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

Print Story | Email Story
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. 

Tags: BCC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Fox at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and energetic dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Fox is a 3-year-old Pomeranian who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Fox. 

"He's a bundle of joy. He would love a family who's home with him a lot, because he's just, he's very social and wants to be with his people a lot. And he would be fun to bring out and about, bring a lot of places, because he's very happy to go anywhere," she said.

When Fox enters the room he is immediately a puffball of energy that goes around and around the room.

He came to the shelter after his former owner could not take care of him anymore. 

"The owner was just not able to care for him anymore. Had he came in with another dog, Wolf, and she already did find her forever home just last week," said Olivieri. "The two of them were left with a friend of the original owner, and the owner did not come back to pick them up, and the friend had too many animals in the house, and too much going on, and she just couldn't continue to look after them, so they did end up coming to us."

Fox can go home with cats and children but is not recommended to go home with other dogs as he gets too excited.

"He would love a home where people are home quite a bit to give him all the attention that he so desires. He loves kids. He absolutely adores children. So he would like a home with kids to play with. He could live with cats. We are saying that he should not live with other dogs. The only reason is that he gets very humpy, and he does not leave the other dogs alone," she said.

With his energy it is recommended he goes to a home that can keep him active whether walks or hikes and even fetch in the yard.

Fox does need to learn more about walking on a leash and has a tendency to mark in the house but he was recently neutered. Olivieri said belly bands will be sent home with whoever adopts him to help prevent marking and managing it.

"He would like an active home. He really does like to go for walks daily. He likes to run around in the yard. He does need a little work on leash walking. He sometimes gets a little tangled still under your feet, and he's learning how to walk on a leash," she said. "So, someone who's got some patience and some time to work on some training with him."

"He also is not fully potty trained, so he does know to go potty outside. However, he will still mark, urinate in the house sometimes, and he might poop here and there in the house."

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories