Committee advances bill letting barbers and nail technicians use DOL-registered apprenticeships to qualify for licensure

Representative Wescow, sponsor in the House, told the committee that House Bill 13-20 would allow licensed barbers and manicurists to register apprenticeships with the U.S. Department of Labor and make apprentices who complete those programs eligible to take licensure examinations.

The bill would let barbers and nail technicians use Department of Labor (DOL) registered apprenticeships as an alternative pathway to licensure, Representative Wescow said, a track that includes at least 2,000 hours of combined on-the-job and instructional time and requires written and practical exams for licensure eligibility.

The proposal drew testimony from salon owners, apprentices and industry advocates who said the apprenticeship model lowers barriers to entry, provides hands-on training in real salon settings and prevents student debt. Marta Robinson, a salon owner who helped run a cosmetology apprenticeship last year, said, “This apprenticeship has opened doors and created a positive…