PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Education and Workforce Development program at Berkshire Community College (BCC) is growing to support Berkshire employers and fill needed jobs in Berkshire County. 

 

"It is an exciting time to consider educational opportunities at BCC. Earning a meaningful certificate can happen a lot more quickly than you might have thought possible," said Deb Sarlin, Executive Director of Community Education and Workforce Development. "Equally exciting is the fact that many students will qualify for free tuition with education and training funds from the Commonwealth. It’s a perfect time for people who thought they might not be able to afford a college program, for anyone reimagining their role, or for someone returning to the workforce to consider new opportunities at the College." 

 

The program encompasses noncredit workshops, certifications, community education and trainings to help the region's workforce. Targeted industries include advanced manufacturing, community health, and the culinary arts. While academic certificate programs can be completed in as little as two years, many workforce training programs can be completed in just one year, such as the advanced manufacturing technician program, the technical theater program and the community health worker program. Other year-long programs include digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, making and manufacturing, project management and restaurant management. 

 

"There are so many interesting, quality jobs to explore," Sarlin said. "For example, 'technician' means a lot of different things these days. You might focus on developing qualifications to work with a designer on creating the different pieces of a handbag, or work as part of a team building a new medical device using 3D technology, or help to construct the set for a Berkshire stage." 

 

BCC has hired a total of four staff members to support the Community Education and Workforce Development program, including Sarlin. She has recently been joined by three Instructional Program Managers: Aaron Oster, Tiffany Moreno and Eric Drury. Oster, who leads the development of programs in food, culture and local economy, helps create engaging single-session classes alongside workforce opportunities in the culinary and hospitality industries, which are major drivers of the economy in the Berkshires. 

 

Moreno, whose responsibilities lie in healthcare and wellness, supports workforce opportunities ranging from training new phlebotomists and community health workers to scheduling dance and wellness programs. Drury works with Sarlin to build making and manufacturing opportunities, including growing classes to support the creative use of advanced manufacturing tools such as lasers and 3D printers. Their work is focused on developing crucial programs that meet the needs of local industry. 

 

The new team is preparing to announce a range of short workshops and classes designed to bring community members to campus. Each new person on the Community Education and Workforce Development team is engaging advisory board members to help focus the direction of programming. According to Sarlin, the program is evolving to strengthen communication with local businesses and community partners so that regional employment needs can be met.  

 

"We really want to hear from businesses so we can track the pulse of the local economy," Sarlin said. "We are asking this critical question with our community: 'How we can align our training with the needs of potential employees and Berkshire County employers?'"  

 

Learn more here.

 

For information about upcoming community programs, email communityed@berkshirecc.edu with any questions about short workshops. For local businesses seeking information on making workforce development connections, email

workforce@berkshirecc.edu.