By Robert Barron
Some Autry Technology students soon may become estheticians.
An esthetician is a person who is licensed to provide facial and skin care. It will be part of the school’s new cosmetology program starting in August, said Molly Helm, marketing director for Autry Technology Center.
“We’re doing some remodeling work on space to be utilized part of the time and no new building is needed,” she said.
The program will involve daytime classes for adults and high school s students.
Classes will include hair care, cutting, coloring, nail tech skills and facial and skin treatment.
“We’re excited about it. We’ve had hundreds of phone calls, and pre-enrollment at high schools looks really good,” she said.
The classes are open to both males and females, but cosmetology is a career mostly women enter.
Starting salaries are $10 to $15 an , and cosmetologists can make substantially more when they build up their clientele, she said.
Several staff members have argued for the class for several years, although age 18 is required for licensing.
Autry Superintendent Jim Strate opposed the class offering because he did not think cosmetologists made much money. Autry Tech attempts to offer courses that will guarantee students a good salary when they graduate.
When Strate researched the occupations he discovered they can make a “very solid” living, Helm said.
“There is a lot of training going into skin care, how to give a proper facial and understanding skin care is a lengthy program. The course is about 1,500 hours. Adult students can attend classes all day and complete the course in a year, while high school students attending a half day can will take about two years to complete.
A number of other programs at Autry also are popular. Helm said the medical programs are always growing just because of the need for skilled people in those programs like practical nursing, surgical technology and radiography technician.
The electronic area is being expanded to provide more space for that program and the opportunities it provides for industry.
Industrial area also is a growing program, she said.
“We don’t just provide education, we provide training and focus areas on needed jobs. Our students are prepared to work with the latest technology,” she said.
