This commentary is by Rep. Stephanie Zak Jerome, D-Brandon, vice chair of the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
The Vermont House of Representatives recently passed a significant $40 million workforce development package that started as a standalone workforce bill and then became part of H.494, the fiscal year 2024 state budget bill. H.494 passed the House with overwhelming support and is now under consideration in the Senate.
The workforce development initiatives in the budget bill support workers, businesses and nonprofits, responding to needs across Vermont.
Over the past three years, we have seen more and more hiring signs outside businesses and along roadsides, had conversations about the worker shortage across all sectors, and learned that nearly 3,000 students graduate without a future career plan. In response to this workforce crisis, we are meeting these challenges by addressing employment concerns and providing advancement opportunities across Vermont. I am very proud of the work done by the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to help Vermont employees and employers.
During this session, we developed legislation to strengthen Vermont’s workforce. This reflects our ongoing effort to keep people working, improve skills, and to attract and educate new workers.
We are committed to a Vermont that works for everyone by addressing these challenges. The budget bill provides over $40 million to create or enhance programs that increase workforce participation. H.494 funds programs that educate and train workers and help businesses with employee hiring and retention. It funds loan forgiveness programs, scholarships, and certificate programs.
The bill includes financial commitments for our teacher workforce, adult education and training programs, climate workforce, Vermont college and university graduates, the trades, up-skilling certifications, criminal justice professions, technology, critical occupations, mental health practitioners, EMTs, nurses, human services, the arts and rural economic development.
This bill has an important focus on educators with the Vermont Teacher Forgivable Loan Incentive program administered through the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. and the Emerging Pathways Grant program, which will provide support and mentorship for prospective educators seeking licensure. This “grow your own” program aids those already employed in the school system to become classroom teachers. There is also a mentorship program for educators within historically underrepresented groups.
Learning does not stop at high school graduation, and in order to earn more income, there is often a need for adults to gain additional skills, certifications, and training. In light of this, we are continuing to fund trades scholarships.
The bill also appropriates funds for Vermont’s Serve, Learn, and Earn program (cooperative agreement with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Audubon Vermont, Vermont Works for Women, and ReSource), which supports paid service, training, and learning opportunities for young adults throughout the state.
Additionally, funds have been provided to expand adult education and literacy programs statewide, an important pathway to improved employment opportunities. As part of a statewide effort to assist the EMT workforce, we have provided funds for much-needed emergency medical service training.
We remain focused on providing new opportunities within our colleges and universities. For students with a household income of $75,000 or less, we are providing forgivable loans and scholarships for a wide range of critical occupations, including early childhood educators, clinical mental health counselors, dental hygienists and nurses.
The bill supports a new restorative justice degree at Northern Vermont University, as well as a summer 3-D printing technology certificate program for high school students and recent graduates at Castleton University and Vermont Technical College.
Throughout Vermont, students who have recently graduated from one of our colleges or universities are encouraged to start their careers with Vermont employers and receive forgivable loans for up to two years.
We have continued to invest in the economy of our state, to assist small businesses, help existing businesses pivot to new opportunities, and to ease permitting of local commercial development. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund will create a coaching program to help energy businesses pivot to the clean energy industry. We are investing in the cleanup of existing brownfields, so these sites can be redeveloped. In order for Vermont to receive $250 million to $500 million from the federal Chips and Science Act, we have allocated a $5 million match in training funds. There are funds to duplicate a successful Covid-era program that helped small businesses solve technical and operational problems, which will be managed by our statewide regional development corporations.
We are continuing our work, started in Act 183 in 2022, to support the Vermont workforce: employees, businesses and nonprofits. The House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is dedicated to working with state government and legislative committees to support the most critical workforce needs. We see the need to expand our workforce, fill vacant positions, train employees, develop skills, provide meaningful work, and offer livable wages throughout each sector. We recognize the challenges and are providing opportunities to make Vermont a state that works for all of us.
