A measure in the General Assembly would permit cosmetology and barber apprenticeships as a pathway to a license.
Illinois has taken a step toward expanding opportunity.
House Bill 3460 unanimously passed out of the Health Care Licenses Committee on March 25. The bipartisan bill would permit licensed cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians and nail technicians to create apprenticeship programs.
A person who completes a 1,500-hour apprenticeship and passes the applicable state test would receive a license, currently reserved for those who attend a certified school.
Iowa last year established apprenticeship-style training programs for barbering and cosmetology.
Apprenticeships are a proven pathway to prosperity. Nationally, those who complete them earn an average starting salary of $80,000, surpassing the average of $55,000 for all workers.
Cosmetology school is expensive. Illinois requires 1,500 hours, 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.
Nearly one in four Illinois workers needs a license, or about 1.6 million people, in a wide range of professions from acupuncturist to doctor to locksmith to roofing contractor.
Occupational licensing disproportionately harms Asian, Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native workers, who are less likely to be licensed than white workers, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The disparity between Latino and white workers is even higher.
HB 3460 would open a critical pathway to enter cosmetology and related trades without a full year of unpaid schooling costing possibly over $26,000.
Instead, workers could learn from trained professionals on a schedule that works for them, such as nights or weekends. Apprenticeships are paid.
Passing this bill also would be an important step to Illinois embracing a career-first education model. Illinois already ranks third in the U.S. for workforce development, which includes apprenticeships in a wide range of fields, such as nursing and laboratory technicians.
To more fully embrace career-first education model, Illinois should:
–Expand apprenticeships, especially youth-focused and non-federally registered programs.
–Reform occupational licensing laws to allow apprenticeships as an alternative to formal education.
–Raise public awareness of apprenticeship benefits and opportunities.
–Regularly assess workforce trends to align education with labor market needs.
–Shift funding from universities to support additional apprenticeship programming.
