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“You can be great with hair; you can be great in make-up; now you can set yourself apart even more with an in-depth understanding of finance, profit margins, return on investment, marketing and so much more within this unique partnership.”

This comment comes from Tiffany French, Admissions Leader at Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland (PMTS Cleveland) in Twinsburg, in response to a new partnership now in effect with ����ɫ��ҹ University Geauga and the Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg. This agreement gives graduates from PMTS Cleveland’s cosmetology program a cutting edge when they pursue business management and ownership.

“What’s cool about our partnership is that we are two institutions of higher learning working together to create more opportunities for our students,” says Susan Emens, Ph.D., Assistant Dean at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga. “Working together, we open up more doors and pathways for people in our community who are skilled in their trade but may not know how to get started in their own business.”

Echoing Emens’ sentiment, PMTS Cleveland Co-Owner Orlando Cumberlander added, “As the co-owner of Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland and an alumnus of ����ɫ��ҹ, I’m happy to see our school partner with such an amazing university. This partnership will assist our future professionals in having the best of both worlds: a solid technical foundation combined with an Associate’s Degree in Technical Study, especially for our entrepreneurial-focused Future Professionals.”

Not all pathways follow a typical trajectory from high school to college, then on to a career. Sometimes people choose a quicker route to a career by attending a trade school first. Only after several years on the job do they circle back to college to take their passions and careers to the next level. 

In other instances, some high school students are passionate about pursuing careers in cosmetology but feel pressured by parents and teachers to attend college after graduation instead. This new collaboration relieves that pressure, opening up the opportunity for students to do both affordably and efficiently. 

French says that future professionals can gain their cosmetology license from the state of Ohio after completing 1,500 hours of education and training at PMTS Cleveland. Then they can apply their earned credits toward an associate’s degree at ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga within another year or two. Ultimately, a professional cosmetologist can be armed with the tools they need to be a successful entrepreneur before their peers have earned their traditional four-year bachelor’s degree.

Thanks to this new agreement, credits earned by PMTS Cleveland cosmetology students and alumni can transfer over to any Kent regional campus toward an Associate of Technical Study degree. Courses in the degree program can be individually tailored to provide these stylists with a solid foundation for their entrepreneurial and business endeavors, whether it be owning and operating their salons, or otherwise bringing business management skills into the cosmetology industry. 

This agreement became official as of January 2019 and is applicable to any PMTS Cleveland graduate who carries an active cosmetology license and official transcripts from Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland. A stylist’s accumulation of hours clocked translates to a designated value of ����ɫ��ҹ credit hours earned toward the Associate of Technical Study degree.

This partnership will be formally announced to current PMTS Cleveland future professionals on Tuesday, April 2 as part of the in-house professional development presentation. It will then be announced to all Paul Mitchell the School Cleveland prospective future professionals as they tour the campus as well as during the school’s Spring National Open House on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. at 10735 Ravenna Road in Twinsburg.

There will also be an upcoming Alumni Launch Party for PMTS Cleveland alumni to attend. The partnership will be announced and explained, encouraging PMTS Cleveland alumni to pursue new career pathways through this formal agreement.

“This differentiates Paul Mitchell The School Cleveland’s position in the marketplace now that they can provide multiple career paths for their students,” Emens says. “����ɫ��ҹ Geauga and the Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg are pleased to partner with them to respond better to the needs of our local workforce.”

Fusing a physical traded skill from Paul Mitchell the School Cleveland with academic business skills from ����ɫ��ҹ Geauga gives local cosmetology professionals the cutting edge as they pursue excellence in entrepreneurship.