How to Select the Best Barbering Training Near New Berlin Wisconsin
Since you have decided to enroll in a barber school near New Berlin WI, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a bit more concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your New Berlin home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing prospective barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk 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.
Questions to Ask Barbering Colleges
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any barber school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your New Berlin WI home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber training program you choose 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in New Berlin WI for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New Berlin WI barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Wisconsin school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden 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 desire is to launch a barber shop in New Berlin WI, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
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 included in the barber classes you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a New Berlin WI barber school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that she or he gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with local employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which New Berlin WI 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 wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with 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 offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial help may be provided in New Berlin WI.
How to Choose a Barber College in New Berlin
Choose in the Right New Berlin Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive 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 process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional barber in New Berlin Wisconsin.