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August 5, 2024

Johnson County Community College (JCCC) Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) is excited to announce enrollment is now open for a new Nail Technology program.

This program will prepare students for industry success as licensed nail technicians and will include both hands-on classroom and salon clinic experiences. Nail Technology courses will help students build the technical and soft skills they need to successfully pass the licensure exams required in Kansas and/or Missouri.

Students will learn theory and the practical application of skills valuable to nail techs, including:

  • Natural nail manicures and pedicures
  • The artistic application of nail enhancements
  • Acrylics
  • Fabric wraps
  • Gels and gel polish
  • Sanitation and practices
  • Assessing and identifying conditions of the nails
  • Entrepreneurship and business practices

Fall 2024 classes will be held from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, October 28 through February 7, at JCCC’s West Park Center.

For more information on the Nail Technology program, visit the JCCC WDCE Nail Technology web page and WDCE course description. The simple, 15-minute online application is now open. This course is limited to 12 students and JCCC anticipates spots will fill quickly.

More about the course

The WDCE Nail Technology program has admission requirements to ensure that students are eligible for a Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) Apprentice License, which all students must complete on the first day of class. These admission requirements are:

  • Students must have a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Students must be at least 18 years of age
  • Students must have a Social Security Card
  • Students must have a valid government-issued photo ID — and the name on the photo ID and the Social Security Card must match

After completing the required amount of training hours, students practice on clients from the public at the JCCC Nail Salon to understand real-world business practices. The course instructor, DeShawn Bailey, has been a licensed cosmetology practitioner for 13 years and a licensed cosmetology instructor for 11. Bailey also runs his own business – Barukh Beauty Salon.

Expanding training to more people

This program fills a training need. Nail Technology was previously offered as a JCCC credit class. Through the program evaluation process, JCCC identified an opportunity to offer Nail Technology training through JCCC’s WDCE division, which expands the training to more people. Previously, the program was designed to meet only the Kansas licensure requirements (350 training hours), but this new program will meet Missouri requirements (400 training hours).

WDCE programs are intentionally short-term and help students enter the workforce with the skills they need fast. “We are happy that JCCC is able to continue offering Nail Technology courses through WDCE,” said Elisa Waldman, Vice President of Workforce Development and Continuing Education. “This program will quickly equip qualified students with the skills they need to pursue a career as a nail tech in a salon, spa, or small business — a job sector that is projected to grow over the next several years. Including Nail Technology in our course offerings aligns well with the purpose of WDCE and the mission of JCCC.”

JCCC’s WDCE division provides workforce training and life and leisure courses to more than 16,500 students each year. Their course offerings range from professional and workforce skill development in areas like healthcare, commercial driver’s license training, and skilled trades to personal interests like language for travelers, financial wellness, culinary, and crafts.


For media inquiries, please contact:

Emma Swinney
Public and Media Relations Coordinator
eswinne1@jccc.edu
913-469-8500, ext. 4949

Chris Gray 
VP, Strategic Communications & Marketing 
chrisgray@jccc.edu
913-469-8500, ext. 7623

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