For Immediate Release
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Contact
Kyle Thweatt, Department of Labor
802-828-4251, kyle.thweatt@vermont.gov
Rebecca Kelley, Office of the Governor
802-828-6403, rebecca.kelley@vermont.gov
THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS $350,000 IN 2020 VERMONT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM GRANT FUNDING
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Labor today announced the recipients of $350,000 in 2020 Vermont Internship Program grant funding. These grants help connect Vermont employers with student-interns from regional technical centers and post-secondary educational institutions.
“Internships provide students with critical on the job work experience and help Vermont employers connect with new workers to fill the good paying jobs available across the state,” said Governor Phil Scott. “Exposing students to the many opportunities for working and living in Vermont is a great asset in our efforts to expand our labor force, grow our economy and make Vermont more affordable.”
The Department received 21 applications for grant funding from organizations across the state, including career technical centers, colleges and universities, non-profits, regional development corporations, regional planning commissions, industry associations, chambers of commerce and Vermont-based businesses. Applicants were invited to submit requests up to $25,000 in unmatched grant funding or up to $50,000 in matched grant funding. Funding requests totaled $536,000.
“Internships not only provide opportunities for jobseekers to build new skills while earning an income or college credit, they are an essential tool for closing Vermont’s workforce gap,” said Acting Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington. “Through the Vermont Internship Program, we are able to invest in local programs, that allow our community partners to design and implement initiatives that have a direct impact on their regional economy.”
The Department committed a total of $350,000 in funding to 12 grant recipients throughout Vermont for the following initiatives:
- Bennington County Regional Commission (Bennington): To support SoVermont Internship Program in matching and supporting interns with businesses in Bennington County.
- Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (Brattleboro): To operate an internship program in Windham County matching local employers with students seeking work-based learning opportunities.
- Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Rutland): To expand current internship program to provide more opportunities for current Vermont-based college students and include cooperative education students from career technical center programs.
- Cathedral Square (South Burlington): To provide internships in areas from heath care to information technology across its 25 locations in Chittenden and Franklin counties.
- North Country Career Center (Newport): To provide work-based learning and internship opportunities in the health care field for career technical education students.
- Norwich University (Northfield): To support need-based transportation costs for students completing internships in Vermont.
- Patricia A. Hannaford Career Technical Center (Middlebury): To implement work-based and mentor-focused learning model for early childhood professionals in partnership with Addison County Parent Child Center.
- University of Vermont and State Agriculture College (Burlington): To support scholarship program to encourage undergraduate students to pursue Vermont-based internship opportunities.
- Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sport (Killington): To provide year-round internships empowering people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming.
- Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (Burlington): To connect college students and recent graduates with career opportunities in Vermont.
- Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (Winooski): To provide internships for New Americans in the Educational Opportunity Center.
- Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributers Association (Barre): To provide post-secondary students with work-based learning opportunities at Vermont auto dealerships.
The Vermont Internship Program has been funded through the Department of Labor since 2008, accounting for more than $4.7 million in grant funding to 40 organizations. To learn more about the Vermont Internship Program, as well as opportunities for both job seekers and employers, visit labor.vermont.gov.