PITTSFIELD — Boyd Technologies of Lee recently hired a seamstress who worked at the former Country Curtains to run an ultrasonic sewing line. While that might seem like a mismatch between job skills and professional requirements, it’s not.
This person’s previous employment history, productivity level and approach to work outweighed the lack of high-level work skills. The seamstress got the job.
“We can train,” said Boyd Technologies president and CEO Stephen Boyd.
Ways to bridge the skills gap, a gaping hole in both the local and national economies, were discussed Wednesday when U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal hosted an Economic Development Policy Summit at Berkshire Community College. Panel discussions on community development tax incentives and workforce development took place along with a back-and-forth discussion between Neal and Wayfair co-founder and CEO Niraj Shah, who grew up in Pittsfield.
Read `Bridge that skills gap’: At summit, leaders talk unlocking Berkshires’ economic potential published October 2, 2019 on The Berkshire Eagle