Lawmakers pass bill creating apprenticeships for beauty professions

Under the measure, aspiring barbers, cosmetologists and others would have a path to a license that doesn’t require expensive schooling.

Illinois lawmakers have passed a bill that creates a financially easier path to a license for aspiring barbers and beauty professionals.

House Bill 3460 easily cleared the state House and Senate and awaits a signature from Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The bill allows those who want to be barbers, cosmetologists, estheticians, nail technicians and hair braiders to qualify for a licensing exam by completing a paid internship. Right now their only option is to pay for schooling, which can cost over $17,000 and take as long as a year to complete.

The bill would be especially helpful to low-income workers and those trying to re-enter the workforce after incarceration. An apprentice would work under an agreement with a licensed salon or shop while getting practical training and supplemental instruction for the desired license. A licensed professional would supervise the apprentice.

An apprenticeship generally would require more hours than school, but the apprentice must be paid at least minimum wage. The bill also requires participating businesses to display a sign noting that an apprentice works there.

An aspiring barber or cosmetologist could qualify by completing a 1,500-hour barbering or cosmetology school program or a 3,000-hour apprenticeship. They would also need 180 hours of supplemental instruction.

For a cosmetologist, Illinois requires 1,500 hours of schooling, which in 2019 averaged $17,658. The total cost for a cosmetology program at Paul Mitchell The School in Chicago starts at $26,331, according to its website.

The bill’s required apprenticeship and supplemental instruction hours are much lower for estheticians, nail technicians and hair braiders.

HB 3460 does not set the rules for apprenticeships, giving that authority to regulators. The effectiveness of the bill will depend heavily on those rules.