Mary Alice Reporting – An Ohio House Bill recently passed out of the Senate but a local technical school sees problems that could occur.

Bill 542 is proposing to reduce the minimum number of hours of training to receive a license in cosmetology from 1500 to 1000, barbering from 1800 to 1000, and hair design from 1200 to 800.

Buckeye Career Center Assistant Principal Julie Brinkman explains that she is not in favor of dropping the hours as it would take away a quality standard for a hairdresser.

“That’s 500 hours they would not get and a lot of that is the chemicals to do your hair coloring, the processing. It’s watering it down and I think that sets them up for failure.”

When it comes to the written exam, the House Bill has an amendment that allows it to be taken early, prior to the applicant having completed their training.

“It isn’t just braiding hair. Cutting hair. There are mathematical equations to that, there are scientific things, and there are medical ones. They need to know chemistry, how to mix the coloring. There is a lot that goes into that.”

Brinkman adds that Buckeye has a reputation of putting people out into the workforce with knowledge and training on a subject, and this bill jeopardizes that, since in the hair industry, Brinkman explains, reputation is important and if a hairdresser makes a mistake, especially when it comes to coloring and chemicals, then the client will not come back and will tell others to not go to that individual.

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