Hello,

I am a licensed hairstylist, a national educator with 43 years of experience, salon owner  former school owner and now an  educator at Rudy and Kelly Academy for 10 years. I have seen many changes in the cosmetology program since obtaining my license including having my license allow me to perform in all areas of the industry such as hair, skin, nails, and barbering. I have seen Virginia reduce the hours to 1500,   which as a salon owner I  found that new stylists had not had enough training and lacked confidence  at that point(1500 hrs) to begin working in the industry. Now it is being proposed to reduce the hours down to 1000 hours as to  allow graduates to  enter into the work force at a much quicker pace. It is also being proposed that more hours of instruction will be added to a curriculum  for more nails, skin , make up and using a straight razor therefore reducing the hours of instruction for hair to  equate to only 505 hours in a 1000 hour program which decreases the time for practical skills.  This is insane and a great disservice to those entering into the industry therefore in my opinion causing less people to enter into cosmetology, causing schools to close  and  graduates not being qualified to perform services on the public. 

I have read the proposal and I see the word " safety" mentioned alot. If the hours are reduced, the students will not have enough practical training to ensure the safety of those that they will be performing services on and possibly causing them to quit the profession as well as injuring  someone.  The state of Virginia made it necessary that if someone wanted to do barbering services they had to attend a school just to obtain that license because a cosmetology license would no longer cover those services, it is the same for nails  and esthetics as well and no license is necessary for someone to do make up and now it is going to be added back into a curriculum at less hours of completion. 

I find that at 1500 hours students do not feel confident in their ability to go behind the chair right away and reducing the hours will make it harder for them all the way around. I also read that it will be up to the salon owners to get new stylists more education once they hire into a salon and as a salon owner who is busy, there is not  enough time to spend teaching someone what they didn't learn in school which will hurt salon revenue it should not be up to the salon owners to pick up what is lacking. 

What is the plan for instructors teaching currently?    Many were not trained in the areas of straight razor shaving, nails and skin services. What will they have to do?

Lastly, in breaking down the actual time spent on cutting, coloring, styling etc. a instructor will have to teach a concept, the student will have to perform the concept then have to practice the concept before performing on a person, in the 505 hours dedicated to all  of those areas there is no way that they will achieve the counts necessary to complete a program, 1000 hours is simply NOT enough time to successfully train a student for success in the salon and making a living.  I am against reducing the hours of cosmetology to 1000 hours because I feel that new stylists will not have the practical skills necessary to perform in a salon atmosphere. 

Thank you,

Terri Howell