BCC Announces Workforce and Community Education Workshops

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Workforce and Community Education department continues to expand its, affordable personal enrichment and professional development
workshops and courses, announcing new offerings for the spring 2025 semester.  
 
"Our Workforce and Community Education department is constantly creating and growing partnerships in the Berkshires. Local employers know they can count on us for training the workforce in
a multitude of career areas, and we welcome the community to partake in our many workshops and classes," said Linda Morelli, Workshop Manager, Workforce and Community Education. "We're excited to offer a whole new slate of opportunities this spring." 
 
With a mission of helping people succeed in the Berkshire County job market, the Workforce and Community Education department offers a wide range of programs, workshops and services designed
to meet the needs of job seekers, career changers and employers. Workforce training areas include healthcare and social services courses for certified nursing assistants, community health workers, substance abuse counselors, emergency medical technicians,
phlebotomy technicians and more.  
 
Online classes are offered for certified paralegals, human resources professionals, HVAC/R technicians and professional bookkeepers, while corporate solutions training workshops are available for area employers. 
 
Upcoming personal enrichment courses, listed below, are centered around four core areas: healthcare, personal growth, art and youth. Further details, including course descriptions and locations, will be announced at a later date. 
 
Healthcare: 
  • Reiki for Healthcare, Level 1: Tuesdays, January 28 and February 4, 6:30-8:30 pm 
  • Reiki for Healthcare, Level 2: Tuesdays, February 18 and 25, 6:30-8:30 pm 
  • Body's Blueprint for Orthopedic Massage Techniques, Class 1: Unlocking Mobility for the Hip and Abdomen: Saturday, March 22, 9 am-3 pm 
  • Body's Blueprint for Orthopedic Massage Techniques, Class 2: Lumbar Regions and Addressing Common Issues in the Leg, Knee, Ankle and Foot: Sunday, March 23, 9 am-3 pm 
 
Personal growth: 
  • Developing Intuition: Tuesday, February 11, 6:30-8:30 pm 
  • Exploring Tai Chi and Qigong: Weekly on Tuesdays, February 18 – March 25, 3:15-4:15 pm   
  • Unpack Your Life: Mastering the Art of Decluttering: Saturdays, April 26 and May 10, 10-11 am 
 
Professional development: 
  • Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) Training, Session 1: Weekly on Tuesdays, January 21 – March 4, 6-9:30 pm 
  • Exploring the Entrepreneurial Journey:  How to Start and Run Your Own Business: Weekly on Tuesdays, February 4-25, 5:30-7 pm 
  • Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) Training, Session 2: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 1 – May 13, 6-9:30 pm 
Art: 
  • Create A Mosaic Garden Stepping Stone: Saturday, April 5, 10 am-1 pm  
  • Tree Painting Class: Saturday, April 5, 12-3 pm 
  • Create Your Own Mosaic Plant Stand: Wednesday, April 16, 5:30-8:30 pm 
  • Learn to Draw: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 29 – May 20, 6-7:30 pm 
Youth: 
  • BCC's After School Dungeons & Dragons Program: Weekly on Wednesdays, February 26 – April 30, 4-6 pm 
  • Financial Fitness:  A Teen's Guide to Budgeting, Security, and Smart Money Habits: Weekly on Tuesdays, April 29 – May 13, 4-5:30 pm 

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CBRSD Makes Cuts to Lower Town Assessments

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — School officials say reductions in the Central Berkshire Regional School District's budget will be felt, but remain optimistic that it will not prevent them from being "the best regional district in the state."
 
Throughout the budgeting season, officials said they strived to keep the seven member towns informed amid contractual increases outside their control and concerns with a state aid funding formula described as "remarkably wrong."
 
The initial budget was about a 9 percent increase, but with "strategic reductions" the district was able to cut that down to 2.99 percent, bringing the total budget to $37,740,005. 
 
"This was no small feat," said Paul Farella, district's Finance Committee chair.
 
In earlier budget drafts, towns voiced concerns over significantly higher assessments, which ranged from approximately 7 to 15 percent, compared to prior years, when it was about 2 to 7 percent. 
 
With the revised budget, projected net town assessments are: 
  • Becket for $2,859,205, an increase of 5.49 percent
  • Cummington for $670,246, an increase of 5.11 percent 
  • Dalton for $10,106,445, an increase of 5.86 percent
  • Hinsdale for $3,277,495, an increase of 10.54 percent 
  • Peru for $1,083,751, an increase of 6.11 percent 
  • Washington for $826,774, an increase of 6.64 percent
  • Windsor for $995,438, an increase of 9.37 percent
"[The cuts] will be felt, but we believe that it is what is necessary for the time being to not overburden our towns while still being able to provide a quality education to our community," Farella said. 
 
Delivering high-quality education while responsibly managing public funds in a district, which like many rural areas, faces financial constraints is a duty Superintendent Michael Henault said he takes very seriously.
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