Cosmetology is a growing career path. With more and more technology being developed, unique hair, nails, and skincare have become very popular. Beauty schools come to the college fairs here, and those tables are almost always full. With how many CTE classes we have here, Cosmetology would be a wise addition.

Out of my small inner circle alone, three out of five want to go to cosmetology school. My best friend has wanted to since she was 10 years old, and has learned on her own from YouTube and other online resources. She also dyes and cuts her own well. I’m not saying this because she’s my best friend either, it looks really nice. Two of my other friends have decided to go off to beauty school for their degree in cosmetology within the next year or two. My mom and grandma also did hair for almost all of their lives. So, just looking at people in my life, that’s already a lot of interest.

Cosmetology will always be a want, and will always need trained humans to accomplish, no strange robot technician with scissors. Even though it may not be essential the way doctors and nurses are, it will most likely always have a strong draw and will be a possible path for students less interested in higher academics.

Not everyone can cut hair, do nails or do makeup. Sure, they can try to, but doing it terribly doesn’t count. Dying your hair with Kool-Aid doesn’t make you a professional cosmetologist. You dye your hair, and it may look amazing, but it doesn’t take skill, and later on, when it fades to an awful pink, you’ll book an appointment with an actual professional to fix it. To put it simply, cosmetologists need extensive training for their trade, and they have such a want it’s almost become a need. Training is needed to develop professional skills, and there are no current opportunities here to do so.

Adding a CTE class for Cosmetology could help students here get on the right path for training and help the rest of us look amazing while we pursue other trades and careers.