Barbering Colleges
How to Pick the Right One Near Millbury Massachusetts
Now that you have decided to begin your career in barbering, you must find the best barber college near Millbury MA to get your training. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. You may be a little confused when starting your search for barbering programs as to the difference between beauty and cosmetology schools, since both offer barber training. Since the names are for all practical purposes interchangeable and relate to the same type of school, you shouldn’t be. You will want to find a campus that is within reasonable driving distance of your home unless you can relocate for training. Another consideration when evaluating prospective barber schools is the price of tuition. However, a school is not always the best option just because it happens to have a campus near your home or is lower in cost. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about barbering as a career.
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Why Become a Barber?
Hairstyles are increasingly being considered by people to be a projection of their personalities. As a result, barbers are still very much in demand. However, most people are looking for trained professionals and will not just drop in on any Millbury MA barber shop displaying a red, white and blue pole. Training to become a barber is a career move that offers many benefits for those that are both artistic and sociable. The artistic side is indulged by creating a plethora of different and sometimes challenging hairstyles. The social aspect obviously comes into play by keeping the customer engaged while creating your masterpiece. In fact, some barbers are so proud of their artistic accomplishments that they will take photos of their finished hairstyles and post them on their websites as a portfolio to attract new clients. And barbering lends itself to a more intimate form of customer service by providing time with the client while cutting his (or her) hair. This time spent together can lead to the development of a rapport or even a new friendship. As a result, many customers come back not only because they are pleased with the service, but also to enjoy the social amenities that their neighborhood barbershop can offer.
What to Ask Barbering Colleges
Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Millbury MA residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Millbury MA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Millbury MA 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 may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important 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 dream is to start a barber shop in Millbury MA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a Millbury MA barber school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with area businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Millbury MA area shops and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be provided in Millbury MA.
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Choose the Right Millbury Barber College
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional barber in Millbury Massachusetts.