Connecting Activities

The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board (BWB) has positioned itself as the regional lead in developing and coordinating all Career Readiness activities and programs for Berkshire County in-school and out-of-school youth. The BWB has established Connecting Activities (CA) as the ‘overarching initiative’ encompassing all regional career awareness, exploration and immersion activities and has continued to work to strengthen partnerships and collaborations among school-based-staff, school district administration, regional employers and community-based professionals in expanding the College & Career Readiness system throughout Berkshire County.

The BWB and its school district and community-based partners are committed to expanding the delivery of Work-Based-Learning and Career Readiness opportunities to students/youth in Berkshire County through the prioritization of the following strategies and focal areas:

Long-standing partners of the BWB, including school districts, employers, CBOs, social service agencies, higher education and economic development entities, have played an integral role in supporting BWB staff with the abovementioned expansion of workforce services and resources to the residents and employers of the region.

This extensive community-wide collaboration is unique to Berkshire County and serves as the catalyst for the consistent innovation and sharing among partners regarding all youth-related workforce development activities and programs under the CA initiative. The BWB’s extensive promotion of CA and how it serves as a primary vehicle in driving the College & Career Readiness initiative has resulted in regional recognition of the true importance of Connecting Activities and how it is a direct remedy in addressing the economic and population issues affecting Berkshire County.