber’s day is spent. A barber is a professional who specializes in cutting and styling men’s hair and caring for men’s facial hair, skin, and scalps. Of course they are primarily employed in barbershops, although a number of high-end hotels and spas now employ barbers full-time to serve traveling businessmen. To be successful, individuals should be friendly and outgoing, and they should enjoy meeting new people and spending the better part of their day socializing with the clients they serve. Those interested in barbering should be prepared to spend the majority of the day on their feet and working with their hands. Barbers usually enjoy flexible schedules, relaxed working environments, and a solid income once they establish a regular clientele.
Questions to Ask Barber Training Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Akron OH home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your primary 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber training program you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to 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 obtainable in Akron OH for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Akron OH 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 might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Ohio school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of 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 often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention 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 Akron OH, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in barbering will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber classes you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Akron OH barber school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it's essential that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with area businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which Akron OH 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? Almost all barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided in Akron OH.
How to Train to Be a Barber in Akron
Choose in the Right Akron Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the right barber college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional barber in Akron Ohio.