Do you think you know everything? Think again!

Learning has no age limit. The Nassau BOCES adult education programs are here to help people of all ages build careers, especially in the industries Long Island needs most.

BOCES has specialized programs for everything from construction to cosmetology, and are expanding their offerings to include three new programs beginning this school year: clinical medical assistant, veterinary assistant and pet grooming. These three new courses, like BOCES’ other programs, include internships and on-site training. BOCES is continuing the success it experienced under superintendent Robert Dillon, who died July 28.

Brad Slepian, the assistant principal of the adult education program, said that BOCES helps students find where their passions and interests intersect with job market demand. That kind of opportunity can cost tens of thousands elsewhere. As a public program, BOCES strives to make its offerings as affordable and accessible as possible.

“Whether it’s our actual training, or providing different opportunities and connecting students to different grants that might allow payment for their full training program, we want to ultimately make it as low cost or no cost to the student as possible,” Slepian said.

That goal is exactly what allowed Meaghan Makar, from West Hempstead, to achieve her dream of becoming a professional hairstylist. Makar was in college when the pandemic hit, and realized she wanted to pursue her passion. She looked at many different programs, but knew her search was over when she found BOCES.

“It was kind of just a no brainer,” Makar said. “I came from college and I definitely didn’t have more money to spend on a different path now, so I looked into it, and BOCES actually works with the Town of Hempstead Job Center. So I got a grant from the Town of Hempstead so that I could attend BOCES.” 

Makar said that with the education and experience she received in BOCES’ 1,000-hour cosmetology program, it would be her top choice regardless of cost. She learned haircuts, updos, perms, rollers, and everything in between to prepare her for the practical exam and beyond. Industry experts would come to impart advice about their specializations — tips and tricks for men’s haircuts, vivid color hair dyeing, seamless highlighting. To someone like Makar who likes to ask questions, the in-person expert advice was indispensable. Makar said that professionals in the industry who went to other cosmetology programs didn’t have that same experience and found themselves having to learn on the job.

Makar currently works at East Coast Hair Studio, a young studio in Oceanside that has already made a big name for itself — the team won the best hair salon Long Island Choice Award this year, just 18 months after opening. She joined the team this past April while still attending BOCES.

“It was great because every time I learned something I’d be so excited to go into work,” Makar said. “Being able to have a job during the day and go to school at night, it really helps with applying things as you go,” she added.

That structure is what allowed Giovanni Iglesias, from East Meadow, find success and stability at the same time. Iglesias had spent 25 years as an internationally renowned DJ, playing at clubs across Europe, South America, and the states — until Covid hit. The gigs came to a sudden halt. 

Though he had been making good money as an artist, going through the pandemic — and meeting his wife soon after — taught him an important lesson: job security is priceless. Iglesias was not alone in that realization, according to Slepian.

“Since the pandemic, people know that there’s job security in the trades,” Slepian said. “These trades, they’re not going anywhere. And the jobs are only increasing.”

Iglesias found BOCES and applied for a grant to attend the trade electric program. Soon after beginning his studies, though, he received a call from the MTA offering him the bus operator position he had previously applied for. He spent the next years balancing his employment and his education. Iglesias said the instructors at BOCES were instrumental in making the balance possible. 

“The teachers understood, they worked with me,” Iglesias said. “So I don’t lose my time, I don’t lose my pension, but I can do something I actually enjoy doing: electrical work.”

These days, Iglesias continues to work with the MTA and volunteers with Grasso Electric — a mentor he found during his time at BOCES — during his time off. He recently passed the electrical helper exam he’d been preparing for, and currently has his sights set on working as an electric helper for the MTA and eventually becoming licensed as a master electrician.

BOCES prepared Iglesias for success, but that came as no surprise to him — It was the same organization he graduated from in 1999, where he learned multimedia video production. His knowledge of video editing, branding, music production, and more put him leagues above the industry standard, and helped him excel as a DJ and an artist for 25 years. Now Iglesias is entering the next chapter of his career with the same level of preparedness.

“That’s what BOCES does,” Iglesias said. “BOCES was always the reason for my success.”

To find out more about BOCES’ offerings, visit NassauBoces.org/AdultEducation.