How to Pick a Barber College near Edwardsville Illinois
Now that you have decided to attend a barber school near Edwardsville IL, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Edwardsville home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive through 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 word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a barber and a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Edwardsville IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
• Hairstylists
• Beauticians
• Barbers
• Manicurists
• Nail Technicians
• Makeup Artists
• Hair Coloring Specialists
• Estheticians
• Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance barbers or hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Barber Schools Online
Online barber colleges are convenient for students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online barbering programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional barber schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your Edwardsville IL home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby Edwardsville IL shops or salons so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online barber program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Barbering Colleges
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Edwardsville IL residence, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. 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 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in Edwardsville IL for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Edwardsville IL barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Illinois 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? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad 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 broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 aspiration is to start a barber shop in Edwardsville IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a Edwardsville IL barber school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore search 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 crucial that she or he receives aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with area businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which Edwardsville IL area shops and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be available in Edwardsville IL.
Considering Barber School near Edwardsville IL?
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County[3] and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois Territory.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Edwardsville Arts Center, the Edwardsville Journal, the Madison County Record, and the Edwardsville Intelligencer are located here. Edwardsville High School and Metro-East Lutheran High School serve students in the area.
Edwardsville is a part of Southern Illinois, the Metro East region, and Greater St. Louis. It is part of the Edwardsville School District, which also includes the villages of Glen Carbon, Hamel, and Moro, as well as the townships areas around them.
Edwardsville was originally incorporated in 1818, making it the third oldest city in Illinois. It marked the first movement of European-American settlers up onto the Illinois tallgrass prairie and out of the American Bottom below the river bluffs. The first European-American settler was Thomas Kirkpatrick, who came in 1805, laid out a community, and served as the Justice of the Peace. He named the community after his friend Ninian Edwards,[5] then territorial governor of Illinois. (Illinois did not become a state until 1818.) The Edwards Trace, a key trail in the settlement of Central Illinois, used Edwardsville as a northward launching point.[6]
Choose the Right Barber Training Program near Edwardsville IL
Locating and enrolling in the right barber training program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident 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 employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down 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 ready to begin your career as a professional barber in Edwardsville IL.
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