Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today joined other governors across the country in designating February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. At a press conference on Tuesday, the Governor highlighted the importance of the trades and several of his budget proposals to make significant investment in CTE in Vermont.
Governor Scott:
As I discussed in both my State of the State and Budget Address, we desperately need to grow our workforce in Vermont, in all sectors, but especially in the trades.
Whether it’s plumbers, electricians, line workers, fiber splicers, carpenters, or mechanics, Vermont has thousands of these jobs that need to be filled.
That’s why I’ve proposed several initiatives this year to make a real difference.
First, my budget includes $10 million to reduce education costs for those working towards jobs in the trades. This includes $3 million to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for those who want to enroll in a training or certification program.
Another million would go to a pilot program for equipment and tool reimbursement, which would reimburse employers of apprentices for these costs.
We also need to work to end the stigma around CTE. It’s time we recognize that going into the trades is just as impressive, and in fact can be just as lucrative, as a 4-year degree.
So, we’ll be launching a $1.4 million recruitment campaign for CTE enrollment that will include exploration of opportunities for middle school students, engagement with parents of high school students, and those in high school themselves.
Additionally, with a projected $90 million surplus in the education fund, I’m asking that half of it - $45 million - be used to upgrade our CTE centers.
Not only must we meet today’s reality, but we know this need will only increase in the years ahead.
As we spend billions in ARPA funding, in addition to all the money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, we’re going to need more people who have the skills to weatherize homes, build bridges, install and connect fiberoptic cables, and so much more.
We can’t let this moment pass, because the time to invest is now, and I appreciate this is finally getting some traction in the Legislature and I look forward to working with them in the weeks ahead.
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Click here to view the Governor’s proclamation designating February as CTE month in Vermont.
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