How to Select the Best Barbering College Near Monroeville Pennsylvania
Once you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Monroeville PA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best school. It's important that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We'll speak a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Monroeville home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing potential barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the best option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are considering 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 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.
What to Ask Barbering Colleges
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any barber college you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Monroeville PA home, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in Monroeville PA for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively 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 field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify 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 relationships with Monroeville PA barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Pennsylvania 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 Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick 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 Monroeville 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 Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a Monroeville PA barber college furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's crucial that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with local employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which Monroeville PA area shops and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive 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. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be offered in Monroeville PA.
How to Become a Barber in Monroeville
Choose in the Right Monroeville Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber school is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Monroeville Pennsylvania.