Construction

Construction claims 4.0% of the state’s GDP, with more than 3,000 construction-related businesses in Vermont—over 90% of which are small businesses. 

To help meet those workforce needs, Vermont’s career and technical centers give high school students a head start by offering multiple programs in the construction trades, and allowing them to complete their senior year of high school and first year of college simultaneously. College students and adults fit seamlessly into that pipeline too, with both Vermont State University and Norwich University offering construction management degree programs.

Vermont State University  program boasts a 100% placement rate for graduates. Students in Norwich’s Design+Build Collaborative construct full-scale projects to address Vermont community needs. Yestermorrow Design/Build School offers certifications and classes for adults like building science and net zero design.

In Vermont, a huge opportunity exists for female contractors and construction business owners; just 3% of construction workers are female, and just 6% of construction businesses are women-owned. In 2018, a female-owned construction business was Vermont’s Women-Owned Business of the Year. Vermont Works for Women is a statewide nonprofit that provides programs for girls and women to explore trades and gain experience in preparation for work in the field, such as Rosie’s Girls, a summer camp filled with hands-on STEM- and trade-related projects for middle school students and Women Can Do,  program for high school girls that offers training and exposure to trades and manufacturing careers. VWW’s Hire A Woman directory points contractors and consumers to women-owned businesses in Vermont’s construction sector.