Vermont organizations turn to tech and innovation to rebuild workforce

Reference: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-workforce-tech-innovation/69097601

Several organizations across the state are turning to innovation and technology to help reverse that trend and keep more Vermonters working close to home.

Across Vermont, the search for workers continues. Employers say they’re facing one of the tightest labor markets in decades, with fewer graduates, fewer job seekers, and more people leaving the state for opportunities elsewhere.

Adam Patrick Locklin, executive director of the Vermont Technology Alliance, said his organization has been working for more than two decades to strengthen the state’s tech-driven economy and support local businesses.

“Any way we can help, we’re trying to,” Locklin said.

Locklin explained that the Alliance focuses on building connections between students and employers, helping graduates find local opportunities and encouraging them to build careers in Vermont.

“Aligning up more internship opportunities and with longer co-ops and opportunities to really work at that organization and ideally, work towards a full-time role,” Locklin said.

He added that the Alliance partners with colleges and universities to help graduates transition into Vermont’s growing tech and manufacturing sectors.

“To help, maybe not necessarily solve, but at least lessen the impact that’s happening,” he said.

The workforce shortage isn’t just hitting private employers, it’s also affecting local governments.

Ted Brady, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, said that towns and cities across the state are struggling to fill essential jobs.

“Start with the fact that there’s just less people,” Brady said. “Add on to that the competition for their attention and competition to attract them into a profession.”

To address that challenge, the League recently launched Vermont Town Careers, an online platform designed to connect people with jobs in their own communities, from finance and public works to recreation and law enforcement.

Barre City Manager Nicolas Storellicastro said programs like this could make a real difference for communities like his.

“We’ve already done the hard part, which is getting them to Vermont,” Storellicastro said. “If we can convince people who have come here for college to stay, and convince Vermonters not to leave, that’s a win for all of us.”

Leaders say there’s no single fix, but connecting technology, education, and local opportunity could be key to rebuilding Vermont’s workforce.

“We feel like we have a unique position with knowing who the new companies are that a college or university might not be familiar with, and really trying to figure out what’s working and what’s not,” Locklin said.

This week, several job and career fairs are taking place across Vermont, including Tech Jam on Saturday.

For other upcoming workforce and career events, visit the VTTA website.