How to Choose a Barber College near Helena Arkansas
Now that you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Helena AR, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Helena home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example 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 discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a barber and a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Helena AR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
• Hairstylists
• Beauticians
• Barbers
• Manicurists
• Nail Technicians
• Makeup Artists
• Hair Coloring Specialists
• Estheticians
• Electrolysis Technicians
As previously mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as barbers or hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Online Barber Schools
Online barber schools are accommodating for students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online barbering programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional barber schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief 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 amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your Helena AR home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in local Helena AR 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 obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online barber program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Barber Colleges
Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Helena AR home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn 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 even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the barber training program you select 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 comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in Helena AR for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Helena AR barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, 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, check with the Arkansas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a barber shop in Helena AR, then you want 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 need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering barbering techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a Helena AR barber college furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber school, it’s important that he or she gets help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with area businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Helena AR 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 extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial help may be offered in Helena AR.
Considering Barber School near Helena AR?
Helena–West Helena, Arkansas
Helena–West Helena is the county seat of and the largest city within Phillips County, Arkansas, United States.[3] The current city was consolidated, effective January 1, 2006, from the two Arkansas cities of Helena and West Helena. Helena is sited on lowlands between the Mississippi River and the eastern side of Crowley's Ridge. West Helena is located on the western side of Crowley's Ridge, a geographic anomaly in the typically flat Arkansas Delta. The Helena Bridge, one of Arkansas' four Mississippi River bridges, carries U.S. Route 49 across to Mississippi. The combined population of the two cities was 15,012 at the 2000 census and at the 2010 census, the official population was 12,282.[4]
The municipality traces its historical roots to the founding of the port town of Helena on the Mississippi River by European Americans in 1833. As the county seat, Helena was the center of a prosperous cotton plantation region in the antebellum years. Helena was occupied by the Union Army early in the American Civil War. The city was the site of the Battle of Helena fought in 1863. Confederate forces unsuccessfully tried to expel Union forces from Helena in order to help relieve pressure on the strategic river town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Later in the year, Helena served as the launching point for the Union Army in the capture of Little Rock, the state capital.
A thriving blues community developed here in the 1940s and 1950s as rural musicians relocated for city jobs. Mechanization had reduced the need for farm workers. The city continued to grow until the closing of the Mohawk Rubber Company, a subsidiary of Yokohama Rubber Company, in the 1970s. Unemployment surged shortly after.[5]
Among the attractions in Helena–West Helena are the Delta Cultural Center, the Pillow-Thompson House (owned and operated by the Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas), and the Helena Confederate Cemetery, which holds the remains of seven Confederate Army generals.[6] The city holds an annual King Biscuit Blues Festival each October. It has been held under this name since 2010, when it was renamed at a 25th-anniversary performance by musician B.B. King.
Select the Right Barber College near Helena AR
Finding and enrolling in the ideal barber college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain 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 use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Helena AR.
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