How to Find the Right Barber College Near Bethel Park Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to attend a barber school near Bethel Park PA, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It's important that the school you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We'll speak a bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Bethel Park residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing potential barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are considering later within 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?
A barber is a professional who cuts, trims, and styles hair for primarily male clients, though many women with shorter hairstyles opt to go to these professionals too. Most barbers also provide facial hair maintenance, custom shaves and other men's grooming services. The goal of a barber is to make each client feel comfortable and at ease while their hair is being cut or styled. The barber also seeks to ensure that the client is happy with his or her hairstyle, length and color or his new facial hair style. They usually use tools such as scissors, clippers, razors, and combs Barbers may also provide other services such as applying lotions, shampooing, styling, coloring hair, and singeing. In addition, a barber may perform massage services for the scalp, neck, and face. Finally, barbers will typically bill the client, accept payment and tips and finalize the sale. They may also sell the client products such as shampoo, lotions, or tonics that will meet their styling, grooming and maintenance needs between appointments. They will clean their work area and tools according to the state's safety and sanitation requirements after each appointment.
What to Ask Barber Colleges
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Bethel Park PA home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber school 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in Bethel Park PA for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every barber college that you are seriously considering 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 employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Bethel Park PA 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 propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology 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 often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a barber shop in Bethel Park PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering barbering techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a Bethel Park PA barber college provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that he or she gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with area employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Bethel Park PA area shops and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be offered in Bethel Park PA.
How to Train in Barbering in Bethel Park
Choose in the Right Bethel Park Barber College
Picking and enrolling in the right barber school is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, 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 test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional barber in Bethel Park Pennsylvania.