Barber Schule Schweiz, Zürich

Barber Schule Schweiz operates from Alfred-Escher-Strasse in Zürich and positions itself as the country’s first dedicated barber school, run out of an established salon and barbershop. It publishes its courses, durations and prices in full, which is more than most Swiss providers manage.

Three courses run, each over two days. The Absolut Beginner Kurs is 1,500 francs and covers the basics of barbering and cutting technique, aimed at newcomers and returners, with tools provided on request. The Shave and Beard seminar is also 1,500 francs, covering luxury shaving and beard care in theory and on live models, capped at four participants, taught in German, English or French and awarding a diploma. The Fade and Clipper course is 1,100 francs, covering advanced clipper and fade technique, with a minimum of two participants, and shorter look-and-learn morning sessions run at 250 francs a day. The awards are the school’s own; there is no eduQua certification and no federal EFZ route here.

On Swiss credentials: Coiffeur is a regulated trade and the state qualifications are the federal EFZ apprenticeship and, above it, the Eidgenössischer Fachausweis. None of the private barber academies here offers either. The quality mark that does appear is eduQua, the Swiss standard for adult education providers, worth having, but a provider-quality certification rather than a trade qualification.