WEST PARK — The trend of ditching traditional four-year colleges and universities for trade schools continues. Whether you want to become a mechanic, electrician, or barber, the skilled trades are making a serious comeback. Recent data shows 1 in 3 adults recommend pursuing a trade to high school graduates due to overall access and affordability. The National Student Clearinghouse reports that trade school enrollment surged 16% in 2023, and experts forecast continued year-over-year growth through 2030.
In West Park, they are already feeling the effects of the trade boom. West Park Barber School just graduated its first-ever official class of students.
News 5 first started following their journey when the school initially opened in the summer of 2024. Now, these recent graduates are entering the workforce, and the owner and operator says they’re just getting started when it comes to recruitment, long-term growth, and industry demand.
News 5 returned to West Park Barber School in Kamm’s Corners more than a year and a half later. Every single chair on the main clinical floor is now occupied, with at least 40 barbers in training.
“It starts right now. Not when you open a shop. It starts now,” said owner and operator Patrick Loyal Burke.
Burke’s vision has becoming a reality.
“I wanted my own shop. With that being said, it started in barber school,” Burke said.
He says his barber school focuses on returning to the fundamentals—skills and service—at a time when interest in trades and barbering is exploding. Social media, labor demand, and ease of access have all contributed to the industry’s rapid growth.
“Here, we kinda slow everything down. Really teach ’em the basics of haircutting, but there’s a lot more to this industry than haircutting,” Burke said.
As News 5 follows through, Stephanie Eberling can now call herself a proud West Park Barber School graduate. We first introduced you to her in July 2024.
“It’s awesome that I don’t have to go to school anymore. That’s nice—and I can focus right on my career,” Eberling said.
Eberling initially enrolled as a licensed cosmetologist but wanted to enhance her skills and marketability in men’s cuts.
“I can just focus on building clientele, keeping my current clientele, and doing straight razor work—the barbering aspect,” she said.
She says what she learned has been invaluable.
“The more you put in, the more you’re gonna get out of it. So if you’re really dedicated, you can do some great things.”
She’s not alone.
Some of her classmates left a career in hospitality and restaurants for clippers and scissors.
“It’s surreal. It went fast,” Roy said.
Roy is now a full-time barber and was placed into a job at West Park Barber Shop in North Olmsted.
“One of the things they emphasize with their students is a sense of community, a sense of giving back, and making you a better person,” he said.
Burke says as corporations across the U.S. continue to lay off employees and downsize, what solidifies barbering as a career path is its long-term job stability and consistent customer need. He says barbering and styling remain essential regardless of technological advancements. The school is now looking to expand statewide to keep up with demand.
“People are finding out you can have a career where you’re somewhat your own boss. You get to set your schedule and rules,” Burke said.
“This is something you can’t get rid of. It’s not something we’re gonna tariff away. You can’t ship it overseas. You can’t outsource it,” Roy added.
West Park Barber School is officially enrolling its next class, which begins in January. Students complete the required 1,800 hours at their own pace. The school also operates the West Park Barber School Charity, which helps offset tuition costs for income-eligible students. Down the line, Burke hopes to open barber schools across the U.S. Those efforts are already underway.
For more information and ways to sign up, click here: https://www.westparkbarberschool.com/
