I actually went to school on a scholarship and could never have afforded to go otherwise, and I’m aware that there are no absolutes. (I also wasn’t trained in a brand-specific facility.)

My blanket statement was informed by personal, extensive experience, and has been reinforced (and periodically contradicted) repeatedly. As I said, I’ve met exceptional trade school graduates and passionate, dedicated trade school instructors, but more often, I meet apathetic instructors and students who chose cosmetology simply because it was free for them to attend trade school–but that’s the entire point. Everyone has biases because we all experience the industry differently. I can even understand the bias against cosmetologists who practice as specialists because I’ve also encountered cosmetologists who had far less experience performing skin care and nail services than a licensed specialist.

It’s probably also worth mentioning that the issues we have with our professional education system here are very likely region-specific. In Florida, trade school is free for high school students. Our state board exams are multiple-choice and don’t include a technical review. Wages are low (we’re one of the least employee-friendly states in the nation) and a good deal of areas have a largely tourist-based economy, which makes it hard to find quality employment in the industry. Those who want guaranteed paychecks, year-round employment, to be classified legally, and employment benefits–like health insurance–are more likely to find those things working in trade education than in private salons. Some of our corporate facilities, like Regis Corp. and JCP, used to offer competitive compensation and benefits packages, but that has since changed. (They were never really attractive options anyway, as they tend to use unpredictable retail scheduling, have a heavy focus on performance metrics, and are quick to terminate when professionals fall short.)

As a result of our schools falling short and the chronic problems for-profit cosmetology schools have caused, legislators here are successfully pushing to drop program hours to the lowest in any regulated state. After decades of watching the schools react to repeated deregulation attempts, instead of proactively working to modernize their approach and make it more accessible and affordable (to invalidate the complaints of those seeking to deregulate so they have no argument in the first place), it’s no surprise that we’re in this mess.

This article is a much abridged version of an entire chapter from my first book, which probably does a better job of explaining how our experiences shape our biases and why we have to be aware of the fact that, no matter how many times those biases are reinforced, there are exceptions to everything and region-specific problems can’t be used to form an impression of the industry as a whole.

As a graduate of a technical school working in a salon filled with graduates of name brand schools, I outclass them. Being trained in one specific line of products and color (Paul Mitchell, Aveda, Redken, etc.) isn’t necessarily the best way to learn. Just look at the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Affairs for higher end schools. They’re filled with unsatisfied or – frankly – scammed students.

Regardless of the institution of learning, the state board exam is the same. You are of course entitled to your opinion, but making blanket statements is never a good idea.