It's a bit disheartening to read these stories of poor training in the UK. I went to college in North Carolina, USA, and I am licenced as a Cosmetologist there. The training I did there is equivalent to NVQ Level 3.
My college was apparently very strict, compared to some of these stories. Most days, our practical classes were from 08:00 to 14:30. We had to attend class on Saturdays, no exception. We stopped accepting clients at 12:15. Before we started working on live clients, we had to do 300 clock hours of theory and mannequin work. Basically teaching us the very basics like the basic haircuts, basic colour application, etc. All clients were walk-in, with no appointments. We did not choose what we were doing. Clients were assigned to us. A list of students was kept at reception, and as a client came in, they would be assigned to the next student on the list. We couldn't refuse to do a client - if we did, we got sent home. We had about one teacher for every 15 students. Most days, they were kept VERY busy with all our questions and requests for help. In every practical class, one student had to man the 'dispensary' and check-out products to other students, and another had to assist on reception. We were assigned a permanent station each semester, and we had to keep it clean and tidy. Our kit remained at the college for the duration of the semester.
Most of our colour services could have been classified as colour correction...haha. I used bleach baths, and colour stripper on different occasions. We did spend a good amount of time on colour theory.
We provided chemical straightening as a client service, and I did it a couple of times. We also did ethnic haircare, such as relaxers and soft curl perms (Jheri curl).
Smoking was banned campus-wide, and the only place you could smoke was in your car, no exceptions. Obviously that wouldn't work too well in England with so many students who take public transport, and the lack of student parking at so many colleges. I think colleges should have a designated smoking area out of sight of clients, and clients definitely should not be forced to walk past students/tutors smoking.
We were allowed two ten minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These weren't guaranteed; we could take them only if we didn't have a client. We did have to take a 30 minute lunch, though. They were very strict on absences. The number of days you could miss did change throughout my time at college. At first it was five days, then it dropped to one, and then went to two. In excess of that, without a very good excuse (basically extreme illness like surgery, a death in the family, etc.), and you got kicked out and would have to repeat that semester. We had to clock in and out whenever we entered/left the building. If we were over fifteen minutes late, it was counted as a 'tardy', and three of these would equal an absence. If we were over something like 45 minutes late, we had to go home.
State board (cosmetology is overseen by a regulatory board in every state in the USA. They licence cosmetologists and salons, conduct inspections and make the rules) would visit us about once a salon. The woman would inspect the entire place, including our kits and then give the place a sanitation grade which had to be displayed to the public. If she found our kit to be dirty (dirty = one hair in the kit), we got sent home, or lost points off our grade.
To get a Cosmetology licence in most states in the USA, you have to attend school for a certain number of hours (1500 in North Carolina) and then take a practical exam and a written exam. North Carolina also requires you to complete a certain number of 'performances', which have to be signed off by your tutor. This includes, on live clients, 75 haircuts, 100 hairstyles, 30 haircolour applications, 15 chemical reformations (perms, relaxer, chemical straightening), 10 facials, 15 manicures/pedicures, and so on, though we always ended up doing more of everything in the end. The exam is kind of scary - they're VERY strict on sanitation. You have to score 75% on both exams to pass. I scored 92% on the practical, and 94% on the written. The practical involved, on a mannequin, thermal curling, a uniform layer haircut, a blow-dry, perming pin curling, lightener/colour application, relaxer application, a facial, and a manicure. Most of these weren't 'complete services' - for example, with the perming, we only wrapped from the crown to the nape. All of the chemicals were simulated - water mixed with conditioner for perm solution, hair cholesterol for colour/relaxer and facial cleaner and moisturiser, and so on.
I definitely feel the training I got in the USA was very good. I have backed up my college training with my own studying and research. I can do the basic haircuts, and more, but I do need to work on my speed. I don't think hairdressing is a career to be taken lightly. It requires a lot of knowledge and effort, if you want to be truly good at it. I definitely do not ever want to be labelled as a 'cookie cutter' hairdresser!
Sorry for the long (and probably boring) post!
My college was apparently very strict, compared to some of these stories. Most days, our practical classes were from 08:00 to 14:30. We had to attend class on Saturdays, no exception. We stopped accepting clients at 12:15. Before we started working on live clients, we had to do 300 clock hours of theory and mannequin work. Basically teaching us the very basics like the basic haircuts, basic colour application, etc. All clients were walk-in, with no appointments. We did not choose what we were doing. Clients were assigned to us. A list of students was kept at reception, and as a client came in, they would be assigned to the next student on the list. We couldn't refuse to do a client - if we did, we got sent home. We had about one teacher for every 15 students. Most days, they were kept VERY busy with all our questions and requests for help. In every practical class, one student had to man the 'dispensary' and check-out products to other students, and another had to assist on reception. We were assigned a permanent station each semester, and we had to keep it clean and tidy. Our kit remained at the college for the duration of the semester.
Most of our colour services could have been classified as colour correction...haha. I used bleach baths, and colour stripper on different occasions. We did spend a good amount of time on colour theory.
We provided chemical straightening as a client service, and I did it a couple of times. We also did ethnic haircare, such as relaxers and soft curl perms (Jheri curl).
Smoking was banned campus-wide, and the only place you could smoke was in your car, no exceptions. Obviously that wouldn't work too well in England with so many students who take public transport, and the lack of student parking at so many colleges. I think colleges should have a designated smoking area out of sight of clients, and clients definitely should not be forced to walk past students/tutors smoking.
We were allowed two ten minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These weren't guaranteed; we could take them only if we didn't have a client. We did have to take a 30 minute lunch, though. They were very strict on absences. The number of days you could miss did change throughout my time at college. At first it was five days, then it dropped to one, and then went to two. In excess of that, without a very good excuse (basically extreme illness like surgery, a death in the family, etc.), and you got kicked out and would have to repeat that semester. We had to clock in and out whenever we entered/left the building. If we were over fifteen minutes late, it was counted as a 'tardy', and three of these would equal an absence. If we were over something like 45 minutes late, we had to go home.
State board (cosmetology is overseen by a regulatory board in every state in the USA. They licence cosmetologists and salons, conduct inspections and make the rules) would visit us about once a salon. The woman would inspect the entire place, including our kits and then give the place a sanitation grade which had to be displayed to the public. If she found our kit to be dirty (dirty = one hair in the kit), we got sent home, or lost points off our grade.
To get a Cosmetology licence in most states in the USA, you have to attend school for a certain number of hours (1500 in North Carolina) and then take a practical exam and a written exam. North Carolina also requires you to complete a certain number of 'performances', which have to be signed off by your tutor. This includes, on live clients, 75 haircuts, 100 hairstyles, 30 haircolour applications, 15 chemical reformations (perms, relaxer, chemical straightening), 10 facials, 15 manicures/pedicures, and so on, though we always ended up doing more of everything in the end. The exam is kind of scary - they're VERY strict on sanitation. You have to score 75% on both exams to pass. I scored 92% on the practical, and 94% on the written. The practical involved, on a mannequin, thermal curling, a uniform layer haircut, a blow-dry, perming pin curling, lightener/colour application, relaxer application, a facial, and a manicure. Most of these weren't 'complete services' - for example, with the perming, we only wrapped from the crown to the nape. All of the chemicals were simulated - water mixed with conditioner for perm solution, hair cholesterol for colour/relaxer and facial cleaner and moisturiser, and so on.
I definitely feel the training I got in the USA was very good. I have backed up my college training with my own studying and research. I can do the basic haircuts, and more, but I do need to work on my speed. I don't think hairdressing is a career to be taken lightly. It requires a lot of knowledge and effort, if you want to be truly good at it. I definitely do not ever want to be labelled as a 'cookie cutter' hairdresser!
Sorry for the long (and probably boring) post!
