From Classroom to Client Chair: Newark Students Learn Real-World Skills Inside a High School Salon

Newark public high school students are getting real-world work experience with real clients and duties, unlike many classes. A fully operational, student-run salon at West Side High School offers shampoo bowls, styling chairs, manicure stations, and face-to-face client care.

The school’s cosmetology program’s new salon mimics a professional beauty firm. Not only do students practice on mannequins or classmates in theory. A welcome area, waiting space, hair stations, wash units, nail treatment spaces, and individual skincare rooms make up their salon-like workspace.

Students often feel anxious working with clients for the first time. Blow drying, curling, or giving someone a face involves confidence, communication, and focus. Time turns concern into pride. Students learn how to communicate with clients, assess their requirements, propose services, and assure comfort, which are valuable abilities in any field.

The cosmetology program has 100 students, but only those with permits can practice under supervision. New Jersey law requires students to complete age, training-hour, and certification requirements before working with the public. Student salon operators can finish their instructional hours while in school and graduate with a diploma and professional license.

The salon provides hair washing, styling, cuts, braiding, coloring, skincare, and nail services. Students can obtain experience by helping their community by scheduling limited public appointments. Learning, not profit, is the priority, but the setting is professional so students understand employment expectations from the start.

The program coordinator, who also teaches cosmetology, says the purpose goes beyond hair and nail art. The goal is to give pupils long-term stability and options. Students can work while in college, support themselves, or job right after graduation with suitable credentials. Cosmetology can assist pay tuition, books, and housing expenses for some. Entrepreneurship and business ownership are possible for others.

This approach mirrors a larger change in Newark’s public schools. Career-focused education has expanded to include skilled crafts, culinary arts, hospitality, design, and technical professions under district leadership. These programs understand that not all students need a four-year education to flourish.

National research supports this change. College enrollment among high school graduates has been flat for decades, but vocational training, apprenticeships, and technical programs have increased rapidly. In sectors that cannot be automated or AI-enabled, many students today see hands-on careers as more practical, inexpensive, and secure.

Cosmetology students said the program improved their future outlook. Some wish to be barbers, skincare specialists, nail technicians, or salon workers. Some want to start businesses. Even beginners who came to acquire basic grooming skills discover gifts and develop confidence by serving others.

In the curriculum, male students are gaining skills beyond traditional barbering and become comfortable with new styles and services. They argue that technology cannot replace personal care. Hair will grow, and people will always seek personal connection and trust in their appearance.

District officials believe activities like this make education relevant and useful for pupils. Students can notice their training’s results without asking why. They develop discipline, professionalism, and self-confidence in high school.

The salon’s dryers, discussion, and calm concentration make it more than a beauty area. This shows how public education can adapt to changing circumstances by meeting students where they are and preparing them for life. These youth see the salon chair as more than a lesson. The first step toward independence, confidence, and a self-determined career.