Berkshire Compact 

Compact Goals 

GOAL ONE: Raise the aspirations of all Berkshire County residents to view 16 yearsof education, or greater, as the accepted educational norm. We found that far too many county residents believe the attainment of a high school diploma to be their ultimate educational goal. Aspirations must change and be elevated. To achieve this goal we must:

• change the culture that accepts a high school degree as the educational end-point;
• structure the K-12 educational experience so thatmore students aspire to higher education and morestudents are better prepared to make the transition to higher education; and
• provide students with more opportunities to understand that a solid educational foundation pays dividends in the world of work.

GOAL TWO: Improve access to education, training, and lifelong learning. We found that there are many barriers-both real and perceived-to accessing education and training programs; among those barriers are transportation and childcare, cost and convenience, government/programmatic rules and regulations, as well as relevance to professional advancement or personal growth. We can begin to dismantle these barriers by:

• providing all residents with increased opportunities to attend college through the development of a
  Berkshire County Higher Education Passport.
• developing innovative ways to reach residents;
• allowing all residents to have greater access across the educational landscape in Berkshire County; and
• developing a targeted campaign with employers focused on working adults who have little or no
  higher education experience.

GOAL THREE: Make Berkshire County a competitive location for the new technology and knowledge-based economy; make Berkshire County residents among the most technologically educated population in New England. Berkshire County can distinguish itself in the new economy by developing a population skilled in the integration and application of technology and, in so doing, become a competitive location for technology-based economic sectors and companies. We begin this by addressing the following:

• making county residents more aware of emerging and new technology-oriented economic sectors in
  Berkshire County, and the need for higher levels of technology skills and education,
• offering K-12 students more intensive technology oriented learning experiences; and,
• establishing a more effective and county-wide technological infrastructure.

GOAL FOUR: Develop a new "social contract" among employers, employees, and educational institutions that encourages and promote learning, earning, and civic engagement.  As the demographics across the county continue to change, the number one concern expressed by employers is access to a well-prepared, well-educated, innovative workforce. Berkshire County needs to think innovatively and boldly about integrating training and educational opportunities to meet the needs of employers and employees, including:

• increasing the pool of potential workers,
• increasing the skill levels and preparedness of the existing workforce, and
• promoting continuous learning, helping to match educational programs with changing/emerging employment needs.