The Addison County Workforce Investment Board, or WIB, is a valuable resource that many local businesses don't even know they have. That is about to change. New resources in the workforce development arena will bring opportunities to businesses and workers alike. The Next Generation Commission recommended additional resources for this vital effort and the VT Legislature appropriated the requested funds. In Addison County several efforts will be pursued.
The WIB, in collaboration with The Adult Technical Education program at the Hannaford Career Center, plans to offer the following programs:
An Adult Driving School- In order to remove one of the major barriers to employment, we will provide both classroom and behind-the-wheel training for adults without a valid VT license.
Certification-level welding courses leading to this valuable skill and credential.
Industrial Maintenance Certificate-Since it is difficult to fill vacant positions in this skilled field, we will provide training to grow our own workforce from the ranks of current employees.
Other priorities as defined by an employer survey conducted by the WIB will include customer service training and good basic skills development.
Another WIB mission is to facilitate local employers securing Worforce Education Training Fund (WETF) grants. In this past year Helen Porter Healthcare & Rehab secured a grant to train LNA's, a significant workforce need for them, and Exetechs from Cornwall secured a grant to train custom software developers.
The WIB serves as an advisory group to both Adult Technical Education and Cooperative Education at the Hannaford Career Center. In this capacity, the WIB can exert influence on programming at the secondary and post secondary level leading to a better trained workforce. A good example of this is the WIB support for the development of a Health Careers program at the HCC. All Addison County employers recognize the great need for employees in all facets of this field. A partnership with Porter Medical Center is bringing much needed clinical opportunities and resources to this fledgling program.
The WIB has supported Middlebury's participation in the Creative Communities program. An umbrella organization, ArtsConnect, has formed and plans to place information of upcoming arts and cultural events on every pillow in every inn, motel, or B& B in the Middlebury area. Additional patronage from visitors will help increase the economic impact of our arts and cultural efforts.
The Addison County WIB is your point of contact for training needs and applicable resources. You are invited to participate in upcoming meetings aimed at getting the Industrial Maintenance and Customer Service programs up and running. You are also welcome to let us know your training needs for either incumbent employees or for those you would like to hire. We will bring all of our resources to bear and will help you to address those needs in a locally affordable manner. Call either Pauline Singley, WIB Chair at 802-352-4427 (email sing236@earthlink.net) or Nancy Slater Cobden, Adult Technical Education and WIB Coordinator at 802-382-1005 (email ncobden@acsu.k12.vt.us) for further information.
