PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board has facilitated 27 youth in the completion of paid summer internships at 14 businesses throughout the Berkshire community.  

 

Internship Sites include Berkshire Arts Center, Berkshire Museum, Berkshire Pediatrics / CHP, Bloom Creativity, Clarksburg School Summer Camp, Hotel Downstreet, Emporium Antiques & Art Center, Historic Valley Campground at Windsor Lake, Kayla Civello Training LLC, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Moresi & Associates, Porches Inn, Red Shirt Farm and Williamstown Farmers Market. 

 

"All of the youth participants demonstrated tremendous dedication to their employment experiences this summer and exemplified what it means to have a strong work ethic," Heather Shogry-Williams, Youth Director at MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board said. "We are incredibly grateful to have these young adults as part of the program, and we extend our sincere thanks to their host employers for providing enriching work opportunities that will lay the foundation for their future career success." 

 

Katie and Janaya, interns at Bloom Creativity in Pittsfield, have dedicated their summer to enhancing the startup's social media presence. Collaboratively, they researched and proposed the integration of a social media post scheduler, which now plays a pivotal role in strategically planning the content and visuals they have crafted. 

 

Reflecting on their internship, Katie shared: "This has been an incredible experience for me to learn about social media marketing and content creation." Janaya, on the other hand, highlighted her acquisition of Microsoft Excel skills, acknowledging it as both a challenge and a personal achievement. 

 

The two interns are also developing time management skills, both independently and within a collective setting. 

 

Maizy Broderick Scarpa, the founder and facilitator of Bloom Creativity, commended Katie and Janaya for their initiative and independence. 

 

This program is made possible by donations provided by the First Congregational Church of Williamstown, A Better Community, MountainOne, Smith Bros.-McAndrews Insurance and Berk12. Many thanks to the MassHire Berkshire Career Center and its Youth Department for supporting this program and the youth it serves!