The economic development agency 1Berkshire has concluded a nearly three-year report on how to address the rapidly declining population in Berkshire County.
The agency created the county’s first collaborative to address the Berkshires’ population decline.
John Bissel is co-chair of the Berkshire Initiative for Growth:
“To really grow our population, we must let go of some of our favorite myths: there are no jobs here,” Bissel says. “We adopted that mindset when those rivers of [General Electric] employees stopped flowing. And it was easy to believe and perhaps for many years it was even true. Well, it is not true now.”
1Berkshire presented the report Friday at a press conference at Pittsfield’s General Dynamics, one of its partners.
The agency made several recommendations for employers, including: smarter workforce development and recruitment strategies, providing options for continuing education, and encouraging home ownership and immigration to the region.
