Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Smoke & Cure, a Hinesburg-based maker of smoked meats and meat snacks in Vermont since 1962, was granted more than $15,000 in Vermont Training Program (VTP) funding. Vermont Smoke & Cure’s steady growth (30% annually) pushes toward the need for ten new hires as the company works to plan and create a second shift.
Employee training will include food systems, machine operations, and leadership training. Being a ready-to-eat meat facility adds additional risk and food safety requirements. Training will keep employees on top of best practices amidst the company’s rapid expansion.
“The Vermont Training Program has been integral in ensuring Vermont Smoke & Cure delivers top-notch on the job training, resulting in proficiency and promotion eligibility,” said Vermont Smoke & Cure CEO Tara Murphy. “We are also able to use the grant to train our employee-owners on key business metrics and how their role is critical to delivering on not only our production goals, but also our financial targets.”
Ultimately, the grant will allow the manufacturer to build their bench of employee skills internally and enable new operating teams to form and lead the company into the future.
“It is great to see a Vermont company, with such deep roots in the state, work to retain and promote employees through strengthening and retraining their current workforce,” said Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Michael Schirling. “As employers seek more skilled workers, investing in their current employees can help foster growth as the state works to reverse our workforce declines.”
About the Vermont Training Program
The Vermont Training Program is administered by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Economic Development. It is a workforce development program to enhance the skills of the Vermont workforce and increase productivity of Vermont employers; grants may cover up to 50 percent of the training cost which can either be on-site or through a training provider/vendor. For more information on VTP, visit http://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/funding-incentives/vtp.
About the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s (ACCD) mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Source: ACCD 4.11.2019 accd.vermont.gov/.