Page 57 - BusinessWest August 7, 2023

anti-human, but we think about it as really serving humanity ... we think about things more from a humanitarian standpoint.”
Josh Mendel, associate dean of Graduate and Continuing Education at MCLA, agreed. “The possibilities are really limit- less for our students to embrace and be a part of the future of advanced technologies,” he said, adding that this partnership allows the college to fulfill the critical needs of the advanced- manufacturing industry in Berkshire County to grow and enhance the future of the county’s workforce, and that partner- ing with BIC in this way was a logical next step in the MBA program.
“We needed to be at this hub of innovation, advancement, and opportunities for students to grow and support a critical sector in the Berkshires,” he explained.
Mendel said he expects applicants to the program to be a blend of recent MCLA graduates with a passion and desire to stay in the Berkshires and want to be part of the energy hap- pening at BIC, and also working professionals who have an interest in getting their MBA to get to the next pay grade or promotional opportunity.
“Some are about to become entrepreneurs; we’ve had sev- eral students in the past couple of years start their own busi- ness organization,” he said. “So this made so much logical sense — our mission is to support critical growth sectors in the Berkshires, and what better partner than BIC?”
The Berkshire Innovation Center’s programming includes the BIC Manufacturing Academy, an industry-led training col- laborative designed to address persistent challenges facing the manufacturing economy in the Berkshire region by closing the gap between local supply-chain capabilities and the needs of larger manufacturers through ongoing education, training, and technology assistance. Another program is the BIC Stage 2 Accelerator, a 30-week, hands-on, results-oriented program designed to serve early-stage tech startups that are building a
physical product and moving toward the manufacturing phase. There’s also a robust slate of ‘learning series’ — for stu-
dents, BIC members, community members, and executives
— some of which MCLA’s students will be able to access. But beyond the specific programming, Rebelo said, the BIC is also a space that will excite students about learning, not only through classes and panel discussions, but through day-to-day conversations with people doing innovative work.
“They’ll have access to resources and ‘collisions’ — and the collisions they make in the café could lead to some of the most valuable outcomes of these innovative relationships,” he noted.
Staying Connected
Drawing on the ‘systems thinking’ philosophy of Peter Senge, a pioneer in organizational development, Rebelo noted that, “if we’re going to be a learning organization that thrives in the 21st century, MCLA and BIC have to be in constant conversations about the systems we’re creating together and strive for mastery of the educational experience of the adult learner.”
In addition, Mendel told BusinessWest that MCLA draws many students from outside the Berkshires, and connecting them to a hub like BIC could be a factor in keeping young tal- ent within the region.
“It’s very important to us to connect these students back to these companies and organizations and job opportunities and internships, so they stay and grow and raise families and have full-time careers here in the Berkshires.”
Puc agreed. “We’re in a rural community, and I can’t think of another hub like BIC that serves a rural community they way they are. That speaks to the efficacy of our educational programs and the innovation of BIC, in the way we serve learners in a rural community.” BW
“This made so much logical sense — our mission is to support critical growth sectors in the Berkshires, and what better partner than BIC?.”
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