CARMEL, Ind. — A new Indiana law is making the path to pursuing cosmetology more accessible.
House Bill 1135 now includes cosmetology and barbering in the Department of Labor’s registered apprenticeship program, allowing individuals to bypass cosmetology or barbering school in order to earn their license, saving students tens of thousands of dollars!
On average, tuition for traditional beauty school costs $25,000, but with the working apprenticeship through Atarashii, a federally- approved program, employers are required to pay their apprentices. The starting wage is $10/hour plus any commission they earn from clients.
MDG Salon in Carmel is one of very few Indiana salons participating in the Atarashii program so far.
Mel Allen, director of talent and operations at MDG, said the program helps broaden opportunity for people looking to get into the industry, and teaches individuals the real-world skills they wouldn’t learn in the classroom, along with basic curriculum.
“There are a lot of things that go into our profession that are outside of the technical skills. customer service, how we talk to guests, how we build relationships, build predictable income,” Allen said.
In traditional beauty school, students log 1,500 hours. Through the working apprenticeship program, apprentices log 2,000 hours while also getting paid.
Allen believes the program has the opportunity to change the future of cosmetology.
Right now, two-thirds of the industry walk away in the first five years of their career. She thinks the apprenticeship program will help change that by basically giving students a head start to the chair.
I spoke to one of their apprentices, Maricel Newman, who says pursuing this career wouldn’t have been possible for her without this program.
“It’s been such a great journey being here. Being able to have the freedom to be a mom as well as being in the National Guard on top of that and then being here — it definitely allowed me to kind of balance everything,” Newman said.
The program is still very new, and not many salons know about it. Allen told me she’s aware of fewer than 10 participating Indiana salons and only one barbershop.
These include Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, MDG Salon and Black Orchid Barbers.
However, once the word gets out, Allen foresees a lot of other salons opting in!
For more information on the program and to find out what salons near you are offering it, visit Atarashii.org.
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