As we wind down our milestone 30th year in business as Vermont's Manufacturing Resource and look ahead to the future of our continued mission - Strengthening and Empowering
Vermont Manufacturers - where can we help you in your 2026 training plans?
The learning opportunities we offer are overflowing - whether it's Advanced Manufacturing & Automation, Operational Excellence, People Development, Quality & Compliance, Innovation & Growth or Cybersecurity & Supply Chain, we can help.
Our publicly scheduled events (we will announce a few soon and post to our Training and Events page) have been designed to boost you or your teams’ skills for a variety of manufacturing-focused opportunities. Are you looking for specific solutions and tools or would you like to bring VMEC into your company for a service or project tailored for your team or entire company? VMEC works directly with organizations to develop capability in systems and people and to collaborate on events for the manufacturing community. Contact us today to bring existing, tailored or new training to you.
There are still seats remaining for our last public training of 2025...
Lean 101 - Lean Transformation
Tuesday, December 9 / 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
VTSU Williston campus, Williston / $98 pp (a $325 pp value) / Register!
Lean is a learning system that develops capability and adaptability in people and processes. Lean 101 workshops have created and reignited the spark for improvement in countless organizations in Vermont and across the globe. When paired with the commitment to further engage and develop employees at all levels, Lean has proven to result in the competitive edge that attracts customers, employees and investors.
Advanced Manufacturing Virtual Town Hall - Your Voice Counts!
This session provides a critical opportunity for small and medium-sized manufacturers to share directly how MEP services impact their operations and why stability, clarity, and continuity in the program matter.
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has scheduled a complimentary Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 1:00 pm EST Virtual Town Hall focused on the future of Advanced Manufacturing. This Town Hall is being held for MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) Centers and clients exclusively and aims to gather input from all interested parties on the development of a National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.
Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks input from the public regarding Federal programs and activities to advance
US manufacturing competitiveness, including advanced manufacturing research and development that will create jobs, grow the economy across multiple industrial sectors, strengthen national security, and improve healthcare. The public input provided in response to this RFI will inform the development of the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.
Register here and check out the American Small Manufacturers Coalition response to the RFI here which shows how ASMC is responding to each RFI question.
Where are you in your Cybersecurity Journey?
VMEC and our cybersecurity partner NUARI are once again seeking to better understand the challenges manufacturers in our state are facing when it comes to cybersecurity and compliance. Your insights will help shape the future resources, workshops and webinars we offer, ensuring that the content is relevant, timely and aligned with your needs.
Your feedback to this brief survey will help us determine whether businesses are looking for general education, specific compliance support like the Department of Defense (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) or something else entirely. Responses will be collected anonymously and we will not capture contact information.
And in case you missed it, view our Cybersecurity Resource Library page, where you will find the October 23 recorded webinar, “Understanding IT, Cybersecurity, and Compliance: Building a Cybersecurity Program Over Time."
See Inside Without Cutting Open: Advanced Industrial CT Scanning Services
The Manufacturing Collaborative provides cutting-edge industrial CT scanning and analysis services for manufacturers, engineers, and researchers across New England. Their state-of-the-art Nikon CT scanner delivers high-resolution 3D X-ray inspection that reveals internal defects, validates designs, accelerates your product development and reduces waste and rework - all without damaging your parts.
The Randolph Center-based Advanced Manufacturing Center serves as a hub for collaborating on real-world manufacturing challenges; check out their CT Scanning and Analysis Services Overview and contact VMEC's Chris Coulter today to find out what The Collaborative can do for you in your CT Scanning needs!
2026 Trade Show Assistance Grants - Request for Applications is now available
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets’ Trade Show Assistance Grants provide Vermont agricultural and forestry businesses with funds to exhibit and sell their Vermont products at trade shows targeting out-of-state buyers.
These matching grants can partially offset the expenses associated with exhibiting at trade shows, which provide excellent opportunities to network with wholesale buyers and expand into new domestic and international markets. Applicants may request between $2,000 and $7,500 to help offset the costs of up to four trade shows. Grant funds can cover up to 75% of eligible costs.
Eligible applicants must have at least three wholesale accounts and their product(s) must meet the Vermont Local Definition as defined in Act 129. The application will be open from December 5 to January 21. To learn more and apply, view Request for Applications.
Part of the nationwide MEP National Network and hosted by Vermont State University since 1995, VMEC operates as a not-for-profit with a primary mission, “to strengthen and empower Vermont manufacturers.”
A local resource and trusted adviser to manufacturing enterprises of all sizes, the VMEC team brings expertise in consulting, coaching, hands-on implementation support, training and education for leaders and workers. VMEC is the official representative of the MEP National Network in Vermont.
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