Career Training and Trade School in Chicopee, MA

Career education and training at our Chicopee campus is designed to give you the technical skills you need to become a valued employee in today’s competitive workforce.

Join students from Ludlow, Holyoke, Springfield and other surrounding towns that have improved their career opportunities with career training programs from Porter and Chester Institute.

January 24, 2025:

After much deliberation, PCI has decided to voluntarily withdrawal accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). ABHES, the programmatic accreditor for PCI’s Medical Assisting program, is a voluntary accreditation and not generally required for employment in the field. After consultation with the program advisory board and employers from within the community, PCI has determined that ABHES accreditation does not noticeably improve employment opportunities for our graduates and therefore PCI will withdrawal accreditation effective 2/28/2025.

What does this mean for you as a continuing student? As a continuing student, who enrolled in an ABHES accredited program, there will be no impact if (1) you stay continually enrolled and (2) you do not fail any courses that would delay your graduation beyond October 2025.

PCI strongly encourages all medical assisting students who value the ABHES accreditation to attend classes as scheduled, reach out for tutoring if needed, and work with your instructor to ensure a successful, timely completion of your program. Beyond October 2025, PCI will no longer be ABHES accredited and those graduating will not be graduates of an ABHES accredited program.

Please contact your Campus Director if you have any questions.

Campus Address

1984 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01022

Campus Phone

(413) 459-9760

Career Training Programs in Chicopee

Automotive

Automotive Technology

Computers

Computer Aided Drafting and Design

Computer and Network Technology

Trades

Electrician: Industrial, Commercial and Residential

HVACR

Healthcare

Dental Assisting

Medical Assisting

Online Programs

Online education and training combine qualified instruction and student support with the independence and flexibility of online learning.

See all online programs

Students attending distance education courses in either a hybrid or fully online program may receive their online, didactic instruction from faculty assigned to various campuses and may be in online classes with students from other campuses. Faculty who teach the online component of courses may be assigned to any PCI campus, but work collaboratively with the faculty and campus management where the student is enrolled. Weekly lesson planning among faculty ensures that all students in hybrid courses receive online didactic instruction that aligns with their on campus, hands-on labs and that each student is adequately supported. A student will be considered enrolled, and upon successful completion of all program requirements, will graduate from the campus where enrollment initially takes place.

Career Opportunities in Chicopee

Over the past 2 years at our Chicopee campus, we’ve helped 209 graduates find employment in their field.*

*Employment reported from 1/1/2020 through 2/5/2023

These graduates are working at employers such as:

  • Auto Technology – Balise Automotive, BMW, Gary Rome Hyundai
  • Computer Aided Drafting & Design – Wright Architectural & Mill Work
  • Computer & Network Technology – NCR Corporation, TekSystems
  • Dental Assisting – Baystate Dental, Children & Family Dentistry & Braces, Children’s Dentistry of Chicopee, Cortland Dental & Braces
  • Electrical Technology – BMC Electric, Elm Electric, John Hart Electric
  • HVACR – Darcy Company, Hurley & David, Cumberland Farms
  • Medical Assisting – Cooley Dickinson Healthcare, Caring Health Center, Redwood Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, Tapestry Sexual & Reproductive Health

Porter and Chester Institute’s History in Chicopee

  • The history of Porter and Chester Institute began in 1946
  • Our Brockton campus opened in 1993
  • Our Brockton campus has graduated 4,912 students

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Career Training for Today’s Jobs!

At PCI our Mission is to support committed students in achieving the technical and professional skills essential for their chosen career through industry-modeled, student-centered education and training.

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