BCC Awarded Grant from Commonwealth for Commercial Driver's License Training

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is the recipient of a $132,825 grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, part of a total of $1.5 million awarded to community colleges to train more than 500 students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
 
BCC's grant is earmarked for commercial driver's license (CDL) training. Trained CDL drivers are in high demand in the Berkshires and beyond. According to an American Trucking Association survey, more than 400,000 new truck drivers are needed in the United States every year. 
 
The Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN) grants provide essential training opportunities to unemployed and underemployed people across Massachusetts. These grants, administered through 13 of the state's public community colleges, are designed to equip adult workers with the skills necessary to thrive in key industry sectors. TRAIN grants also fund wraparound support services to guide participants through their learning journey and into new careers, helping to ensure a robust, competitive workforce. 
 
"TRAIN grants open doors for adult learners who need skills to become a valued part of the workforce," said Linda Clairmont, BCC Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education. "We applaud Governor Healey for recognizing the need for career-connected learning, and we look forward to being able to train more students to fill much-needed positions in Berkshire County." 
 
CDL training at BCC consists of a total of 40 hours of classroom, field and on-the-road instruction. For more information, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/CDL.
 
Questions? Email workforce@berkshirecc.edu or call (413) 236-2115. 

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Pittsfield Celebrates Arbor Day at Taconic

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Mayor Peter Marchetti presented the framed original cover art for the day's program. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Generations of Taconic students will pass the tree planted on Arbor Day 2026 as they enter school. 

Pittsfield's decades-long annual celebration was held at a city school for the first time. Different vocational trades at Taconic High School worked together to plant the Amelanchier, or flowering serviceberry, mark it with a plaque, record the ceremony, create artwork for the program's cover, and feed guests. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said the students' participation reflects the spirit of Arbor Day perfectly: learning by doing, serving the community, and helping Pittsfield grow greener for generations to come.

"It's not unknown that trees help shade our homes, help clean our air and water, they support wildlife, and make our neighborhoods and public spaces more beautiful and resilient," he said. 

"And Arbor Day is our chance annually to honor that gift and to remember that when we plant something today, we are investing in the future of our green world."

The holiday was established 154 years ago by J. Sterling Morton and was first observed in Nebraska with the planting of more than a million trees.

CTE environmental science and technology teacher Morgan Lindemayer-Finck detailed the many skilled students who worked on the event: the sign commemorating this Arbor Day was made by the carpentry and advanced manufacturing program, specifically students Ronan MacDonald and Patrick Winn; the multimedia production program recorded the event, and the culinary department provided refreshments. 

The program's cover art was created by students Brigitte Quintana-Tenorio and Austin Sayers. The framed original was presented to Mayor Peter Marchetti. 

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