Elizabeth Nachtwey
“I’m a workforce facilitator. And career development coach. And I’ve come to really understand some of the little details and intricacies around getting professional licenses.”
“A lot of my work has been with barbers and braiders. The current framework is extremely burdensome.”
“In a lot of Black and Brown communities, there’s a whole culture around the barber shop. Some of these kids grew up hanging out in the barber shop. They’ve been cutting hair since they were about 12.”
“What they need the education for isn’t actually their skills. They’re just trying to get their license because they’re trying to get on the books. The fast money they were making is not giving them Social Security or any of those benefits.”
“They want to be legitimate, but to get on the books and get licensed is extremely burdensome because of systematic issues.”
“You need 1,500 hours of schooling to get a certificate. That’s basically a solid year, full-time. The barber curriculum costs about $20,000 if you go to a school without financial aid, and even with financial aid it’s between $8,000 and $10,000.”
“The state also makes it difficult for schools. Barber schools can’t apply to be accredited until they’ve been in business at least two years, and the whole process can take up to 10 years. You need accreditation to accept federal student aid, so somehow until then you have to survive with students who can pay entirely themselves.”
“That’s not very realistic in the communities that need it the most, which I know because I tried it. I was part of the founding team for Legacy Barber College, which shut down in 2023. We were never approved to take federal aid, because there weren’t enough students who could pay their own way while we waited to get accredited.”
“This is a trade. It’s something that should be accessible for these communities. As it is, that kind of commitment together with the cost of training makes it very difficult to do.”
“The historical viewpoint the government has on barbering is that they use the licensing as a way to ensure they can collect tax. Our understanding is that’s one of the reasons it’s like this.”
“Historically, barbering was actually connected to surgery. There are definitely some safety and hygiene things you need to learn in addition to just styling. But there are ways we could maintain those standards and still make a license way more accessible.”
“For one thing, reduce the hours needed. Many people in the industry have been trying to bring it down to 1,200 hours. Even that would be more achievable.”
“But even more importantly, they have to be able to make money while they’re training. Right now, students in barber school can’t accept any payment – not even tips.”
“If you’re learning full time to get your license as quickly as possible, how can you do that and also put food on the table? Maybe some people can do it, but not very many.”
“This job can be lucrative if you know how to play the game right and if you’re a good businessperson. But because of all these extreme requirements, it’s difficult for some of the people who could benefit the most.”
Elizabeth Nachtwey
Owner, Empower with Intention
Chicago, Illinois
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