Apply to BCC Culinary Arts Certificate Program

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is accepting applications to its Culinary Arts certificate program, a seven-week apprenticeship program preparing students for careers in culinary arts.  

The Culinary Arts apprenticeship program combines instruction in the classroom and in the state-of-the-art teaching kitchen with professional work in the field. After seven weeks of foundational coursework, focusing on core culinary skills and knowledge, students will apply their knowledge and receive further practical training while already working professionally with BCC’s educational partners. 

"Graduating from the culinary program at BCC gave me the hands-on skills and confidence I needed to step straight into a professional kitchen. What made the program truly helpful was the practical, daily kitchen training and the one-on-one mentorship from Alexia, who taught us not just how to cook, but how to work efficiently under pressure," said graduate Owen Corbett. "The small class sizes meant I got real feedback on my knife skills, flavor pairings, and plating every single day. I also appreciated the local industry connections, which made it possible for me to balance my education with real-world work. I now feel fully prepared for my next steps in the culinary industry." 

Successful graduates, who earn the industry-recognized ServSafe Food Handler Certificate, will be job-ready for a wide range of food service employment opportunities, including school cafeterias, hospital kitchens, private households and restaurants. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chefs and head cooks in Massachusetts earn a median hourly wage of $37.08 and an annual mean wage of $77,120. 

To apply to BCC, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/apply. For more information, email admissions@berkshirecc.edu.

 


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Pittsfield: Should Park Square Be an Historic District?

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The committee drafting a proposed local historic district around Park Square wants to generate interest and participation in the process. 

Members launched the charge during meetings in August and September. A survey and public hearing are planned to gather feedback early on. 

City Planner Kevin Rayner explained they are not just doing this out of a love for historic buildings, but for the timeless sense of place you get when you step into Park Square, which was laid out over 200 years ago and hosted the first-ever agricultural fair in 1810. 

"I think that the main thing that we need to kind of park on is that this is the heart of our community, and it really sets the stage for the sense of place in Pittsfield, and any change to that should have some review and some consensus from folks who have a passion for protecting the history and that character of Pittsfield," he said to the new Local Historic District Study Committee last week. 

"And there's that private property versus historic resource thing, but I’d say that a lot of these buildings on the square belong to the soul of Pittsfield here, and deserve to be protected, and I don't think that the layer of regulation that we're throwing down here is going to be unreasonable or a real boundary." 

In March, the City Council voted to amend the City Code, Chapter 2, to establish the study committee.

Pittsfield has more than 20 locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Park Square Historical District, but the designation just allows communities to apply for federal tax credits and doesn't impose restrictions on buildings. The central area was laid out a few decades after Pittsfield was given a town charter in 1761.

A district can be one building, several buildings, or an area. Historic restrictions only apply to the exterior of buildings; the committee has authority to say a building in the district cannot be demolished. 

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