Rep. Bill Botzow, D-Pownal, current and likely future chair of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, told VTDigger this week that his highest priority for the upcoming legislative session is improving the state’s workforce training programs.
“It would be helpful to review our workforce development system,” said Botzow. “How can it be improved, to solve the problem of employers needing trained workers, and Vermonters needing jobs? How do we address that gap? That’s a large and important part of our work.”
House committee chairs haven’t yet been named officially, but Botzow doesn’t know of any other lawmakers jockeying for his position. Democrat Shap Smith, who just won his caucus’ nomination for House Speaker, hasn’t given Botzow any indication that he’d lose his position, which he’s held since 2010.
If reappointed, Botzow said he’d focus on workforce training because state leaders, businesses and business associations have said their greatest obstacle is a lack of suitably skilled employees.
Vermont has a wide array of employee development programs, including 17 local tech and career centers, along with the Vermont Training Program, the Workforce Investment Board and the Workforce Education and Training Fund. In 2007, the state established the Next Generation Initiative, which encourages Vermonters to stay and work in the state.
Botzow and his committee will also continue oversight of state economic development entities such as the Vermont Economic Progress Council, regional development corporations and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Botzow said that much of the funding for workforce development is federal, and the state needs to look carefully at the amount of resources that it can contribute toward these efforts.
Keeping close tabs on Bill Stenger’s $600 million in Northeast Kingdom investments will be another key agenda item for Botzow.
“The Northeast Kingdom has some real opportunities there, but also some real challenges,” he said. “Workers, housing, wage levels — all of that, we need to be aware of, and act where we can make a positive difference.” The committee’s current vice chair, Michael Marcotte, R-Newport, is from the Northeast Kingdom, and Botzow said Marcotte’s experience and familiarity with the region would be very helpful.
The committee’s strategy at first will be to wait and see how Stenger’s project unfolds. “Policies that we pass could well influence [the development],” he said. “Is the committee wanting to influence it in some particular direction? I’m not aware of that.”
Botzow also hopes to consider consumer protection initiatives. He wants to examine information security breaches, protections for elderly Vermonters, the future of the universal service fund (which pays for phone access in remote parts of the state), and progress on universal broadband and cell phone access.
Unfinished items from last year high on his list range from workers compensation and unemployment insurance legislation, to certifying independent contractors, tweaks to the Department of Financial Regulation housekeeping bill, and the metal (copper) theft law.
Oversight of state economic development incentives are also on the agenda, said Botzow, especially after widespread interest generated by a national New York Times analysis of state business subsidies and tax breaks.
Botzow said the state still hasn’t fully finished its transition from a popular business incentive, the Economic Advancement Tax Incentive to the new Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, which functions differently from a tax and administrative perspective.
“When they offer VEGI credits, I think in some cases they’ve probably worked quite well,” Botzow said. “In others, one would hope they were better. There are always issues around timing – the recession came in the middle [of the transition]. When you predict the future, which is what they do, it’s difficult.”
Sen. Vince Illuzzi, R-Newport, who lost his bid to become state auditor, was Botzow’s counterpart in the Senate. John Campbell, Senate President Pro Tem, told VTDigger he doesn’t know who will take Illuzzi’s place at this point.
