Hecht highlighted adult ed and
professional training
TOWN OF WALLKILL – The mission of Orange-Ulster BOCES is growing and evolving to include new programs and new constituencies.
Superintendent William Hecht told the Orange County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday that while the school consortium is traditionally known as a vocational institution for high school students that is changing.
In addition to the newly added two-year private pilot’s license and personal trainer programs, Orange Ulster BOCES offers a myriad of adult education programs and professional training programs.
Their Adult Occupational and Continuing Education programs offer 75 courses through 15 areas of study and boast an average annual enrollment over of 3,600 students.
Orange-Ulster BOCES has also applied for six Workforce Investment Act grants for additional funding to the adult education programs. Hecht says he hopes that businesses in the county will utilize BOCES’ adult education programs for resourcing and training for their workforce.
Hecht also addressed the issue of Common Core and the attention it has received.
He said that BOCES is diligently training their educators through professional development courses to ensure they meet the needs of the curriculum and are also working to modify the curriculum. Hecht said because of their student population, specifically their special education population, there is a need to modify the Common Core curriculum appropriately for those students. He said the modification is currently one of their biggest challenges but one they are continuing to work on.
