DECATUR COUNTY, GA (WTXL) — A partnership between Bainbridge High School and Southern Regional Technical College is giving students a head start on earning their master barber license.
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11th grader Jaylyn Alston is 1 of 30 students enrolled in the Barbering Assistance Program at Bainbridge High School, offered through Southern Regional Technical College.
"I've learned how much more there is to cutting hair than just, you know, fading a client or just cutting their hair and getting them out of the chair."
Alston said the program has opened his eyes to the full scope of the craft.
"It's more than that. You have to make sure your client is comfortable, the sensitivity of the skin. Everybody has different skin, different textures of hair. It's a lot more haircuts out there than I thought there was," Alston said.
After completing their first year, students earn a Barber and Assistant One diploma from Southern Regional Technical College. The program allows students to complete 12 credits before graduating high school. A master barber license requires 15 credits, meaning graduates are just one semester away from sitting for the Georgia State Board Exam.
Program instructor Dr. Joe Sweet said the goal is to give students options beyond the traditional college route.
"What these students are able to do is come directly to a barbershop, a salon, if you will. And what they're really getting are opportunities to earn what I like to call job acquisition, retention, and advancement. So that when they leave here for free, they have gotten the skills to make the community safer, to make it better," Sweet said.
Sweet said the school is in the process of converting a classroom inside the high school into a full barbershop, giving students a real-world barbershop experience.
For Alston and his classmates, the ultimate goal is to open their own barbershop one day.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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