Berkshire Chamber Job Fair Spots Filled Up Fast

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
06:01PM / Tuesday, April 12, 2011Print Story | Email Story

iBerkshires' Wanda Haley explains BerkshireJobs.com to a job seeker at last year's job fair.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — At least 45 businesses and educational entities will be setting up for the annual job fair sponsored by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce at Berkshire Hills Country Club.

There's so many, that there's no more room for all the potential employers, said Christine Hoyt, director of programs and events at the chamber.

"I had a couple people cancel because they had filled their jobs," said Hoyt. "But I had a waiting list, and I had somebody call today."

The response is a far cry from the situation in Taunton a couple weeks ago, when a long-standing job fair was canceled when only 10 employers signed up to participate.

The economy has been a factor in hiring in the Berkshires over the last few years, but Hoyt said the amount of interest in Thursday's job fair is a contrast to what she's been hearing elsewhere. And it's a big change from a couple years ago when 500 jobseekers mobbed 30 table setups, she said. "This is the first time that it has sold out as quickly as it did in my four years here," she said.

General Dynamics, which is planning to add 200 jobs this year alone, will be present. "People are curious about what positions they have open so there'll probably be a lot of traffic," said Hoyt. "The jobs there are all different levels."

Along with General Dynamics, there will be set ups by well-known companies LTI Smartglass and Interprint, newcomers Onyx Specialty Papers, Wave Systems and InterTech, a Dunkin' Donuts management company looking for managers, seasonal positions, manufacturers, health care and staffing agencies. The regular assortment of financial agencies, education training and career placement also will be on hand.

There's fewer home-type businesses, and more manufacturing and management than last year.

"I'm really encouraged by this list of employers," said Hoyt. "This year, you can really see a difference in the quality and the number of positions."

The job fair runs from 10 to 4 on Thursday, April 14, at Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road. It is free and open to the public.

Sponsors are BerkshireJobs.com, a sister site of iBerkshires, BerkshireWorks Career Center, Interprint Inc., Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Partnerships in Employment and New England Newspapers.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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