BRADFORD—Students studying cosmetology at River Bend Career & Technical Center used to complete 750 hours learning such skills as hair color, makeup application and nail techniques by the time they graduated from the program. But they still had another 250 hours of mandated training before they could meet the state requirements for working in cosmetology, and they had to pay for that additional schooling themselves.
New changes in state guidelines around cosmetology licensing allow technical schools like River Bend, which offer career training in a variety of fields, to provide the full 1,000 hours required by state law for students to go work in the field. Graduates will no longer have to pay thousands of dollars for secondary education. They will develop the skills to start their own beauty businesses, but still need to pass practical and written exams to get their certification and operate within the state.
The change could not come at a better time, when local salons and other beauty businesses are struggling to hire enough employees to meet demand, according to Lorraine Kennedy, the cosmetology instructor at River Bend.
“Right now, there’s a need,” she said. “Established stylists aren’t taking on new clientele.”
A stream of technical school graduates ready to do the work will help ease the pressure, allowing stylists and salons to grow their businesses, Kennedy said.
A worker shortage across many business sectors is a key concern of economic development officials and state leaders. Amid low unemployment, “help wanted” signs proliferate in shop and office windows. Vermont’s unemployment rate in October was 2.3%, slightly higher than in September, according to the state Department of Labor. Vermont has the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country.
River Bend’s cosmetology program feeds a fast-expanding sector of the economy. The number of people working as barbers, cosmetologists and hairstylists is supposed to grow 11% by 2031, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We’re one of the fastest growing professions,” said Desiree Mears, who owns Posh Salon in Barre and assists technical schools with curriculum development. “It’s good that the next generation is given the opportunity.”
To help encourage that flow from the technical schools to the workplace, the state Agency of Education has retooled vocational and technical school curriculums to ensure students who graduate meet state training requirements.
Mears applauded the opportunities for students to get to work quicker but sees potential drawbacks of the new rules.
“I think the 1,000 hours should just be on hair” and the business skills needed to offer the service, she said. The curriculum currently includes salon training in other grooming services, such as nails and facials, as a part of those hours. Mears said those skills should be covered separately. “That should be at least another 500 hours.”
The state Office of Professional Regulation collaborated with vocational schools across the state in retooling certification requirements for programs for licensed nursing assistants, barbers and cosmetologists, and private investigators and security guards.
According to Lauren Hibbert, director of the Office of Professional Regulation, “The program is intended to get Vermonters to work.”
The curriculum update was funded with a federal grant that started under the Obama administration and wrapped up under President Biden. The grant “asked us to examine the barriers to licensure in the state,” Hibbert said. In collaboration with the state Agency of Education, her office makes sure that the curriculums meet the professional requirements set by her office. The OPR seeks to ensure that those working in certain professions follow guidelines to protect consumers against bad practices.
“It’s important to balance consumer safety with access to the workforce,” Hibbert said.
Businesses overseen by the office have welcomed the changes, she added. “I think the majority of current licensees are excited to have more people in the workforce.”
Under state regulations, students cannot receive a license in their fields unless they are at least age 16 and a high school graduate.
The Vermont Agency of Education will monitor the number of students applying for certification to gauge the success of the program, Hibbert said.
And the guidelines could change again in the future, she added.
“We’re always evaluating our standards.”
Meanwhile, the public will get to see these rules changes up close and personal. River Bend’s cosmetology program will launch a small-scale public salon beginning Dec. 1.
Senior students will offer a variety of services from shampoos and haircuts to manicures and pedicures. Prices range from $3-$25.
The salon will schedule appointments on Thursdays and Friday mornings.
