Ten Long Beach High School students are spending the final two and a half hours of their school day behind a barber chair instead of a desk, learning fades, shaves and sanitation techniques in a converted classroom that doubles as a working barber shop. The new program gives them hands-on training in hair-cutting, business skills and career preparation as they work toward New York state barber certification.
The initiative, approved as part of the district's 2026-27 spending plan in May, is part of a new BOCES co-enrollment program now offered in Long Beach, according to liherald.com. Students meet in Room 208, newly converted into a barbering shop, under the tutelage of Nassau BOCES Barry Tech instructor Dan Wallace. As reported by News 12 Long Island, the class is in its first year and runs throughout the school year, with 10 students currently enrolled.
Instruction starts simple and builds toward more advanced technique. The report notes that students begin by learning basic cutting techniques, including 0-, 45- and 90-degree cutting angles, sectioning, shearing and clipping before progressing to fades, tapers, shaves, facials, beard trims and eyebrow work.
From Clippers To Careers
The curriculum extends well beyond the chair. Beyond haircuts, the program covers practical skills such as career and financial management, resume writing and business planning, per the same account. Students who complete 500 hours of class time and 54 hours of work-based learning become eligible to sit for the New York state barber examination.
Esnayder Velasquez, an 11th-grade student, said the program teaches sanitation, haircutting, fading and proper scissor use. Fellow junior Aubrey Almanzar said they have learned a lot in the program and are looking forward to getting a license. Nuri Ipce, also an 11th-grader, cut Principal Andy Smith's hair on the program's first day and said the experience was nerve-racking but boosted their confidence.
That first cut was part of a small ceremony: Principal Andy Smith and Rich Rogers, the district's director of social studies, business and work-based learning, took seats in the barber chairs on Sept. 30 for inaugural haircuts from the student barbers, the outlet reported.
A Credential That Can Last A Lifetime
Dan Wallace, the Nassau BOCES Barry Tech instructor leading the class, said a barber license can provide a lifelong credential for side or full-time work. He also pointed to a broader shift in education: “You're seeing more and more career and technical education going into these schools,” he told the outlet.
Nassau BOCES already offers barbering instruction at Barry Tech in Westbury, where the course runs one year and is CDOS eligible, emphasizing training in safety, sanitation, shaving, hair cutting, reception and sales, according to Nassau BOCES. The agency also offers in-district barbering programs in Uniondale and Valley Stream, and describes the training as a pathway to employment, business ownership or sales work within the barbering industry.
Long Beach High School plans to expand the barbering program next year, and Nassau BOCES Barry Tech hopes to offer two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, per News 12 Long Island.
Demand Is Already High Elsewhere On Long Island
The appetite for these programs is evident just a few districts over. At Uniondale High School, a similar partnership with Nassau BOCES trains 11th- and 12th-graders in barbering, hairdressing and the business side of haircutting, and the program had 100 students on a waitlist for fall-semester classes, according to school officials cited by Newsday. As in Long Beach, Uniondale students who complete 500 hours of training are prepared to take the state barber-licensing exam, and the Uniondale district pays Nassau BOCES an estimated $140,000 annually for the program. Newsday reports that barbering is one of 16 job-training programs Nassau BOCES offers across six Nassau school districts.
New York's licensing rules add another layer once students finish high school. Barbering is treated as a separate licensure area from appearance enhancement and still requires operational approval, according to the New York State Education Department. The New York State Department of State's barber FAQ also notes that two years of licensed barber apprenticeship in the state are required to apply for the state barber exam.
