Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In preparation for open enrollment, state officials have launched the 2019 version of an online tool that helps Vermonters weigh insurance options and choose the health plan that best fits their needs and budget. Recent changes mean that Vermonters buying plans individually could get $1,200 more in subsidies; meanwhile, the cost of popular Silver plans has gone way up, but unsubsidized businesses and individuals might qualify for “reflective silver” plans to hold costs down.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Cabinet will be in Windham County on Tuesday, October 23 for a series of meetings and events throughout the county. The visit is part of the Administration’s Capitol for a Day initiative. "Capitol for a Day" has brought the governor and dozens from his Cabinet and Extended Cabinet to Rutland, Caledonia, Windsor, Franklin, Bennington, Addison, Chittenden and Orleans counties. According to the governor, it intends to give local constituents, municipal governments and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with State leadership and staff. The Administration aims to visit every county as part of the initiative.

Follow along on social media using the #VTCapitol4aDay hashtag.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 23

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

(Details below)

WHERE: Various locations throughout Windham County

by J. Churchill Hindes, Chair, Board of Trustees, Vermont State Colleges System The State of Vermont has a rare opportunity this year to demonstrate its support for public higher education in this state without raising taxes or shifting money from other priorities. Read on. First, a little background:

According to the most recent State Higher Education Executive Officers Report, Vermont invests less per public higher education student than anywhere in the country.

That directly leads to Vermont having the highest public tuition rates in the country. Furthermore, it burdens Vermont families with the highest share of total public college costs nationwide.

by Philip Smith While economists closely follow the national unemployment statistics reported monthly by the U.S. Department of Labor, this does not always accurately reflect the challenges faced by manufacturing companies looking for skilled talent in today’s workforce. In my conversations with owners of manufacturing companies here in Vermont, the lack of skilled talent is one of their top concerns. There are a combination of factors at play nationally, including the need for newer skills created by the digitized manufacturing landscape as well as the shift from a baby boomer economy to younger generations. In their third manufacturing skills gap report, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute¹ estimated 2.7 million baby boomers will retire by 2025, which will cause an enormous labor shortage to fill.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott Saturday attend the christening of the USS Vermont in Groton, Connecticut, addressing a crowd of approximately 4,000 members of the U.S. Navy, government officials, General Dynamics Electric Boat employees, and the crew and family members of the USS Vermont.

by Paul Cillo, Public Assets Institute After growing steadily for the first half of the year, Vermont employment has fallen for the last three months. The number of Vermonters working, including the self-employed, rose to almost 340,000 in June—an increase of more than 4,600 since December 2017. Since then, however, employment declined by nearly 2,300, erasing half of the 2018 gains. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed Vermonters has been ticking up since March, although it remains below 2017 levels.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed a proclamation designating October 19 as Vermont Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Day in Vermont, recognizing the organizations’ commitment to developing a skilled future workforce of Vermont students.

Vermont State Police On Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, Bernard Rougeau was discharged from Albany Medical Center in New York and arrested by Albany City Police on an arrest warrant from Vermont arising from the October 18 incident in Pownal. Rougeau was transported to Albany City Court, where he waived extradition to Vermont. He is being transported to the Albany County Jail, where the Vermont State Police will make arrangements to return him to Vermont for arraignment on charges arising from the Pownal incident. He was in the hospital as the result of an officer-involved shooting during his arrest on suspicion of the offenses of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment and interference with access to emergency services.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Congressman Peter Welch will represent Vermont at the christening of the USS Vermont on Saturday, October 20 in Groton, Connecticut. The Virginia-class submarine will commemorate the history between the US Navy and the State of Vermont. It will be the third vessel named after the state in the history of the US Navy.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for September was 2.9 percent. This reflects an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised August rate. The rate had been unchanged since February. The rate has not gone up officially since April 2009 (6.7 percent to 6.9 percent), resulting from the Great Recession. However, because of the nature of these numbers, they could be further adjusted, which could result in a lowering of the rate, as has happened before. Data for the labor force and number employed fell by nearly an identical amount, while the number of unemployed was virtually unchanged.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is clearing a path for a new tasting trail that will encompass two countries, two states, and two provinces. A collaborative effort among officials from Vermont, New York, Quebec, and Ontario will link authentic farms and food experiences across the region. On Tuesday, officials from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM), the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM), University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, and the Vermont Fresh Network joined partners from around the region on a Canadian Culinary Tour to learn more about agritourism efforts and opportunities for farms and food producers.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB) reported third quarter 2018 net income of $32 million, a 40% increase over $23 million in the third quarter of 2017 due primarily to the benefit of business growth including expansion in Greater Boston through acquisition and business development. Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank, with branches in southwestern Vermont.