Written by Amanda Van Vranken An Unbalanced Equation Chances are, you’ve heard about Vermont’s workforce gap. Simply put, the state’s supply of workers isn’t meeting the demand for existing and future jobs. The economy suffers when this workforce equation is out of balance. This is being experienced in real-time by employers that have multiple job … Read more
Brain Drain A recent Washington Post story, citing novel research using LinkedIn data that quantifies the brain drain (or gain) phenomenon across the country, has been getting a lot of attention here in the Green Mountain State. The data show Vermont to be the biggest loser which means we have the highest proportion of college … Read more
In true Vermont fashion we have come together, regardless of political party, on the top threats facing our state. From the State House to the kitchen table, Vermonters agree that something must be done to fix the workforce and housing crises. The data circulated in recent months has rapidly become common knowledge; 26,000 open jobs, 2.2% unemployment, … Read more
The Live in Vermont: Live Where You Love survey introduces a real opportunity for Vermont. The Vermont Futures Project had partnered with Richard Watts, Director of the Center for Research for Vermont, to deploy a Vermont statewide survey the summer of 2020 to reach folks taking refuge in Vermont during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this … Read more
During the Young Professional (YP) Focus Groups, the attendees were asked about their vision for their own “economic future” living in Vermont. Many YP’s were less than optimistic for they addressed what others call the Young Professional Opportunity Gap. This term refers to the financial reality and emotional toll felt by many YPs that limits … Read more
he Vermont Futures Project recommended the development of a statewide workplace engagement strategy and framework that small, mid-size and large employers can adopt to attract new workers and enhance retention of their existing workforce. Through a series of discussions, thought leaders came together progressing from a place of Vermont’s workforce reality to imagining what success … Read more
After a year and a half of work addressing Vermont’s workforce and talent challenges, the Vermont Futures Project is launching its work to address our Innovation and Entrepreneurship goal. To begin, we assembled an initial steering group of 16 experts from around the state for a workshop as part of the 2018 Business Expo. The invited … Read more
A heartfelt thank you to all those who attended one of our 14 Workforce Forums conducted in concert with the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Over the 2017 fall and winter, Betsy Bishop and Ashley Romeo-Boles of the Vermont Chamber gathered feedback on our Workforce & Talent data sets and answers to the question “Why Vermont?” … Read more