Groom Curriculum Builds Education and Career Pathways for Professional Dog Groomers

(PRESS RELEASE) RIVERSIDE, CA — Groom Curriculum, a dog grooming education company owned by the World Pet Association (WPA), is helping create more structured ways for people to enter the grooming profession, build their skills and grow their careers. Its programs span registered apprenticeships, college-based training, continuing education and salon team development, giving groomers and employers options for training at different stages of a grooming career.

“Grooming has always been a career people learn hands-on, but the industry has never had enough structure around how that training happens,” said Sierra Elbert, president and founder of Groom Curriculum. “We’re building that structure so people have clearer ways to enter the profession, develop their skills and build a career in grooming.”

Registered Apprenticeship Program

Groom Curriculum’s national Registered Apprenticeship, approved by the U.S. Department of Labor in August 2025, creates a structured pathway for employers to deliver paid, on-the-job training, along with online instruction and instructor training from Groom Curriculum. The program typically runs 12 to 24 months and can be used by independent salons as well as multi-location operators. The Labor Department’s National Guideline Standards approval gives employers, colleges and workforce agencies a framework they can adopt to establish a Registered Apprenticeship program.

WPA brings decades of experience connecting and educating pet industry professionals through SUPERZOO and GROOM’D. That industry network gives Groom Curriculum direct connections to grooming professionals and employers, while building on WPA’s longstanding focus on education, including hands-on skills workshops and business education for groomers at GROOM’D.

For WPA, the work goes beyond creating an apprenticeship program. Professional pet grooming has historically lacked the workforce infrastructure available to many other skilled careers, including a recognized apprenticeship occupation within the U.S.

Department of Labor system. Now, with Pet Groomer recognized as an occupation and Groom Curriculum sponsoring a national Registered Apprenticeship framework, salon employers have a more structured way to train new groomers. Groom Curriculum is also working to connect salon employers with workforce investment boards and other workforce partners that may have resources available to support hiring and training.

“This is what I’m most proud of,” said Elbert. “We’re connecting pieces that have never really been connected for our industry before. Salon owners know they need to grow their workforce, and there are workforce systems designed to support employers. Our job is to help build the bridge between them. We are moving mountains for professional grooming.”

Industry Partnerships and Training

Founded in 2022 and based in Iowa, Groom Curriculum is accredited by the National Council for Continuing Education and Training (NCCET). Its primary pathways include:

• Working groomers: Upskilling offers online continuing education covering safety, handling, sanitation, breed knowledge, grooming techniques, client communication and salon professionalism, and Upskill Fast Track offers test preparation for experienced groomers pursuing the American Kennel Club’s professional grooming credential. Experienced groomers can also pursue opportunities to teach at partner institutions.
• Salon owners: The Registered Apprenticeship Program trains new groomers on the job, and Leadership, Education, Accountability, Development (LEAD) is a three-part team training program covering training, upskilling and onboarding.
• Aspiring groomers: The college program and the Registered Apprenticeship offer two routes into grooming, through partner colleges or an employer apprenticeship.
• Colleges: The licensed college program is a dog grooming workforce program institutions can offer instead of building their own curriculum.

“At GROOM’D and SUPERZOO, we see how much education matters to grooming professionals,” said Mike Karsting, senior vice president of WPA. “Groom Curriculum gives us a way to extend that commitment beyond our events, with programs that support people entering the profession, working groomers and the businesses that employ them.”

College Partnerships and Curriculum

Groom Curriculum began with community college partnerships, and its college program is offered through licensing agreements at institutions, including Austin Community College and North Iowa Area Community College. Students combine online coursework with hands-on training in a working salon, and the program is typically completed in 10 to 15 weeks. The Groom Curriculum model does not require a high school diploma or previous degree, although individual partner institutions may establish their own enrollment requirements.

Through the curriculum, colleges receive access to course content through Canvas, an online learning management platform, along with train-the-trainer support and assistance finding qualified instructors and designing a student grooming salon.

Founded in 2022 and based in Iowa, Groom Curriculum is a professional dog grooming education workforce development company serving groomers, salon owners and colleges. Its programs include continuing education for working groomers, training for salon owners, a college program offered through licensing agreements and dog grooming’s first national Registered Apprenticeship, approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Groom Curriculum is accredited by the National Council for Continuing Education and Training and owned by the World Pet Association. Learn more at groomcurriculum.com.

Founded in 1950, World Pet Association (WPA) is the pet industry’s oldest nonprofit organization. WPA connects and informs pet professionals through industry-defining trade shows SUPERZOO and GROOM’D. Through WPA’s Good Works program, proceeds from these events are funneled back into key industry organizations and nonprofits, including World Alliance of Grooming Associations, National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), USAQUA, USARK, HABRI, Pet Advocacy Network, Pet Sustainability Coalition, BEAK, Pet Care Trust/Pets in the Classroom, with the goal of making it easier for pet industry professionals to do business.

WPA’s mission is to support the business needs of pet retailers and to promote responsible growth and development of the pet industry by providing thought leadership on consumer and legislative issues; leading efforts in the public sector to inform consumers and ensure safe, healthy lifestyles for all animals and providing business resources, education, content and services — including petLENS, its new market intelligence initiative, and Groom Curriculum, its grooming education program — to ensure pet product retailers have the support they need to be competitive. For more information about WPA, visit www.worldpetassociation.