image description
Most of the employers were locally based, including Country Curtains.
image description
image description
image description
image description
image description
image description
image description

BerkshireWorks Job Fair Attracts Hundreds

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
The job fair attracted an array of employers and job seekers.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If the number of employers at job fairs are any indication, businesses are hiring closer to the pre-recession levels.

The BerkshireWorks annual job fair on Thursday attracted a total of 68 employers and vendors, most of which were local businesses looking for more employees than in previous years, according to BerkshireWorks business representative Barbara Emanuel.

The fair, which has been held for nine years, once featured 99 employers but after the global economic collapse, the numbers dwindled. Thursday's fair showed signs of improvement as state employment agency counted its second highest number of employers.
 
"There's definitely more than last year. It's about 10 more than last year and there are more jobs," Emanuel said. "We're getting back up there. This is probably our second highest fair yet."
 
Emanuel said she sees a notable increase in manufacturing jobs available. Three new manufactures presented at the fair while others had more jobs available. But she also noticed that educational tables — such as Berkshire Community College or Mildred Elley School — are seeing a spike in job seekers stopping for information. 
 
"People want to improve their skills," Emanuel said.
 
The fair featured an array of employers with jobs at nearly all skill levels. It also featured more staffing agencies, according to Bill Murray, career counselor for BerkshireWorks. By noon, more than 200 job seekers visited the Crowne Plaza to browse the tables. The fair ran from 9 to about 1.
 
"We hope to hit 300," Murray said. "This has been steady throughout the day."
 
BerkshireWorks has held workshops for job seekers for the past three years leading up to the fair, Murray said, so their presentation has greatly improved.
 
"We've been really pleased the last couple of fairs with the job seekers. They're not showing up in flip-flops," Murray said.
 
More and more job seekers have been attending the workshops, which focus on proper attire and presence and offer motivational speakers and even a mock job fair to shake off some of the nerves they may have when facing a potential employer.
 
"We did mock interviews at the job fair and it took away that nervousness when they get to the table," Murray said, adding that it is more difficult than ever to make face-to-face contact with employers so those rare opportunities matter.
 
Murray, too, noticed that those employers who were at the fair had more jobs available.

Tags: employment,   job fair,   jobs,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories