Students look for alternatives to college

In an increasingly competitive job market, the need for some kind of post-secondary education is becoming more and more evident. While higher education has traditionally meant either a four-year bachelor's degree or two-year associate degree from a community college, personal circumstances prevent many from making either the financial or time commitment required to obtain those degrees. As a result, many students are choosing alternative courses of schooling to prepare them for the challenges of earning a living.

"I feel like alternative education provides excellent options for those considered to be non-traditional students," said Eric Brown, who operates Eclips School of Cosmetology. With facilities in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston, Eclips has been training hair stylists and barbers since 2001.

Many of the students attending Eclips are looking for a fast track to earning a living, and the condensed curriculum appeals to them. "We appeal to students that are interested in career education that can be completed in a year or less," Brown said. "A person can complete our barber program in just seven months and our cosmetology program in 11 months."

While the typical cosmetology student attending Eclips is a recent high school graduate, that isn't the case with the barbering program, where most of the trainees are going to school to learn a second career. Not all Eclips students will be making cosmetology or barbering their permanent vocation, Brown said. "There are a few that use this as a platform to build their primary career. For instance, we have students that come to school here, get their license as barbers or cosmetologists so that they can support themselves while attending a four-year college."

But despite the varied circumstances of Eclips students, they share a common bond. "The majority of our students have a passion for the barber and beauty industry and want to make it a career," Brown said. Brown noted that the most successful alternative education programs are ones that teach specific skills needed in high-demand professions.

"Statistics have shown that regardless of what is going on with the economy, job stability stays consistent with service-orientated industries," Brown said, noting that the beauty industry has been called "recession-proof" by many economists. He pointed to statistics indicating that in the year 2002, the first year following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the resulting economic slowdown, the beauty industry had an increase in revenue, whereas most industries suffered declines in their sales.