At the CVSD (Champlain Valley School
District) budget presentation the evening before Town Meeting, Board
member Lynne Jaunich was describing the district's intent to help
students connect with employers through internships for skill
development. Moe Harvey, who owns Patterson Fuels, stated that he
had positions in his company, well-paying jobs with benefits, that he
had a hard time filling because he could not find people with the
skills or the willingness to learn. He was unaware of programs
matching students with employers, which to me sounded like a
communications problem between our educational system and our
business communities.
Growing Vermont's economy is a goal we
can all agree on. It is a key to affordability, to maintaining a
sustainable tax base, and to keeping Vermont an attractive place to
live and work. A skilled and productive workforce is critical for the
economic vitality of Vermont, which has one of the lowest
unemployment rates in the country. However, our state currently
faces several key labor market challenges.
Employers throughout our state have
been telling the legislature that it is difficult to fill job
openings due to the lack of qualified workers even though there is a
wide range of job openings across multiple sectors. At the same time
many Vermonters are underemployed and require training to update
their skills and find job opportunities that match their interests.
A lack of skills presents a significant barrier to those who would
like to improve their work situation but are not qualified for the
available jobs.
Vermont's educational system can play
an important role in addressing this problem. While Vermont has an
excellent high school graduation rate, we have the lowest rate in New
England of youth accessing post-secondary education including college
and technical education. By focusing on aligning learning
opportunities with workforce needs, we can maximize the potential of
every Vermonter to participate in a robust labor market.
The Vermont House last week passed
H.919, a workforce development bill, to do just that. It commits the
state to a redesign of Vermont’s workforce development and training
system through a concerted three-year effort led by the Commissioner
of Labor in collaboration with key administration partners, the
education and training communities, and others from business and
government. This system will allow all Vermonters who want to work
and all employers who want workers to connect, through education and
training, allowing both business and individuals to thrive. It will
seek to promote employer-driven workforce education and training
opportunities and equitable access to employment and training
opportunities for women and underrepresented populations in Vermont.
The bill will require the Agency of Education, in partnership with
the Workforce Development Board, to set up a pilot program called
Career Pathways. This program will promote collaboration among middle
schools and regional technical education centers that, in partnership
with business and industry, will integrate the academic and technical
skills required for post-secondary success. The bill now moves to the
Senate for further consideration.
To bring this back to the local level,
it was satisfying to hear that our small group discussion at the CVSD
school budget presentation led to contacts between Patterson Fuels
and CVU's Nexus program, a flexible learning program that allows
interested students to partner with business to apply academic
learning to the world beyond school. These types of programs have the
potential to benefit both employers and students and, hopefully, all
of Vermont.
As always, I can be reached by phone
(802-233-5238) or by email (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com).
