April 8, 2019
NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — On Friday, April 12, 2019, more than 100 Berkshire County high
school students will be participating in the Berkshire Compact for Education’s 10th
Grade Career Expo at the Berkshire Museum.
Ahead of this event, these high school students have been working with career readiness
counselors, supported by MassHire, to identify potential career paths they are interested
in exploring after high school. They are encouraged to research and learn more about
the dynamics of their career interests and the educational paths that may be required
in each field.
On April 12, the students will be bussed to the Berkshire Museum, where they will
be welcomed to the Expo by College and career professionals. The students will also
hear from keynote speaker, the spoken word artist Marshall Davis Jones or “Marshall
the World-Connector.”
A professional spoken word artist and performer, Jones has been featured at TEDx conferences,
performed at the Musical Instrument Museum, the Omega Institute, and at BBC World
Service, among other high-profile locations. Jones will be presenting at the career
expo in coordination with the nonprofit Narrative Research Group (NRG).
"Marshall’s presence, and this event, is an illustration of community-based cooperation
modernized to help students become more engaged in what they can do here in the Berkshires,”
said NRG Executive Director Dr. Dennis Rebelo. “Marshall's opening greeting will be
just what the students need to begin their journey.”
After the keynote, students will travel to other locations in the Berkshires, where
they’ll attend sessions based on the career tracks they are interested in.
The tracks include:
Art and Education: Hosted by the Colonial Theater in partnership with MCLA staff.
Health Care: Students will attend workshops at Berkshire Medical Center with the BHS
staff.
Business and Finance: Greylock Federal Credit Union will be hosting the students for
the morning and introducing them to several aspects of their industry.
Engineering/Technology and Advanced Manufacturing: Students will travel to Apex for
intensive hands-on workshops.
The Trades: The Allegrone Companies will be welcoming students to a construction site
near the museum and then a tour of their headquarters on Lenox Road.
Hospitality and Culinary: The Hotel on North staff will be providing the students
a behind-the-scenes experience of the hospitality industry
Social and Human Services: Representatives from Brien Center, BFAIR and BCAC will
be working with students to explore the opportunities in the field.
The students will return to the museum after their industry experiences for a comprehensive
resource fair and lunch.
The 10th Grade Career Expo is funded in part by a grant from Guardian to help enhance
college and career readiness opportunities for our local high school students. The
Aspirations Committee of the Berkshire Compact for Education reviewed several models
of career engagement opportunities for high school students and through research identified
the need to bring this program to the tenth grade population. The Committee also wanted
to support the initiatives being implemented through the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 in
identifying and addressing the critical sectors of the local economy.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is the Commonwealth's public liberal
arts college and a campus of the Massachusetts state university system. MCLA promotes
excellence in learning and teaching, innovative scholarship, intellectual creativity,
public service, applied knowledge, and active and responsible citizenship. MCLA graduates
are prepared to be practical problem solvers and engaged, resilient global citizens.
