How to Choose a Barber College near Boise Idaho
Now that you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Boise ID, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Boise home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a barber and a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Boise ID beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:
• Hairstylists
• Beauticians
• Barbers
• Manicurists
• Nail Technicians
• Makeup Artists
• Hair Coloring Specialists
• Estheticians
• Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example barbers or hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Online Barber Schools
Online barber schools are advantageous for students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online barbering programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional barber schools are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your Boise ID home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local Boise ID shops or salons to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online barber program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Barbering Colleges
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Boise ID residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have compiled several of those additional 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 school 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in Boise ID for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Boise ID barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Idaho school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a barber shop in Boise ID, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Boise ID barber school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it’s imperative that he or she gets help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with area employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Boise ID area shops and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be provided in Boise ID.
Considering Barber School near Boise ID?
Boise, Idaho
Boise (/ˈbɔɪsi/ ( listen)[4]) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, and is the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, the population of Boise at the 2010 Census was 205,671, the 99th largest in the United States. Its estimated population in 2016 was 223,154.[5]
The Boise-Nampa metropolitan area, also known as the Treasure Valley, includes five counties with a combined population of 664,422, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho. It contains the state's three largest cities; Boise, Nampa, and Meridian. Boise is the 80th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States.
Accounts differ regarding the origin of the name. One account credits Capt. B.L.E. Bonneville of the U.S. Army as its source. After trekking for weeks through dry and rough terrain, his exploration party reached an overlook with a view of the Boise River Valley. The place where they stood is called Bonneville Point, located on the Oregon Trail east of the city. According to the story, a French-speaking guide, overwhelmed by the sight of the verdant river, yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The woods! The woods!")—and the name stuck.
The name may instead derive from earlier mountain men, who named the river that flows through it. In the 1820s, French Canadian fur trappers set trap lines in the vicinity. Set in a high-desert area, the tree-lined valley of the Boise River became a distinct landmark, an oasis dominated by cottonwood trees. They called this "La rivière boisée", which means "the wooded river."[6]
Find the Right Barber School near Boise ID
Choosing and enrolling in the right barber college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information 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 profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied 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 examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional barber in Boise ID.
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