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Southampton County Public Schools’ successful and long-running cosmetology program will be bolstered as a result of a one-time grant for $125,000 from the Virginia Department of Education.

Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons announced July 6 the awarding of $3 million in competitive state grants to 24 school divisions for career and technical education skilled trades programs.

A VDOE news release stated that each school division “will receive $125,000 to establish, expand or restore skilled trades programs in middle or high schools. The one-time grants will support programs offering industry-recognized certifications or credentials that are in demand by regional employers and that lead to employment opportunities.”

SCPS is one of the 24 school divisions receiving the grant award, and the release noted that the school division will be using the funds to expand its cosmetology program at the Southampton Technical and Career Center.

“We’re excited to be able to expand our cosmetology program,” Southampton County School Board Chair Dr. Deborah Goodwyn said. “Southampton County has had a cosmetology program for probably well over 25 years, and it is a successful program.”

She noted that according to the U.S. Department of Labor, cosmetology is a field that is supposed to grow over the next decade, and as a result, “it appears to us that this is a good place to use that funding.”

In the VDOE release, the superintendent of public instruction said, “In Virginia and across the nation there are high-paying jobs in the skilled trades that go unfilled due to a shortage of qualified applicants. I want to thank the General Assembly for recognizing the need to prepare more young people for these career opportunities and providing the funding for these grants.”