By Guy Page
The state’s Regional Workforce Expansion Pilot program is hiring coordinators to find and train (mostly) young people to join the labor force.
According to a June 18 report, the program has selected two key regions, the Northeast Kingdom and Addison County, to pilot new strategies aimed at connecting diverse populations to in-demand jobs.
Established by Act 183 of 2022 and reauthorized in Act 146 of 2024, the pilot program seeks to engage job seekers with barriers to employment and encourage employers to adapt their hiring and employment practices to them. The overarching goal, under the leadership of newly hired Workforce Expansion Program Manager Andrea Nicoletta, is to promote employer practices that create “good jobs” and expand opportunities for priority populations.
The Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce (NEKCC), serving Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, will concentrate on the region’s vital manufacturing and healthcare sectors. The NEK faces unique (even for Vermont) workforce challenges due to a small, aging population and rural geography.
The Chamber will work to connect individuals, including youth, justice-involved people, and career changers, to jobs by strengthening pathways from education to employment through expanded access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and employer-driven training.
The Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) also will prioritize healthcare and manufacturing, the county’s two largest employment sectors. The region struggles with numerous unfilled job openings, compounded by housing and childcare barriers.
ACEDC intends to help the Addison County Workforce Alliance (ACWA) by improving coordination of job training, clarifying career pathways, and reaching out to underemployed populations such as youth, people with disabilities, and adults without a high school diploma.
The pilot program is actively recruiting Workforce Expansion Coordinators for both regions. These coordinators are expected to be hired by August 2025. Over the next two years, the pilot will focus on developing and implementing sector-specific strategies, with final program reports and recommendations for statewide expansion or policy alignment due between April and June 2027.