Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Technical College (Vermont Tech) has received a $4 million US Labor Department grant to provide training and education to prepare low- to middle-skilled Vermont workers to enter the workforce with better-paying jobs in industries relevant to Vermont’s growth. Training and education will focus on the advanced manufacturing industry.
The US Department of Labor grant, awarded to Vermont Tech on Tuesday, is the only grant awarded in the nation that will serve an entire state. The grant will help support the Vermont Supported Training Education and Employment Partnership (VSTEEP), a comprehensive, statewide, public/private partnership focusing on building innovative and evidence-based practices, systems and protocols to remove barriers faced by working, low-income Vermonter families in accessing and succeeding in education and training to improve their job prospects and put them on a path to economic independence.
Sens. Leahy and Sanders, and Rep. Welch wrote to the U.S. Labor Department in March in support of the Vermont Supported Training Education and Employment Partnership (VSTEEP). In a joint statement after the award they said, “Thanks to this $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Vermont families will have better access to the training and support they need to help them secure good-paying jobs to support their families. The partnership led by Vermont Technical College also acknowledges the essential role that affordable, high-quality childcare plays in propelling both families and businesses forward. We are pleased that these much-needed resources have made their way to Vermont to ensure working parents have the tools they need to build their careers for future economic success.”
“Vermont Tech is proud to be a recipient of the working-families grant. We strive to be the source of competitive advantage for Vermont’s advanced manufacturing industry and these pathways and wrap-around services will increase the highly skilled workforce available to Vermont’s employers,” stated President Dan Smith of Vermont Tech. In addition, “we look forward to deepening our alignment with the Community College of Vermont. This partnership will increase access by non-traditional students and serve more Vermonters with a high quality education,” said President Smith.
Vermont Tech will work closely with the Community College of Vermont (CCV) to create H-1B aligned career pathways. Participants will undertake customized individual assessments to identify training needs and skills deficiencies, as well as to identify barriers to successful education, training and employment. Curriculum will typically incorporate work with basic education, CCV’s Career Readiness Certificate Program (with a focus on manufacturing) and CCV’s nationally-recognized Certified Production Technician (CPT) credential. A new, innovative, accessible three-part Registered Apprenticeship featuring on-the-job training and a pathway to a Vermont Tech degree will be offered.
“CCV is proud to partner with Vermont Tech to ensure more Vermonters have the training and skills they need for jobs in growing fields like advanced manufacturing,” said CCV President Joyce Judy. “Often, the highest barrier standing between unemployed or low-income workers and a good job is access to higher education and training. This grant will help prepare more students for promising careers and will bring more opportunities to Vermont families, and we are excited to contribute to this important initiative.”
VSTEEP partners will assist participants in addressing child care issues and other barriers to training and employment through navigation services, direct assistance and leveraging all available federal, state and private resources. Partners include: Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL), Vermont’s Statewide Workforce Development Board (SWDB), Community College of Vermont (CCV), Vermont Adult Basic Education agencies, Vermont Adult Learning, GW Plastics, GE Aviation, Global Foundries, G.S. Precision, Vermont Child Development Division, Vermont Head Start State Collaboration Office, Vermont Head Start Association, Parent Child Centers, private care providers, Vermont Birth to Five, Child Care Resources, Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children, and Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council. Strategic partners include: Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Permanent Fund, VocRehab Vermont, Vermont Works for Women, United Way of Chittenden County, Vermont Regional Planning Commissions, Vermont Regional Development Corporations, Reach Up, and Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity.
On behalf of Vermont Tech, President Smith expressed his gratitude to the United States Congressional delegation from Vermont for their support in securing this grant.
For more information about Vermont Tech’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development initiatives, contact [email protected].
The US Department of Labor’s recent press release regarding this national initiative can be found on their website.
About Vermont Tech – Vermont Tech is a leading public college with a mission of applied education. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its two residential campuses in Williston and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington, and at five nursing campuses located throughout the state. Vermont Tech takes an optimistic, rooted and personal approach to education to support students in gaining the confidence and practical skills necessary to not only see their potential, but to experience it. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledgeable workers needed most by employers in the state and in the region. www.vtc.edu.