Find Top Barber Schools near Owatonna MN 55060

How to Choose a Barber College near Owatonna Minnesota

Owatonna MN barber blow drying hair Once you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Owatonna MN, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more concerning that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Owatonna home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when reviewing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

Owatonna MN barber razor cutting hair Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances 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 undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Owatonna MN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

• Hairstylists
• Beauticians
• Barbers
• Manicurists
• Nail Technicians
• Makeup Artists
• Hair Coloring Specialists
• Estheticians
• Electrolysis Technicians

As previously stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as barbers or hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Online Barber Schools

Online barber colleges are advantageous for students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based barbering programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional barber programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your Owatonna MN home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in local Owatonna MN shops or salons in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online barber program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Barbering Colleges

Owatonna MN barber trimming beard Below is a list of questions that you should research for any barber college you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Owatonna MN home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the barber training program 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 comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in Owatonna MN for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Owatonna MN barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, consult the Minnesota school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a barber shop in Owatonna MN, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Owatonna MN barber college provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber school, it’s essential that she or he gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with area businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Owatonna MN area shops and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, 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 Offered? Almost all barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 expense, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided in Owatonna MN.

Considering Barber School near Owatonna MN?

Owatonna, Minnesota

Owatonna (/ˌoʊwəˈtɒnə/) is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census.[5] It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August.

Owatonna was first settled in 1853 around the Straight River. The community was named after the Straight River,[6] which in the Dakota language is Wakpá Owóthaŋna. A popular, but apocryphal, story is that the town is named after "Princess Owatonna," the daughter of a local Indian chief who was supposedly healed by the magic waters of a nearby spring.[7] The earliest the Owatonna area was settled was in 1854 and platted in September 1855, but it was incorporated as a town August 9, 1858, then as a city on February 23, 1865.[6]

In 1856, Josef Karel Kaplan emigrated from a village southeast of Prague Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) Dlouhá Třebová, and selected a quarter section (160 acres (65 ha)) of land near the town of Owatonna. Kaplan described Owatonna as having just 50 small homes, but predicted 100 within a year, along with a railroad. With just four stores and a pharmacy, Owatonna quickly prospered and grew to 1500 inhabitants in just 5 years. Kaplan wrote about the Owatonna area in letters donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. In them he described often seeing Indians – people with "tough constitutions...brown skin and good dispositions", explaining: "When you read about battles between whites and Indians, it is the whites who are to blame." In 1866, Kaplan helped organize the Catholic Cemetery, and a year later, the National Bohemian Cemetery of Owatonna[8]

Kaplan's Woods is part of the land originally owned by Josef Kaplan, and later Victor and Anna Kaplan. The State of Minnesota created Kaplan's Wood State Park, which was later transferred to the City of Owatonna.[9] The Kaplan's Woods Parkway contains over 6 miles (10 km) of hiking and cross country skiing trails, and nearly 2 miles (3 km) of hard—surfaced, handicapped—accessible trail. The parkway includes Lake Kohlmier, a 35-acre (14 ha) lake. Maps of the parkway are available at the Park and Recreation office.[10]

The location could not be found.

Select the Right Barber College near Owatonna MN

Choosing and enrolling in the right barber college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional barber in Owatonna MN.