RECONNECT Bridging the Opportunity Gap Program (BOG)

RECONNECT's Bridging The Opportunity Gap Program is a collaboration of public and private Berkshire County organizations providing services in alternative education and training, family supports, counseling, job development, and holistic mentoring.  The program supports the development of vulnerable youth under the care of the Department of Youth Services (DYS), and it’s a valuable resource for the Berkshire Community and the families of DYS youth.

Program Components:

Career Readiness

30 hours of career readiness training and development integrating classroom, job shadowing, employer engagement, and team building activities is provided.  Empower Your Future: The DYS BOG Career Readiness Curriculum Guide is a primary resource in providing this employability training to participating youth.

Subsidized Employment

All participants have the opportunity of being placed in a subsidized employment opportunity at the completion of a program orientation and career readiness training.  Employment matches for participants are developed throughout the program by RECONNECT staff. The sudsidized work component offers safe, no-nonsense, real-life work experiences for our program youth, and through this component, a wide array of Berkshire County businesses and organizations have become valuable partners in helping to provide positive outcomes for our program participants.