About us
We place college students and recent grads in paid positions at leading Berkshire businesses. We help our interns with professional development, networking, and adjusting to life in the Berkshires.
Program Summary
Many of our interns find their passion, and ultimately pursue careers with companies in the Berkshires. We like to keep in touch with our BI alumni (you can read some of their stories here) and make sure they know about job postings and opportunities that might be a good fit.
The Berkshires are a great place to find and build community. BI can connect you with employers who will help you gain the skills you need to develop a career with meaning and value. BI also helps you build a local network and find mentors who can help you as you contribute to your field.
program stats
Internships since 2018 when Berkshire interns began.
Companies partnered with us since 2018.
Race
1%
3%
3%
12%
9%
72%
Latino
Unknown
Multi Racial
Asian
Black
White
RECRUITMENT DATA
applications since 2018
applications per internships
of our intern cohort
is from the Berkshires
Gender IdentiTy
44%
2%
54%
Men
Genderqueer
Women
FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS
24%
76%
Yes
No
How we help
We place college students and recent grads in paid positions at leading Berkshire businesses. We help our students with professional development, networking, and adjusting to life in the Berkshires.
Internships are mutual partnerships. We work with employers who are passionate about helping young people develop as professionals. All of our internships pay Massachusetts minimum wage for full-time work during the 10 week program period. We recruit interns from just about anywhere, though most have some connection to the area, through attending college or growing up here.
We believe today’s workforce needs new and diverse perspectives. That’s why BI also helps create opportunities for students from underrepresented groups through the Berkshire Internship Prep Program (formerly I2P2).
In addition to matching students with prospective employers, we offer:
- Career development
- Resume help
- Networking with other interns and local professionals
- Free access to Berkshire attractions and events
- Help connecting interns with resources like housing and transportation
BI is more than an internship program. Our success is your success. Your success is your employer’s success. Your employer’s success is success for the region.
Participating Employers 2023
Meet the team
Bryana supports all of Lever's programming through administrative work and management. She assists with the entrepreneurial and intern curriculum and manages program logistics. Born and raised in Clarksburg, MA, she is passionate about her work and its impact on the regional economy.
The program was founded by Lever’s Executive Director Jeffrey Thomas. Jeffrey has served as an adjunct professor at Williams College since 2006 and has worked with hundreds of Williams students interested in entrepreneurship. Since its 2014 launch, Lever has hosted more than 40 paid student interns, most of whom were supervised by Jeffrey.
Avril is Lever's Communication Manager. She creates and manages all digital media marketing, social media posts and program materials. She also supports fundraising, grant development and various Lever events. A Berkshire County native and a recent graduate, Avril holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Eastern Connecticut State University.
