by Kelsey Price | Apr 25, 2019 | Aerospace & Aviation, News, VTP, Workforce Training
BETA Technologies, an aerospace company specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology and recharging pad technology, has been granted $78,742.50 by the Department of Economic Development’s Vermont Training Program.
The grant will allow the startup company to train staff in critical areas. Specifically, funding will support aviation safety courses; pilot and flight instructor training; advanced software training; and industrial high voltage electrical distribution system training.
BETA Technologies is headquartered in South Burlington. The company is working to improve their aircraft prototype to create a commercial platform for electric-powered aviation, critical to lessening the airline industry’s contributions to climate pollution.
“The Vermont Training Program award supports critical system flight test and advanced flight training for both our engineering staff and our test pilots,” said BETA Technologies President, Kyle Clark. “This training will enhance flight safety and staff efficiency as we advance the development of our next generation, all-electric, vertical take-off and landing, long range aircraft.”
“Electric aviation is one of the most exciting innovations in the aerospace sector,” said Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Michael Schirling. “BETA Technologies is a prime example of the type of cutting edge, forward-thinking, and innovative companies that can call Vermont home. It is important to support the growth of this world-class aircraft technology here in Vermont.”
by Kelsey Price | Apr 24, 2019 | BCORP, Consumer Goods, Economic Development, News, VTP, Workforce Training
Vermont Creamery, makers of fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and crème fraiche, has been granted more than $65,000 in Vermont Training Program (VTP) funding. The funding will support Vermont Creamery’s workforce expansion of eighteen full-time production employees and allow for deepened cross training efforts.
“As Vermont Creamery prepares for conscious growth, the expertise of our skilled workforce has never been more important,” said Vermont Creamery President Adeline Druart. “We are so grateful for the support of VTP grant funding which has enabled us to build a robust training program that provides employees the knowledge and confidence necessary to be better makers every day here in Websterville. ”
Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) assisted Vermont Creamery in seeking out the Vermont Training Program to help grow and train its workforce.
“This company is making a significant investment in their people and facility,” said Jamie Stewart, Executive Director of CVEDC. “Workforce training remains a critical need for expanding companies and the Vermont Training Program remains the most effective tool available to prepare the highly-skilled workforce needed for employers like Vermont Creamery.”
“Vermont Creamery is a fantastic example of an agricultural business that started on one Vermont farm and grew to become a nationally renowned and award-winning venture,” said Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein.
In their 33rd year of business, Vermont Creamery supports a network of more than 17 family farms, promoting sustainable agriculture in the region. B Corp Certified in 2014, Vermont Creamery has been ranked one of “The Best Places to Work in Vermont” by Vermont Business Magazine .
by Kelsey Price | Apr 23, 2019 | Incentives/Financing/Programs, News, VTP, Workforce Training
What do a glove maker, a medical instruments manufacturer, and a smoked meats producer have in common? The obvious answers are that they’re all successful small businesses and they are all manufacturers. But they are also among a group of Vermont employers who have recently been awarded Vermont Training Grants to upskill their incumbent workers and train new hires.
The Vermont Training Program is administered by the Vermont Department of Economic Development. It provides grants to employers for trainings, reimbursing up to 50% of the cost of instruction. Trainings can occur on-site or be offered by a training provider.
The variety of the trainings covered by this recent crop of grant awards speaks to the wide spectrum of needs Vermont employers have. Century-old Green Mountain Glove, located in Randolph, makes high quality goat skin work gloves used by utility workers throughout New England. The company, which has nine employees, will use $6,330 to train staff on leather stitching—presumably a specialized skill but one that will enable the company to attain ISO 9001 certification and enter new markets.
Vermont Smoke & Cure is based in Hinesburg and produces smoked meats and snacks. Annual growth of 30% is prompting the company to expand into a second shift. The company received $15,000 for employee training that will include food systems, machine operations, and leadership training. Being a ready-to-eat meat facility adds additional risk and food safety requirements. Training will keep employees on top of best practices amidst the company’s rapid expansion.
BioTek, a global life science instrumentation firm headquartered in Winooski, has been granted $96,887 to work with the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) to develop and deliver the Lean Fundamentals and Improving Workplace Communication curriculum. The first training will incorporate classroom, simulation, and selection of real opportunities faced by those diverse teams from BioTek. The second training will be utilized to help support and sustain improvement in communication, so a culture of collaboration emerges and productivity can be enhanced.
Several other Vermont companies large and small have recently received VTP grants:
- Vermont Systems, a recreation management software firm in Essex Junction, received $150,353 to help train over 100 employees on their enterprise suite of software products.
- Buttura & Gherardi Granite Artisans of Barre received $40,055 to reboot and update granite trainings for up to three new apprenticeships, as well as training for sales personnel.
- Runamok Maple and Thunder Basin Maple Works are two businesses employing about 50 people in Cambridge and Fairfield owned by sisters—one collects the sap and one processes it into syrup and other products. Their $95,779.90 VTP grant will train workers in forestry management, logging safety certification, and organic training certification.
- The Vermont Coffee Company of Middlebury sells organic coffee in chain grocery stores, local markets and food co-ops throughout the Northeast and online. Their recent VTP grant of $20,000 will help the company broaden existing employees’ skills through professional development, certification, and cross-training as well as onboard new hires.
- PC Construction, an employee-owned company headquartered in South Burlington, has been awarded $88,511 to supplement the company’s overall training initiatives, which target technical, business, management and leadership skills for its employee-owners. Specific areas of training include construction contracting, financial management, and leadership competency development.
The Vermont Training Program has been assisting with the training of Vermont’s employees for over 30 years. In FY18 alone, VTP served over 2,000 Vermonters, providing the training they need to move forward in their careers, as well as providing employers with the skilled workforce they need to grow.
Contact John Young, Director of Workforce Development Programs at (802) 355-2725 or john.young@vermont.gov for information about how your business and employees can benefit from the Vermont Training Program.
by Kelsey Price | Apr 22, 2019 | Environment, News, Renewable Energy, Socially Responsible Business
Happy Earth Day from the Green Mountain State!
It’s no secret that Vermont is a known clean energy leader. In fact, Green Mountain Power (GMP), the state’s largest electricity utility and the world’s first utility to receive a B-Corp certification, recently announced plans to become 100% renewable by 2030.
And the success doesn’t stop there – across the state, companies and organizations are thriving in the renewable energy space. GMP’s Stafford Hill Solar Farm is the first known solar storage project in the country, repurposing brownfield land once used to bury waste for generating solar energy. Rock Art Brewery, based in Morrisville, is the first brewery in Vermont to be 100% solar powered. Additionally, University of Vermont (UVM) ranks in the top 10 schools for sustainable energy and energy reduction, and the UVM Medical Center is among the greenest in the nation.
by Kelsey Price | Apr 18, 2019 | News, VTP, Workforce Training
Randolph-based, century-old Green Mountain Glove (GMG) has been granted $6,330 from the State of Vermont’s Vermont Training Program (VTP).
This grant will allow GMG to train skilled leather sewers and meet increasing demand. More specifically, the company will develop and implement their own workforce processes congruent with robust quality assurance programs. The training will also position them to obtain ISO 9001 certification (International Standards Organization), which will enable them to break into new markets.
“We feel extremely lucky to own and operate our business in Vermont because there are so many resources on the state level designed to help small businesses like ours grow and positively impact on our economy, our employees, and our local community,” said GMG owner Sam Hooper.
GMG is one of the few companies that crafts work gloves in the United States. With higher productions costs, GMG strives to deliver on a quality over price model, which they believe is their competitive strength. The product boasts a heavy-duty quality material, so tough that it is hard to manipulate, and the absence of technology makes GMG brand gloves a labor-intensive product. Employing enough experienced industrial sewers is a challenge the VTP grant will address.
“The Agency of Commerce and Community Development is pleased to share this example of how the Vermont Training Program is accessible to small business,” said Commerce Secretary Michael Schirling. “You don’t have to employ hundreds of workers to be eligible for this type of funding nor do you have to be a high-tech, advanced manufacturer. Green Mountain Glove is focused on the handmade quality that Vermont artisan makers are known for.”
