Current News

Vermont Chamber of Commerce Will we see you at Vermont’s premier workforce development event? The Vermont Chamber’s 2024 Solutions Summit is dedicated to transforming how we approach and address the challenges of the modern job market. This dynamic event will be held on September 25, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Burlington. The Solutions Summit is designed to address the most pressing issues in workforce development and provide actionable solutions to advance Vermont’s economy. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of shaping the future of work in our state. Secure your spot to engage with leaders, educators, and policymakers dedicated to transforming our workforce landscape.

Vermont Business Magazine Dream Maker Bakers created a 1,187-pound whoopie pie, breaking The World's Largest Whoopie Pie record! Saturday, September 14, 2024, at The Third Annual Whoopie Pie Festival in Downtown Rutland, Dream Maker Bakers made history. The previous record had been held by Wicked Whoopies in South Portland, Maine since 2011. Their whoopie pie weighed 1,067 pounds. Dream Maker Baker beat the record by 120 pounds! The festival exceeded 7,500 people throughout the day in Downtown Rutland! Sixteen bakers gave samples of their whoopie pies and competed for awards determined by attendees and the judges. Cookie's Cupcakes from Otis, Massachusetts won Overall Best and Most Creative Awards, both awarded by our judges. Sweet Birch Coffee Roasters and Bakery in Wallingford, Vermont won the People's Choice Award, determined by our attendees. 

Vermont Business Magazine Evernorth Rural Ventures, a subsidiary of Evernorth, has closed on $14.3 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to create a larger, new state-of-the-art facility for Square One, a nonprofit early childhood education and care provider. The NMTC supports the construction of a new building dedicated to early learning classrooms and workforce development programming for families. This expansion is a vital step in meeting the community's childcare needs and supporting working families. The new facility will create 80 additional childcare slots, including a pioneering 24-hour care program, making it the only center-based licensed childcare center in South Springfield, Massachusetts. Additionally, the facility will house administrative, finance, and home visit teams for the nonprofit and generate 16 quality, living-wage full-time positions, further bolstering the local economy.  

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has announced the start of a new Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program in Vermont. The program puts participants to work right away, allowing them to learn on the job and earn a paycheck from the start. The Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program is part of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. VCBB is partnering with Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), TIRAP’s national sponsor, to bring the program to Vermont. It’s now officially underway with its first Vermont employer, Sertex Broadband Solutions, signing on to participate.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Jessica Seman of Reading as Family Division Magistrate serving the southeastern region of the state and Patricia Gabel of Stowe as Assistant Judge in Lamoille County. Jessica began her legal career as a Law Clerk for the New Hampshire Judiciary, and then spent several years in private practice. For the past 10 years, Jessica has worked for the Vermont Office of Child Support, as both a Staff Attorney and most recently the Managing Attorney. Patricia began her legal career working in private practice, advising clients on a range of business, employment and conflict resolution matters. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Vermont appointed her as the Vermont State Court Administrator. 

Vermont Business Magazine Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH), Umbrella and the Lamoille Family Center are excited to announce the sub-award recipients of the 2025 Northeast Vermont Prevention Consortium – Prevention Lead Region 3. Priorities that these awards will address include reducing underage substance use as well as high-risk adult substance use, increasing supports for LGBTQIA+ youth and creating a community where youth and adults feel valued. Competitive and non-competitive sub-award recipients and descriptions are listed below.

Vermont Business Magazine A newly released report from Vermont Talent Pipeline Management (VTPM) underscores a current and growing crisis in the healthcare industry: the shortage of qualified healthcare technicians and technologists. The report, developed in partnership with 13 hospitals across the state, highlights critical workforce gaps and the urgent need for expanded access to healthcare education at the certificate and associate degree levels. According to the report, Vermont’s healthcare system is facing challenges filling positions that include radiological, surgical and medical lab technicians and technologists, respiratory therapists, and behavioral health technician roles. The shortage threatens the ability of healthcare facilities to provide timely and quality care, particularly in rural areas.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education announced the statewide launch of Read Vermont, a comprehensive initiative dedicated to improving student literacy outcomes. Building upon Act 139 of 2024, Read Vermont aims to ensure every child can read by third grade and develops the skills needed for success in school and beyond. Improving literacy is a top priority for Vermont's educators, legislators, and families. Act 139 marks the state’s most comprehensive literacy legislation to date and represents an exciting opportunity for Vermont students and educators. The legislation focuses on early identification and support for students struggling with reading, strengthens teacher preparation programs, and ensures parents and caregivers are informed of their child's progress.

Vermont Business Magazine The Albany Med Health System, together with InVita Healthcare Technologies (InVita), ConnectLife, and Center for Donation and Transplant (CDT), the federally designated OPO serving upstate New York and western Vermont, have united to successfully implement technology to streamline the organ and tissue donation process at Albany Medical Center. iReferral is advanced interoperability technology that allows the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) platform, Epic, to deliver direct and secure electronic notification of patients who have met criteria for organ and tissue donation to its OPO's EMR System, iTransplant, provided by InVita.

Vermont Business Magazine Ahead of next week's hearing with Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), today announced that CEOs of major generic pharmaceutical companies are willing to sell Ozempic to Americans for less than $100 per month at a profit. Novo Nordisk currently charges Americans with Type 2 diabetes $969 a month for Ozempic, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $155 in Canada, $122 in Denmark, and just $59 in Germany. Incredibly, Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy, while this same exact product can be purchased for just $186 in Denmark, $140 in Germany, and $92 in the United Kingdom.

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center MFG Day makes a big impact in shifting the misconception of modern manufacturing. Tell your story by opening your doors and hosting an event with students, parents, educators, media, community leaders and elected officials. Registering your event contributes to the larger MFG Day phenomenon in a major way. The more events we know about, the more people we can say we’ve affected — which inspires more interest in manufacturing.  

by Bill Schubart So, to envision and create effective change in our healthcare system, we must be honest with ourselves about the challenges and opportunities that deter or impel strategic change. Challenges include: Ineffective nonprofit board governance: Hospital boards (as well as many other nonprofit boards) rarely seem to understand that they’re ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the institutions they govern. The president or executive director serves solely at the will of the board, which oversees the leader’s hiring, firing, compensation, and does an annual 360 performance review based on his or her effective delivery on mission. UVMHN is one of the most expensive academic medical centers in the country.