TOLEDO, Ohio — The Toledo Public School Barber Academy is back open after the pandemic forced them to empty seats, but getting clients and adjusting to changes has been hard.
Since reopening in July, the shop has been offering free cuts to help the students.
"It just helps our clients and community. It's one less expense that they have to incur and it gives our students the opportunity to get the experience of cutting," TPS Director of Adult Education Larry Warniment said.
Students need 1800 hours of training to finish the program.
Fewer people getting a haircut makes it harder to get the necessary experience.
"It's kind of hard to get through because we haven't had as many customers, but we're getting through it. We're bringing in our own clients, we're trying to get our practicals out of the way so we can get our services done so we try to get out of here," barber student Christian Johnson said.
To remain open and help students fulfill their requirements, more health and safety guidelines are in place.
The shop is also not offering all services right now because of the ongoing pandemic.
"We had to decide were we going to not shave their face or trim their facial hair, or would we still offer shampoos and facials. We had to decide what those types of things were," TPS barber instructor, Zonta Moore said.
Moore said despite all of the changes that have happened because of the pandemic, you can still walk-in or make an appointment.
To make an appointment, call (419) 671-8700. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
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