The A-B Tech Barber Academy is the only community college barbering program offered in Western North Carolina. Established in 2020, the Barber Academy is a continuing education workforce training program that prepares students to pass the licensing examination offered by the NC State Board of Barber Examiners (NCBBE).
Barbering programs in North Carolina are required to provide a minimum of 1528 clock hours of instruction. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Barber Academy is a full-time program that takes 18 to 22 months to complete. Lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practical work are designed to prepare students to apply for and pass the Apprentice licensing examination by the North Carolina State Board of Barber Examiners (NCBBE). The Apprentice licensing examination is a combination of shaving, tapered haircut, implements, anatomy, chemistry, chemical hair services, skin and hair histology, professionalism, and business practices.
The Barber Academy is popular and currently has a waiting list, but we welcome all to explore further. For more information about the Academy, the program, or how we operate, please contact us at barber@abtech.edu or (828) 747-9611.
Barber Academy Services
The A-B Tech Barber Academy is now accepting clients!
Please help our future professional barbers in their endeavors to become the best they can be by making an appointment.
The Barber Academy will open for clients Monday - Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in Birch 137 on the A-B Tech Asheville Campus.
Please call (828) 747-9611 or email barber@abtech.edu.
Goodwill Podcasts for the Barber Academy
- A-B Tech Barber Academy - Jay Kaufmann - Jay's Career Story
- A-B Tech Barber Academy - Jay Kaufmann - Training Tomorrow's Barbers
Contact Information:
Jay Kaufmann, Coordinator, and Lead Instructor
- Phone: (828) 747-9611
- Email: barber@abtech.edu
To be added to the Barber Academy Waitlist, fill out the Barber Academy Waiting List Form.
The Barber Academy Staff
Jay Kaufmann, A-B Tech’s barbering academy coordinator and lead instructor, began the college’s barbering program in 2019. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, he holds multiple degrees in journalism, history, and philosophy. Jay studied at Roffler Hair Design College in Jacksonville and has 40 years of experience as a barber, including ten as a shop owner. He is passionate about teaching and has 35 years of experience. His favorite part about being a barber is sharing his knowledge with students and watching them grow. When he’s not working, he enjoys being with his wife and dog and working on his property, doing gardening and yardwork.
Luke Rogers has been barbering for twenty years. Originally from Canton, NC, he went to Western Carolina Barber Academy. Luke has spent about half his career working solo and managing a barber shop in Haywood County that originally belonged to his grandfather. His favorite part about cutting hair is the many long-term relationships he’s built over the years. Luke has worked at A-B Tech as a part-time barber instructor since September 2025 and will begin working full-time as an instructor this summer. When he’s not working, Luke loves to spend time with his wife and their three kids.
