Bay State Governor Deval Patrick wants community colleges to serve as the driving force behind workplace training programs. And in Pittsfield, one school is already doing that. Our Brandon Walker toured a new facility at Berkshire Community College that hopes to prepare students for the future, by bridging the gap between technology and industrial demand.

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- During his State of the State Address Monday, Governor Deval Patrick asked how can over 200,000 people be unemployed when there are close to 120,000 available jobs in Massachusetts.

The answer: Many of those who are unemployed are under skilled.

"Many of these openings are for so-called middle skills jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but not necessarily a four year degree," Patrick said.

Which brings us to Pittsfield, bridging the gap by turning to the state's 15 community colleges. The governor wants to streamline funding to the community colleges, while pumping an additional $10 million into the system next fiscal year.

"We see our role expanding even further," said Ellen Kennedy, interim president, Berkshire Community College.

Kennedy is overseeing the school's push to offer more green tech and renewable energy workforce training programs.

"This is really what's been referred to as the low hanging fruit in renewable energy, plug the air leaks," remarked Bill Mulholland, vice president of community education and workforce development at BCC, as he toured the school's weatherization classroom.

The weatherization lab and soon the $1.2 million Ralph Hoffman Environmental Center, an example of the governor's plan for community colleges to lead the push for a skilled workforce. In fact, half of the students enrolled at BCC are here to get a trade.

"As the years go by there's going to be a lot of maintenance needed. So there not only will they be learning how to install it, they'll be learning how to repair those systems," Mulholland said.

"We're already doing a lot of the workforce development and to receive additional funding, which we've done with limited funding, to receive some additional funding to make that grow even faster," Kennedy said.

At the weatherization center, it's more than simply making sure students are ready for work. In many ways, it signals a paradigm shift where community colleges actually lead the conversation as to what it means to have a skilled labor force.

"We're also now teaching people that want to go into this business. We're teaching contractors how to get into the weatherization business," Mulholland said.