Pathways of Vermont is a documentary series of short career stories that examine the prevalent stereotype that a four-year college degree is the only path for a successful career. Beyond individual stories, the bigger picture of Vermont’s economy supports the availability of alternative career paths.   

GS Precision Coatings machined metal parts and coatings start local and travel far. From Brattleboro, Vt. to the aerospace industry, these Vermont-made parts can be found on space equipment, commercial jets, and as part of U.S. defense systems. 

Standing behind the integrity of those parts is Bryce Fletcher. 

Fletcher, quality control manager for GS Precision Coatings, loves the variety of his job. He studied at the GS Precision school while working in a starting role as a CNC machinist, and as he studied at the company’s on-site school, he found immediate opportunity to apply what he was learning in real-time. “You didn’t really have any time to forget,” he said with a smile. “You would learn it and then go implement it.” 

Fletcher had been planning to go to college, but didn’t want to take on student loans, and instead, decided to attend GS Precision’s program, paid for by the company and Vermont Technical College.  Without the overhead of debt, Fletcher’s career path was lucrative for him from the beginning. After his time as a CNC machinist, he moved up into a quality engineer role, then became a sales engineer before earning his current management role. 

Fletcher’s career also gives him the opportunity to enjoy a healthy life-work balance. Outside of work, he’s proud to call Vermont his home base. He loves mountain biking, dirt biking, and travel and says he’s looking forward to continuing to grow his career.  

Angela Snow is the producer behind the Pathways of Vermont series. With 15 years of filmmaking and project management experience, Snow lives in southern Vermont. This series will showcase real Vermonters’ lives, highlighting people in nursing, manufacturing, and carpentry.