
BCTC, or Berks Career and Technology Center, is a career-oriented education center with a wide range of programs that experienced professionals teach. BASH students, as well as high school students from sixteen other districts in Berks County, have the opportunity to attend BCTC. BCTC can set you up for a two or four-year college, a technical or trade school, or direct entry into the workforce. BCTC is a tuition-free program, but students are required to purchase uniforms, workbooks, tools, protective equipment, or certification testing fees that are necessary to the individual programs. In addition to this, attending BCTC replaces electives at BASH.
Students who attend BCTC will operate on a half-day schedule, meaning that half of their day will be spent at BASH, and the other half will be spent at BCTC. Bus transportation will be provided to and from BCTC and BASH, but not from BASH to students’ homes for those who attend p.m. BCTC. To find more information, go to the Berks Career and Technology Center website.
For students interested in getting to know BCTC more, there will be an open house in February for each of BCTC’s campuses. Students can walk around each campus at the open house and get a closer perspective of each program. Program instructors will be present to give information and provide interactive demos. Students and parents can also view creative projects from the various programs. Attending the open house is a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse into what each program is really like, as you will have a visual representation rather than just reading about it online. BCTC’s East Campus will hold its open house on Wednesday, February 5th from 5:00-8:00 at 3307 Friedensburg Rd. Oley and BCTC’s West Campus will hold its open house on Tuesday, February 11th from 5:00-8:00 at 1057 County Welfare Rd. Leesport.
“I get home later than usual, around 4:00,” says Michael Frederick, a 12th-grade student who attends BASH and BCTC as part of the Electrical Occupations program. “I arrive late to stage crew, and I can’t really pick up shifts at my work on weekdays. But, it’s a small price to pay for an opportunity to learn a trade while going to school.”
The due date for the first round of applications has passed, but students are currently able to apply for the second round of applications. For more information about the application process, see the BCTC Application Packet which includes a step-by-step checklist of what must be completed to apply.
KC • Feb 3, 2025 at 8:03 am
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POPPOP L • Jan 27, 2025 at 6:27 pm
Congrats to The contributer, Evelyn Lavanga,very informative article, well done.
Tom • Jan 27, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Great summary of the BCTC program! Top notch reporting by the author!