 |
|
|
|
Cosmetology Schools Report Growth
By CityTownInfo.com Staff
July 20, 2009
Cosmetology schools are thriving as more workers seek to be trained in a profession that remains in demand during difficult economic times.
The Longview News-Journal in Texas reports that at the Kilgore College Longview Center cosmetology program, enrollment has remained steady. "Even in tough times, they're still making money," said Joyce Magner, director of the program, about cosmetologists. "People may tighten their belts, but they still want to look good."
Diana Russell, who opened a beauty salon in downtown Longview last December, agreed that her business is doing fine. "I really believe that hair is about the last thing to go if people have to cut" expenses, she told the News-Journal. "We may have some people spreading out their appointments a little, but they're still coming in."
Experts note that part of the appeal of cosmetology is that it takes relatively little time to be trained and go into business. Kilgore's cosmetology program takes a year before students take the state licensing examination. For manicurists, the program is a little more than five months, and a part-time program for aestheticians takes about eight months.
"When there are layoffs, people need retraining--and the training is relatively short," explained Jim Cox, president of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, who was quoted in New Jersey's Cherry Hill Courier-Post.
At Rizzieri Aveda School for Beauty and Wellness, 330 students are expected to graduate this year--100 more than in 2008. The school recently doubled its space to 14,500 square feet and moved into a new, modern center that includes a full-service salon and instructional space for hair, nail and skin care.
Kameron Rabenou, owner of Shore Beauty School in Pleasantville, noted that many of their students are career-changers. "People are tired of bouncing around," she said, "and they want skills they can take with [them] throughout their working life."
In a related story, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that barbers are pushing for a New Jersey law which will make it easier for them to be licensed without going through a typical cosmetology training program. The Legislature recently passed the bill and Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to sign the measure. The new law would create a separate license for barbers, with the exact requirements to be set once the bill is signed.
"If you want to be a barber, you don't need to go take hours and hours of courses on dyeing and perms," explained Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, who is backing the bill. He noted that the state's requirements ultimately create a barrier for people looking to enter the profession.
"We need to find ways to build more jobs, not make it harder," he said.
Subscribe to this news feed, and read the articles in your own news reader or home page
 |
 |
||||
|
|||||
 |
 |
|
|
||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
|
Copyright © 2004-2010, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
