| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public area career and technical center; campus-based day and evening classes |
| Campuses | 2, both in Berks County, Pennsylvania: West Campus in Leesport and East Campus in Oley |
| Who attends | About 2,000 high-school students and 500 adults a year; adults join day programs space-available |
| Credentials | Clock-hour certificates (no degrees); evening courses and CDL training |
| Typical length | Welding 735 clock hours, about 10 months by day; cosmetology 1,250 hours; CDL 160 hours |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools, since 1990 (next review 2030) |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell grants and Direct Loans, FAFSA school code 040413 |
| Operator | Joint Operating Committee of 16 Berks County school districts; founded 1968 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A high-school career center that also trains adults
Berks Career & Technology Center (BCTC) opened in 1968 and is run by a Joint Operating Committee of the 16 public school districts that send it students. It runs more than 30 career programs on two campuses, the West Campus in Leesport and the East Campus in Oley, for about 2,000 high-school students a year. About 500 adults also study through its Adult Continuing Education (ACE) division. Adults have two routes. By day they sit in the same programs as the high-school students, admitted when seats are open, and earn a clock-hour certificate; several of these programs qualify for federal student aid. In the evening, ACE runs shorter courses, CDL training and state certification classes. The school says it is registered to the ISO 9001 quality standard.
Day programs open to adults, and where they run
Adults can enter 27 of BCTC’s day programs; the table shows the main ones. Credentials are those listed in the school’s 2024-25 Program of Studies. Tuition is the 2024-25 figure reported to the federal government, the latest published; programs without a figure had none reported.
| Program | Campus | Length | Credentials it prepares for | Tuition and fees 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding Technology | Leesport | 735 clock hours, about 10 months | AWS Certified Welder, AWS SENSE Level I, NCCER Core | $9,643 |
| Electrical Occupations | Leesport | Day, school year | NCCER Core, OSHA/CareerSafe, PBA Skills Certificate | $17,599 |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | Leesport | Day, school year | OSHA/CareerSafe 10 | – |
| Precision/Computerized Machining Technology | Leesport | Day, school year | NIMS credentials (NIMS-accredited test site) | $17,559 |
| Drafting Design Technology | Leesport | Day, school year | ADDA Apprentice Drafter, Autodesk Certified Professional | – |
| HVAC/Refrigeration | Oley | Day, school year | HVAC Excellence assessment, EPA 608, Section 609, OSHA 10 and 30 | $17,599 |
| Plumbing & Heating | Oley | Day, school year | NCCER Core, OSHA/CareerSafe, PBA Skills Certificate | – |
| Carpentry | Oley | Day, school year | NCCER Core, OSHA/CareerSafe 10, PBA Skills Certificate | – |
| Building Construction Occupations | Oley | Day, school year | OSHA/CareerSafe 10, PBA Skills Certificate | – |
| Masonry | Oley | Day, school year | NCCER Core, OSHA/CareerSafe, PBA Skills Certificate | – |
| Cabinetry & Wood Technology | Oley | Day, school year | ALA ladder safety, OSHA/CareerSafe, PBA Skills Certificate | – |
| Diesel Technology | Oley | Day, school year | – | – |
| Automotive Technology | Both | Day, school year | – | – |
| Automotive Collision Repair Technology | Both | Day, school year | – | $17,559 |
| Cosmetology | Both | 1,250 hours | PA cosmetologist, manicurist and cosmetology teacher licences | $13,875 |
| Culinary Arts | Both | Day, school year | ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook, ServSafe (program ACF-accredited) | – |
| Health Occupations | Leesport | Day, school year | PA Nurse Aide Registry, BLS | – |
| Dental Occupations | Oley | Day, school year | BLS, Radiation Health & Safety (no CODA accreditation claimed) | – |
The other day programs open to adults are Advertising Art & Design Technology, Computer Systems Networking & Security, Early Childhood Education, Heavy Equipment Operations, Heavy Equipment Technology, IT Programming, Recreational & Power Equipment Technology, Residential Painting & Interior Design and Video & Media Content Production.
What the main programs cover
Welding Technology
Welding awards more certificates than any other BCTC program: nine of the 23 certificates BCTC awarded in 2023-24 were in welding. It takes 735 clock hours, about ten months of school days, at the Leesport campus. Students train toward the American Welding Society’s Certified Welder test and the AWS SENSE Level I entry-welder credential, plus NCCER Core and OSHA/CareerSafe safety cards. BCTC also runs a 112-hour evening Advanced Welding Technology course, which meets from 5:30 to 9:00 pm between January and May 2027 and requires a welding kit.
HVAC/Refrigeration
The HVAC program at the Oley campus is measured against the HVAC Excellence student outcome assessment. Students prepare for EPA 608 refrigerant certification, Section 609 certification, NCCER Core, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards and the PBA Skills Certificate. The 2024-25 Program of Studies lists these credentials. A separate evening Refrigerant Recovery and Transition (EPA) course runs over two weeks in January and February 2027.
Electrical Occupations
Electrical Occupations is taught at the Leesport campus. Students work toward NCCER Core, OSHA/CareerSafe and the PBA Skills Certificate, a skills test built on NOCTI assessments. In August 2026 a state representative announced a $140,000 PAsmart grant, per the Pennsylvania House release, to add fiber-optic, industrial-automation and utility-infrastructure training to the program. Adults take the same day schedule as high-school students and follow the high-school calendar, so this is not a night-school option.
Cosmetology
Cosmetology runs at both campuses and is built around the 1,250 hours the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology requires before the licensing exam. The program prepares students for the state cosmetologist licence, and it also covers the manicurist and cosmetology teacher licences. Adults attend during the school day with high-school students, so the hours accumulate on the school calendar rather than on a salon schedule. Two cosmetology certificates were awarded in 2023-24, so the adult group that year was small.
Culinary Arts
BCTC’s Culinary Arts program, taught at both campuses, is accredited by the ACF Education Foundation’s Secondary Certification Committee. Students can earn the American Culinary Federation’s Certified Fundamentals Cook and Secondary Culinary Graduate credentials and ServSafe food-safety certification. Because the accreditation is a secondary-school one, adults should ask how the credentials compare with a postsecondary culinary program before enrolling. Adults are placed in the daytime high-school class when seats are open and must provide the same background checks as other adult day students.
CDL Training
The CDL program is run only for adults, from a training house at the West Campus Conference Center in Leesport. It is 160 hours, offered for Class A on a manual transmission or for Class B. Day sections meet from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and take about three weeks; evening sections meet from 5 to 9 pm over four to five weeks. Sections are scheduled from October 2026 to July 2027. A separate short hazmat course is offered for drivers who need the endorsement.
Costs for 2026-27 and how adults pay
BCTC sets adult day tuition each year, but its 2026-27 day tuition was not published in a form we could read in October 2026. The latest published figures are for 2024-25: from $9,643 for welding (735 hours) to $17,599 for electrical and HVAC, per College Navigator. Welding’s figure has fallen each year since 2021-22, when it was $15,444. Students also pay for uniforms, books, tools, protective equipment and certification fees, and day tuition is due in August and January; payment plans need approval. We found no in-district or out-of-state rates.
Evening and CDL fees for 2026-27 are posted in BCTC’s adult registration system:
| Course | Hours and dates | 2026-27 fee |
|---|---|---|
| CDL Training, Class A (manual) | 160 hours; day sections about 3 weeks (7:30 am-3:30 pm), evening about 4-5 weeks (5-9 pm) | $6,195 |
| CDL Training, Class B | 160 hours | $4,800 |
| CDL Hazmat | Short course | $295 |
| Advanced Welding Technology | 112 hours, 12 Jan-4 May 2027, 5:30-9:00 pm | $3,145 plus $339 kit |
| Machining-Milling | 90 hours, Mon and Wed 6-9 pm, 4 Jan-26 Apr 2027 | $2,092 |
| Pneumatic & Hydraulic Power Systems | 52 hours, 4 Jan-14 Apr 2027 | $1,092 |
| Refrigerant Recovery and Transition (EPA) | 19 Jan-2 Feb 2027 | $365 |
| PA Safety Inspection Mechanic / Emissions Inspector | Certification courses | $200 / $90 |
Day students can use Pell grants and federal Direct Loans (FAFSA code 040413), and the school also accepts PA-TIP grants, Pennsylvania vocational rehabilitation (OVR), CareerLink/WIOA funding and VA education benefits. In 2023-24, 39% of full-time first-time students received a Pell grant, per federal data.
Admissions and schedule for adults
Admission to the day programs is open but limited by space, according to BCTC’s adult admissions policy. Applicants need a high-school diploma or GED, must be past their normal graduation date, and go through a tour, an application with a fee and an interview. Because adults share classrooms with minors, they also need Pennsylvania State Police and FBI background checks and a child abuse clearance. Foreign diplomas need a credential evaluation at the student’s cost, and earlier clock hours may transfer after a transcript review. Day programs keep the high-school day and calendar. Evening courses meet two or three nights a week, usually from 5:00 or 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
Accreditation and results
BCTC is accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools since November 1990, with its next review due in December 2030; this is the accreditation behind its federal aid eligibility. Culinary Arts holds ACF Education Foundation accreditation, the machining program is a NIMS-accredited test site and HVAC uses the HVAC Excellence assessment. Federal results (College Navigator) cover a small group: 47 students were enrolled in BCTC’s federal-aid programs in fall 2024. Of full-time first-time students who began in 2021-22, 63% finished within 150% of normal time, and 84% of full-time students returned from fall 2023 to fall 2024. BCTC awarded 23 certificates in 2023-24. We found no published job-placement or licensing-exam pass rates.
Before you enroll
- Adult day students are placed in high-school classes, only when seats are open, on the high-school day and calendar. Plan for background checks and a child abuse clearance before you start.
- BCTC has no practical nursing or RN program. Health Occupations prepares students for the PA Nurse Aide Registry, and Berks County’s practical nursing program is run by Penn State Berks.
- Dental Occupations claims no CODA accreditation in the 2024-25 Program of Studies; ask what role and credential it leads to.
- BCTC’s own classes are all in person. The online courses on its adult menu come from ed2go, a third-party provider, and are not BCTC certificates.
- Business Management & Entrepreneurship and several other programs are for high-school students only, and Horticulture no longer appears in the current program list.
- There is no student housing; both campuses are commuter campuses.
Two campuses in Berks County
The West Campus, 1057 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533, teaches electrical, welding, mechatronics, machining, drafting, IT, media and health programs and houses the adult division, its evening courses and CDL training. The East Campus, 3307 Friedensburg Road, Oley, PA 19547, teaches the building trades, HVAC, plumbing, diesel, heavy equipment, networking and dental programs. Cosmetology, culinary arts, early childhood, automotive and collision repair run at both.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Construction and Building Trades (day, adults space-available)
- Building Construction Occupations
- Carpentry
- Cabinetry & Wood Technology
- Masonry
- Plumbing & Heating
- HVAC/Refrigeration
- Electrical Occupations
- Residential Painting & Interior Design
- Heavy Equipment Operations
- Heavy Equipment Technology
Engineering and Manufacturing (day, adults space-available)
- Welding Technology
- Mechatronics Engineering Technology
- Precision/Computerized Machining Technology
- Drafting Design Technology
Transportation (day, adults space-available)
- Automotive Technology
- Automotive Collision Repair Technology
- Diesel Technology
- Recreational & Power Equipment Technology
Services (day, adults space-available)
- Cosmetology
- Culinary Arts
- Early Childhood Education
Health (day, adults space-available)
- Health Occupations (PA Nurse Aide)
- Dental Occupations
Business, IT and Communications (day, adults space-available)
- Computer Systems Networking & Security
- IT Programming
- Advertising Art & Design Technology
- Video & Media Content Production
Adult evening courses and CDL
- CDL Training (Class A and Class B)
- CDL Hazmat
- Advanced Welding Technology
- Machining-Milling
- Industrial Maintenance Technician
- Pneumatic & Hydraulic Power Systems
- Refrigerant Recovery and Transition (EPA)
- PA Safety Inspection Mechanic
- Emissions Inspector
- Trade Prep Certificate Programs
- Apprenticeship related instruction
Campus Locations
Reading (Leesport), PA 1057 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533
Reading (Oley), PA 3307 Friedensburg Road, Oley, PA 19547