CCST board member John Blair, CEO of Ogle Schools, testified in the Senate Business & Commerce committee on April 6 in opposition to Senate Bill 1087, relating to the regulation of the hours of instruction for cosmetology licensing. This bill would reduce the number of hours required for a cosmetology license in Texas. Blair said the average hour requirement currently across the nation is 1600 hours. He asked the committee if you take 500 hours away where do you take them from? Blair said the industry works with sharp implements, contagious diseases, and chemical compounds; the 1500 hour program allows for adequate training in all areas needed for this career. He emphasized the need for career readiness not just to train people to be “test ready”. He also said that the 1000 hour states are outliers (MA and NY) because of the more concentrated populations, versus Texas which is more expansive/rural . Blair also emphasized that we don’t need a high volume of low skilled workers – we want a high volume of high skilled workers. You can view his full testimony below: