The Burlington County Institute of Technology continues to upgrade its facilities and programs to help students find success and prepare for 21st century careers.
The vocational school district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday to celebrate the completion of $8 million in renovations and improvements at the district’s Medford campus off Hawkin Road. The improvements included major expansions and renovations to the school’s welding and HVAC shops and the creation of a new video game design lab.
The improvements are the first major renovations at the school since 2006 and will allow the school district to continue to modernize its programs and enroll more students.
“BCIT students are receiving quality educations that prepare them for high-tech careers, higher education and beyond,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the board liaison to BCIT. “Our Board is proud of the school district’s success and its students’ achievements. Improvements like the ones at the Medford campus will help students continue to excel. Ultimately, they also help Burlington County’s economy by keeping our county and its workforce competitive and attractive to new businesses in rapidly growing industries.”
Dr. Ashanti Holley, superintendent of Burlington County Institute of Technology/Burlington County Special Services School District, said the Medford upgrades will allow more students to enroll in three of its most in-demand programs.
“This renovation is a major milestone for BCIT-Medford, expanding hands-on training in welding, HVAC and game design. With 3,400 square feet of upgraded space, we are providing industry standard facilities that mirror real word environments,” Dr. Holley said.
Joining Dr. Holley and Commissioner Eckel at the ceremony were Burlington County Commissioner Tyler Burrell, who previously served as President of the Board of Education for Burlington County Institute of Technology/Burlington County Special Services District, representatives from the offices of New Jersey Assemblywoman Andrea Katz and U.S. Senator Andy Kim, and numerous BCIT students, faculty, administrators and officials.
The welding shop improvements total 1,300 square feet and include a renovated theory classroom, storage area and four additional welding booths.
The HVAC space is also being expanded to 2,100 square feet, including a classroom, shop area, supply and tool storage area and dedicated brazing area.
The video game design lab provides dedicated space for the new design program, as well as a gaming room outfitted with high-speed computers for the school’s Esports team.
The improvements are being funded with a state grant and county funding.
The school district is using a portion of a $16 million New Jerey grant for career and technical education expansion to fund most of the upgrades to the HVAC and welding shops. The funding was created by the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act, a New Jersey law that appropriated $350 million for county vocational school expansion from a $500 million bond referendum approved by New Jersey voters in 2018.
The video game design lab was created with a $319,000 renovation to existing space in the school. The renovations were completed by skilled workers from the Burlington County Department of Public Works Construction Services Division, which uses union labor to perform many small- and medium-sized construction projects in-house rather than hiring private contractors.
The Division’s construction crews performed just over 1,000 hours of labor to renovate the video game design lab space, saving the school district and county taxpayers an estimated $210,000.
In addition to the Medford improvements, work is progressing on a $14 million expansion and renovation project at BCIT’s Westampton campus off Woodlane Road. That project includes renovations to about 39,000 square-feet of space, including an upgraded logistics training area and a large diesel engine garage.
The Westampton improvements are predominantly funded from the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.
“Providing more opportunities for students to become career-ready at our county vocational schools is a worthy investment,” said Senator Troy Singleton, one of the co-sponsors of the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. “The improvements at both BCIT campuses are a win for students and for Burlington County businesses seeking skilled workers in a variety of fields.”
“These investments in the facilities at both BCIT-Medford and BCIT-Westampton will benefit students from across Burlington County,” added Assemblywoman Andrea Katz. “They will help these programs grow and better prepare students for some of New Jersey’s most in-demand jobs.”