News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Schools hoping to add cosmetology courses at Upperman High School after seeing growing popularity at Cookeville High School.
CTE Supervisor Jackie Vester said the program has been offered at CHS since the current building has opened and has continued to grow under Instructor Nicki Goins. She said she believes it is growing because there are students who are drawn to that subject, as well as the students’ desires for a career.
“We have more students that want to come out of high school with a marketable skill and then build on that skill,” Vester said. “Rather than go straight into a college setting.”
Vester said in the current program, PCSS is able to give cosmetology students licensure hours. She said they need 1,500 hours in order to sit for the licensure exam itself.
Vester said through a partnership with TCAT Livingston, students are able to start accumulating those hours while still in high school. For the first time, Cookeville High School had a student complete all 1,500 hours before graduating: Lillie Burnett.
“Students at the high school are going to focus mainly on hair and nails,” Vester said. “They can go on to TCAT and go on to be an aesthetician, but that’s not something that we complete at our level at the high school with our TCAT program.”
Vester said the Upper High School program will be funded through the Innovative Schools Model grant.
