BCC Sees $1M in Federal Funds for Trades Academy
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College was awarded nearly $1 million in federal funds to support a Trades Academy.
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited the college to highlight the $995,000 he secured through congressionally directed spending. Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education Linda Clairmont said BCC can be a destination for adults who want to learn a skilled trade.
"I want to join up with the amazing work that Taconic and McCann (vocational high schools) are doing to prepare people for these really specific skills, helping people become confident professionals with a direct path to high-wage, high-demand jobs," she explained.
"And we're also addressing the labor shortage that exists in this county, around the state, and around the country, in the skilled trades."
The federal funding will support a feasibility study of an existing vacant building on campus, as well as the evaluation and abatement of any hazardous materials at the location, because it was once a power plant.
BCC will dip its toe into the skilled trades with its first HVAC training program, for which it received $1.2 million from the state in support. The $995,000 in federal funds will go toward creating the academy in a building located on the main campus, and the HVAC heat pump training program will be funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
The $1 million in federal monies will get the college to construction documents, maybe fund some construction, and help identify the necessary equipment and other learning space needs for a skilled trade, Clairmont reported.
The funding is part of more than $14 million in congressionally directed spending secured by the congressman to support economic development, workforce training, and community infrastructure across the Berkshires.
Neal said there are about 6.5 million jobs in the United States that go unanswered every day.
"We're also having this kind of interesting conversation in America right now about the role of a college education, and when you look at a career in a lifetime, college education tends to pay more," he said.
"So what you're doing is you're marrying two realities here, the college education coupled with the need in terms of the trade skill set and opportunity."
He feels the BCC Trades Academy is a "terrific" idea.
"You've seen these pretty interesting shifts in America's political dialogue. You've all experienced it in a country that's really divided right now, but we shouldn't understake the role that outward pressure on wages, opportunity, and skill set is creating," Neal said.
"So there's a great story to tell."
Mayor Peter Marchetti frequently hears from residents about how difficult it is to hire a qualified licensed contractor, electrician, or plumber.
"As people in this part of the workforce retire, there is nobody waiting on the bench to fill these spaces. This shortage directly impacts housing affordability, neighborhood revitalization, and overall economic growth," he said.
"These delays not only have an impact on our residents, but also have a residual effect on the construction of new housing and other city infrastructure projects."
He said his team has been working with enterprise advisers over the past year to examine the current roadblocks within the skilled workforce labor sector and how to work toward practical solutions. They spoke to stakeholders in education, workforce development, construction, housing, youth organizations, and more.
The first phase of work was recently completed, and the city is now further reviewing the recommendations designed to strengthen the local pipeline, support small contractors, and expand access to career pathways.
"Today's announcement is a step in the right direction as we are adding another tool to the toolbox," Marchetti said.
"... Berkshire Community College understands the importance of building upon existing programming that we have in place. Today marks an important step in expanding our ability to connect residents from Pittsfield and across Berkshire County to careers that are in high demand through strategic partnerships and training. BCC Trades Academy is an example of what we can accomplish when we collaborate with one another."
College President Ellen Kennedy said one of Clairmont's goals in coming to BCC was to address the trades' needs, coming in with a vision, and working "very, very" hard to implement it.
Clairmont, former mayor of Pittsfield, looked at Marchetti and members of the Berkshire Delegation and said it was nice to be back among old friends, adding, "This is probably the greatest moment for us to reconnect."
She thanked Neal for believing in BCC and the Berkshire County, and said the Workforce and Community Education team is "dedicated, hard-working, ambitious women who are changing the landscape of workforce training and bringing even more people to Berkshire Community College for a whole variety of training programs."
"There's a lot of momentum around the skilled trades," she said.
The college's board of trustees recently voted to appoint a new leader as Ellen Kennedy prepares to retire. Last month, they unanimously recommended Hara Charlier as the next president of BCC to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education on Tuesday formally approved her appointment, and she will officially assume the role on July 1, 2026.
"She is all in on workforce development and career vocational technical programs. If you Google her, you will see her campus, and you will see how many programs she already offers," Kennedy reported.
"So this is perfect timing to come in and move this project along quite quickly with the wonderful team we have here at Berkshire Community College."
Tags: BCC, federal funds, HVAC, Neal, vocational program,
