Stafford Technical Center’s 14 day programs are for high-school students only. This page covers the courses adults can take through Stafford’s own Adult Career & Technical Education division in the same building.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public regional career and technical center; adult courses in person, evenings and Saturdays |
| Location | 8 Stratton Road, Rutland, VT 05701 (adult division: Suite 100) |
| Who can attend | Day programs: high-school students only. Adults: courses run by Stafford’s Adult Career & Technical Education division |
| Adult courses (2026-27) | CDL Class A, Class B and B-to-A upgrade; Phlebotomy Certificate; SMAW Welding I and II and an advanced welding practicum |
| Typical length | Single courses of one to four months; no adult diplomas or degrees |
| Accreditation | NEASC accreditation badge on Stafford’s website; NEASC team visit November 2021 (confirm current status) |
| Federal aid | None mentioned on the adult course page; full payment at registration |
| Operator | Rutland City Public Schools |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A Rutland high-school technical center with an adult division
Stafford Technical Center is a public regional career and technical center run by Rutland City Public Schools, beside Rutland High School on Stratton Road. Stafford describes itself as the second-largest of Vermont’s 16 regional career and technical centers. Its 14 day programs serve mainly high-school juniors and seniors from partner high schools, with sophomores admitted only when space allows; in February 2025 Stafford told the Vermont Senate Education Committee it had 380 applicants for 262 seats for 2025-26. Adults train through Stafford’s own Adult Career & Technical Education division, in Suite 100 of the same building. For 2026-27 it lists seven fee-paying, in-person courses on evenings and Saturdays: three CDL options, a phlebotomy certificate and three welding courses. The division also runs customised training for employers.
Adult courses for 2026-27
All adult courses meet in person at 8 Stratton Road. Each is a single course with its own price; none is a diploma or degree.
| Course (code) | What it leads to | Schedule and dates | 2026-27 price |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Training (CDLA-01) | Training for the Class A commercial driver’s licence | Saturdays 8 am–4 pm plus flexible weekday hours, 20 Mar–3 Jul 2027; extra behind-the-wheel time | $7,150 |
| CDL-B Training (CDLB-02) | Training for the Class B commercial driver’s licence | Same as CDL-A | $4,350 |
| CDL-B to A Upgrade (CDLU-03) | Class B holders train for Class A | Same as CDL-A | $5,250 |
| Phlebotomy Certificate (MEDL-13) | Stafford certificate; course page names no national exam | Wednesdays 5:30–8:30 pm, 10 Mar–2 Jun 2027 | $2,495 |
| SMAW Welding Level I (WELD-02) | Course (no named certificate) | Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30–8:30 pm, 4 Nov–16 Dec 2026 | $1,500 |
| SMAW Welding Level II (WELD-03) | Course (no named certificate) | Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30–8:30 pm, 6 Jan–4 Feb 2027 | $1,500 |
| Practicum in Advanced Welding Processes (WELD-04) | Course (no named certificate) | Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30–8:30 pm, 3 Mar–1 Apr 2027 | $1,600 |
Stafford also sells online, non-credit courses in health and fitness and teacher professional development through an ed2go storefront. They are run by Cengage’s ed2go, not taught by Stafford, and the storefront shows no credential for them.
What the adult courses cover
CDL training
Stafford’s CDL courses come in three forms: full training for a Class A licence, full training for a Class B licence, and an upgrade for drivers who already hold a Class B. All three follow one calendar for 2026-27, Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm plus flexible weekday hours from 20 March to 3 July 2027, and students must book extra behind-the-wheel time on top of the class hours. The division has trained drivers for employers too: in January 2023 Stafford told the Vermont Senate Education Committee it had trained more than 100 Casella employees for CDLs.
Phlebotomy Certificate
The Phlebotomy Certificate (course MEDL-13) is a single evening course, meeting on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm between 10 March and 2 June 2027. It is separate from Stafford’s two-year Health Careers program, which is for high-school students only. Stafford’s adult course page does not name a national certification exam the course prepares for, and it does not say whether the course includes a clinical placement for practice blood draws. Ask about both before registering.
Welding sequence
Adult welding at Stafford is a three-course sequence: two levels of shielded metal arc welding (SMAW, or stick welding) and a Practicum in Advanced Welding Processes, held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Stratton Road building. Level I runs from 4 November to 16 December 2026, Level II from 6 January to 4 February 2027, and the practicum from 3 March to 1 April 2027. These are separate courses, not a diploma, and the course page does not say whether an American Welding Society qualification test is included.
Costs for 2026-27 and how adults pay
Adults pay by the course, and each course has a single price with no in-district or out-of-state rates, per Stafford’s adult education page. For 2026-27, prices run from $1,500 for one welding course to $7,150 for CDL-A; the full welding sequence comes to $4,600, CDL-B is $4,350, the B-to-A upgrade $5,250 and the Phlebotomy Certificate $2,495. Full payment goes with the registration form, and payment is due by the first class day at the latest. The adult page mentions no federal student aid, VA approval or scholarships, so ask the division about any other funding before you register.
High-school students in the day programs pay nothing: their sending school district pays Stafford’s tuition.
Registering and class times
Adults register by mailing the registration form with full payment, or in person at the Suite 100 office, at least two weeks before a course starts. The adult page lists no entrance test or interview; it refers applicants to each course for requirements such as minimum age. Welding and phlebotomy meet on weekday evenings, and CDL meets on Saturdays plus flexible weekday hours, with extra behind-the-wheel time on top.
Accreditation and results
Stafford’s website says it is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), through NEASC’s committee for public technical and career centers. A 15-member NEASC team spent four days at the school in November 2021, according to Stafford’s January 2023 testimony to the Vermont Senate Education Committee. Check the current status on Stafford’s NEASC listing before relying on it. We found no published completion, job-placement or licensing-exam results for Stafford’s adult courses or its day programs.
Before you enroll
- Adults cannot join the day programs, such as Automotive Technology, Electrical and Plumbing, Health Careers or Cosmetology. The seven courses above are the only ones on Stafford’s adult course page for 2026-27.
- Stafford has no practical nursing program. Vermont State University’s practical nursing site list does not include Rutland; the nearest listed site is VTSU Castleton (VTSU’s page also says the program is not offered in 2026-27, so check before planning on it). Vermont’s electrical and plumbing apprenticeship classes are run by Vermont State University, not by Stafford’s adult division.
- Every adult course is a single course. The welding courses lead to no named certificate, and the phlebotomy course page names no national exam, so ask what credential or test each one includes.
- CDL students need extra behind-the-wheel time beyond the Saturday classes, and full payment goes with the registration form (due by the first class day at the latest).
- An adult cosmetology program appeared on Vermont’s training-provider list in 2024 but is not on Stafford’s current adult course page; ask the division whether it is running before planning on it.
One building on Stratton Road in Rutland
All of Stafford’s classes, day and adult, meet at 8 Stratton Road, Rutland, VT 05701, beside Rutland High School; the adult division’s office is Suite 100. There is no student housing; students commute.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
CDL training (adult, Saturdays)
- CDL-A Training
- CDL-B Training
- CDL-B to A Upgrade
Health (adult, evening)
- Phlebotomy Certificate
Welding (adult, evening)
- SMAW Welding Level I
- SMAW Welding Level II
- Practicum in Advanced Welding Processes
Campus Locations
Rutland, VT 8 Stratton Road, Rutland, VT 05701