Professional Barber
Complete the necessary licensing requirements and begin building a professional barbering career.
From military service to a new career
KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge Program
Prepare for your next mission by gaining hands-on barbering experience, industry knowledge, licensing preparation, employment connections, and a pathway toward barbershop ownership.
Military Service → SkillBridge → Barber Training → Licensing → Employment → Career Growth → Barbershop Ownership
Introduction
Your next mission starts here
Transitioning out of the military can be one of the biggest career decisions a service member will make.
The KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge Program provides eligible transitioning service members with an opportunity to gain real-world barber industry experience while completing their transition from active-duty military service.
Participants receive structured training and hands-on experience designed to help prepare them for opportunities within the professional barber industry.
The program is designed to create a pathway toward:
- Barber education
- Professional licensing
- Hands-on industry experience
- Employment
- Professional networking
- Entrepreneurship
- Barbershop ownership
Why barbering?
Turn a skill into a career
Barbering is a service-based profession that cannot easily be outsourced or replaced. Every community needs skilled grooming professionals, and the beauty and grooming industries represent a large and established economic market.
- Career independence
- Flexible schedules
- Income-growth opportunities
- Entrepreneurship opportunities
- Build a personal clientele
- Work throughout the United States
- A pathway toward owning a business
- A skill used throughout your career
Program overview
What is the KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge Program?
KJ’s Barbershop provides transitioning service members with structured exposure to the professional barber industry through the Department of Defense SkillBridge framework. The program combines education + hands-on experience + career preparation.
Program Type
DoD SkillBridge Career Training
Training Environment
Professional Barbershop + Barber Education
Schedule
Monday – Friday
Typical Hours
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Training Commitment
Approximately 40 hours per week
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Individual SkillBridge participation dates are based on military approval, transition dates, program requirements, and applicable SkillBridge rules.
Career pathways
Your training can lead to multiple career paths
Barbershop Employment
Connect with barbershops seeking licensed professionals and qualified candidates.
Independent Barber
Develop your personal brand, clientele, portfolio, and professional network.
Own Your Own Barbershop Program
Through our partnership with Barberz Link, we put you on the right path to buy into a franchise for an upscale barbershop you can open anywhere within the USA.
Three-stage transition model
One program. Multiple possibilities.
01
Stage 1 — Train
KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge
Learn the barber industry and gain hands-on experience.
02
Stage 2 — Connect
Barberz Link
Build your professional profile, network with the barber community, and connect with employment opportunities.
03
Stage 3 — Grow
Employment or Entrepreneurship
Build your career as a professional barber or pursue a future pathway toward barbershop ownership.
Why military members succeed in barbering
You’re not starting over. You’re building on what you already know.
Military service develops qualities that can be extremely valuable in the barber industry.
DisciplineLeadershipAccountabilityProfessionalismAttention to detailCommunicationTeamworkTime managementAdaptabilityCustomer service mindsetMission focus
Pathway to barbershop ownership
Don’t just find a job. Build a business.
Military leadership skills can translate well into entrepreneurship. Participants who want to move beyond employment can learn about opportunities for future barbershop ownership through the Own Your Own Barbershop Program and our partnership with Barberz Link.
Learn about barbershop ownership
Meet the program coordinator
Keenan Skipper
SkillBridge Program Coordinator | Master Barber | Barbershop Owner | U.S. Navy Veteran
Keenan Skipper is a retired U.S. Navy veteran, professional Master Barber, entrepreneur, and longtime barbershop owner. After retiring from the military, he opened two successful barbershops in the Jacksonville, Florida area — KJ’s Barbershop, DBA Legendz Barbershop, and Precision Grooming Barbershop, an upscale barbershop serving the community. He now works to provide transitioning service members with another pathway into civilian employment and business ownership.
As Founder and CEO of Barberz Link, a mobile app company, he also works to connect barber professionals, students, schools, and barbershop owners through employment and professional networking technology. The Barberz Link app helps barbers find barbershops that are hiring and serves as a networking tool for the barber industry.
Your military career may be ending.
Your next mission is just beginning.
You served your country. Now it’s time to build the skills, career, and future that come next. Whether your goal is to become a professional barber, find employment, build your own clientele, or eventually own a barbershop, the KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge Program is designed to help you begin that transition.
Train. Get licensed. Get connected. Build your future.
Apply for the KJ’s Barbershop SkillBridge Program