BCC Invites All to 'Explore the Electrician Trade'

07:48AM / Monday, June 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a free, hands-on career awareness event called "Explore the Electrician Trade" on Tuesday, June 24 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

The event will be held in the SBA Lounge on BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield.

The event will focus on the BCC Trades Academy's future electrician program. Attendees will include local electricians, young employees in the trade and facilities managers. Admission is free; registration is suggested but not required. To register, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/electrician.

An overview of the program will be followed by a casual, guided talk with local employer Comalli Electric. Topics of conversation include career pathways, wages, certifications, day-in-the-life stories and more.

In addition, there will be a virtual reality (VR) interactive experience and hands-on demonstrations of electrical tools and simulations, solar panel installation and basic wiring practice. A variety of informational tables will feature BCC programs, employers and community partners, including MassHire, Second Street Second Chances and Dan D'Alma of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

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ServiceNet Hopes to Open Pittsfield Warming Center in Nov.

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A warming center is again planned in the First United Methodist Church for the cold months.

During last week's Homelessness Advisory Committee meeting, Erin Forbush, director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet, reported that they hope to begin operating the nighttime center in mid-November.

It would operate from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. in the church, which abuts The Pearl shelter. Forbush said the warming center would be the same program as in the past.

"Again it's a warming center, so there's no cots or beds, but it is certainly a place to come in, and we'll have a hot coffee or cocoa ready for folks," she explained.

"It will be a place to be inside and warm."

This year, ServiceNet hopes to secure full funding from the state so the warming center can open on Sundays at 5 p.m. In years past, they found that Sunday is the most challenging day for unhoused individuals because many community spaces aren't open.

The First Housing Resource Center, managed by Hearthway, opened earlier this year as a low-barrier option for people to rest and access amenities. It is open seven days a week, and Forbush said if people could come to the warming center on Sundays at 5, there would be a fuller day of coverage.

"It does still leave a little gap for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as spaces like the library close at five, but we know that Sundays were something that people were looking for," she said.

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