CORD/AIT Applied Academics
A national consortium sponsored by the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) and the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT) develop and offer applied academic curricula in the areas of Applied Math, Applied Communications, Applied Biology/Chemistry, and Principles of Technology.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5130
VT Technical College (802) 728-3391

Career Development Activities

“Essential Elements of Career Development for Vermont Students”
Describes competencies students should have at different levels of learning.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5143

Vermont Student Assistance Corp.
Career Information Resource Center
Operates a resource library of career- related information. Materials include books, tapes, computer programs and videos which address a variety of topics including college and career development and exploration, financial aid and scholarships, STW, interest inventories, free college and career counseling for adults, and more.
VSAC Outreach (800) 642-3177

Vermont Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (VOICC)
Assists individuals, counselors, and program planners with career decision- making. Materials relating to occupation, employment, and training opportunities in Vermont are available.
VT Dept. of Employment & Training (802) 828-4330

Curricula and Assessment Leading to a Certificate of Initial Mastery

Vermont Department of Education, Career & Life Long Learning Team
The State Board of Education has made a commitment to continue to explore the concept of a Certificate of Mastery (CIM).
VT Department of Education
(802) 828-5132

Career Portfolios and Individual Career Plans

Career Development Portfolio Group
A framework for student career portfolios is being developed. Portfolios will serve as an integral part of the Department of Education’s student assessment system.
VT Department of Education
(802) 828-5132

Eleventh and Twelfth Grade Career Pathways

Vermont Department of Education, Career and Life Long Learning Team
Vermont’s team is working with a
national consortium led by the Center for Occupational Research and Development to identify career pathways and develop curriculum.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5144

Community/Workplace Experiences

Cooperative Education (Co-op)
Co-op is a program that combines occupational coursework with part-time paid or non-paid work experience during the school year (non-paid work not to exceed 30 hours). This program uses training agreements to outline what students are expected to learn and what employers are expected to provide. Co-op coordinators are
located in regional technical centers.
Vermont Dept. of Education
(802) 828-5142

Vermont Farm Youth Corps (VFYC)
VFYC is an agricultural learning and employment program that matches farmers with youth who wish to learn about agriculture. A summer program includes eight days of intensive residential training before youth are placed on farms. Some placements are live-in situations, and participants are paid minimum wage. VFYC has also established pilot school year programs with some high schools and technical centers.
VFYC (802) 656-0259

Vermont Learn and Serve Program
Learn and Serve supports service learning efforts for K-12 students through funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Vermont Dept. of Education
(802) 828-2752

Vermont Commission on National
and Community Service (VCNCS)
VCNCS is responsible for promoting, developing, and coordinating community service activities throughout the state. It manages federal funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service, including grants for community-based organizations throughout the state that collaborate with schools and other local groups. The program is coordinated with the Vermont Learn and Serve program at the Dept. of Education.
Mary Ann Gashnig (802) 828-4982

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC)
VYCC operates on the premise that young people can take responsibility for their environment while doing conservation work for the state of Vermont. Crews work statewide on summer projects involving state, national, and municipal public lands or waters. Youth (ages 16-21) learn about environmental issues linked to the work they do through daily reading, writing, and debate. They are paid minimum wage.
VYCC: (802) 241-3699

Post-Secondary Options Linked to
Career Pathways

Tech Connections 2 + 2 Program
Tech Connections is a technical education program linking the last two years of high school with the first two years of post-secondary education. It offers a coherent program of study integrating academic and occupational education. Tech Connections programs typically lead to an associate degree, but can lead to a bachelor degree.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5145
VT Technical College (802) 728-1219
Community College of Vermont
(802) 241-3535

Support for Students with Special Needs

Success by Six
Success by Six is a joint effort between the Department of Education and the Agency of Human Services. It is designed to assist communities with the coordination of early intervention, early education, and health and social services so that, ultimately, every child arrives at school ready to learn. Grant funds help communities develop a plan to establish home visiting, parent education, literacy services, and transition planning.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5115

Note: There are a number of early intervention programs available and may be part of a Success by Six plan. These include: Early Compensatory Education, the Early Education Initiative, Essential Early Education, and Even Start, all administered by the Department of Education, and Head Start and Healthy Babies, administered by the Agency of Human Services.

Supported Employment Program
This program is a partnership effort among several agencies to provide staff for job development, job placement, and on-site training for individuals with substantial disabilities. Serves both adults and high school students.
Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (802) 241-2195

Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Support is provided to some severely disabled students to help them make the transition from school-to-work, usually during the last year of schooling. Funding is limited to individuals with physical and mental impairments that are substantial impediments to employment.
Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (802) 241-2195

Vermont Association of Business, Industry, and Rehabilitation (VABIR)
VABIR is a not-for-profit agency that assists employers by referring qualified, pre-screened applicants with disabilities for open positions. It also provides education and awareness of issues involved in working with individuals who have disabilities. In addition, VABIR works with people who have disabilities and are seeking employment, assisting them in all aspects of their job search.
VABIR: (802) 655-7215

Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber has been a leader in the Lake Champlain Region in school-to-work and workforce development since 1991. In its 85th year of “doing business,” the Chamber continues to represent the communities of Chittenden County by providing creative leadership and effective coordination of those interested in solving community problems. Its mission is to promote and support the healthy environment that makes the Lake Champlain Region and Vermont the ideal place to live, work and do business. Some examples of the Chamber’s leadership in school-to-work and workforce development include the Project Assist Directory, and in partnership with the Greater Burlington Indus-trial Corporation, the Manufacturing Technology Certification Program (see page 19-11).
Lake Champlain Regional Chamber
of Commerce (802) 863-3489 ext 205

Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC)
GBIC is a private, non-profit economic development corporation that serves as a catalyst for industrial and economic growth in Chittenden County. Its primary goal is to create jobs that will strengthen the region’s economy and improve the quality of life for its residents. GBIC’s activities have played an important role in creating thousands of jobs in the manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and service trades. In partnership with the Chamber, GBIC launched the Manufacturing Technology Certification Program to meet the growing workforce needs of local manufacturers (see page 19-11).
Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (802) 862-5726

Career Preparation for Adults Without Appropriate Work Skills

Vermont Adult Learning (VAL)
VAL provides adult basic education to approximately 4000 adults who are not enrolled in school and who need literacy skills for productive employment. Instruction is provided at no charge to students in a variety of settings according to student goals and needs. VAL also administers the FUTURES Program (life skills for low-income women) and the Adult Diploma Program. Over 200 clients receive ESL instruction. Adult services are administered regionally.
VAL (802) 229-5221
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5134

Adult Diploma Program (ADP)
Designed for adults 21 and older, ADP allows participants to use life and employment experience to demonstrate skills sufficient to earn a diploma granted by a local high school. Completion of the program generally requires six to nine months of regular weekly meetings with an assessor.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5134

Adult Technical Education
Regional technical centers offer a wide range of technical programs with an emphasis on preparation for employment and connections to postsecondary education. One and two-year daytime programs are open to adults, in addition to over 500 courses offered in the evening on a tuition basis.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5132

Employer Resource Consultants
These consultants are trained professionals located in each of the 12 district offices of the Department of Employment and Training. They connect employers to DET and other agencies services, as well as consult with employers on recruitment, retention, personnel practices, and more.
VT Dept. of Employment & Training
(802) 828-4361

Vermont Chamber of Commerce Business/Education Partnership (VCCBEP)
VCCBEP is a non-profit organization established by the VT Chamber of Commerce to develop and support business/education partnerships throughout the state. The project provides technical assistance in the areas of partnership building, evaluation, mentoring, and employer involvement. VCCBEP sponsors the Vermont Initiative for Mentoring, which provides help with needs assessment, recruitment and matching, mentor/ mentee training, and evaluation of community mentoring programs.
VCCBEP (802) 223-0603

Vermont Teacher/Employer Internship Program (VETIP)
This program is a collaborative effort of several state organizations to create paid summer internship experiences for teachers. The program includes educators in all content areas.
S.B. Electronics, Inc (802) 476-4146

Vermont Business Roundtable
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of 125 CEO’s of Vermont companies representing geographic diversity and all major sectors of the economy. The Roundtable has produced two brochures titled, “What Do Employers Expect From Today’s High School Graduates,” and “From High School to Workplace, What High School Graduates Need to Know to Make the Grade in Today’s Marketplace.” These brochures are available through the Roundtable.
Vermont Business Roundtable
(802) 865-0410

Paid High-Skill/High Wage Work-Based Learning and Employment

Northlands Job Corps Center
This major national training and employment program is administered by the Department of Labor to address the multiple barriers to employment faced by disadvantaged youth throughout the United States. Job Corps provides a comprehensive mix of services which address these multiple barriers in an integrated and coordinated manner in one facility
Northland Job Corps (802) 877-2922

Note: Northlands Job Corps was identified in Vermont’s state implementation grant as one of two specific resources in Vermont that is available and should be more fully utilized to meet the needs of high school dropouts.

Vermont Student Apprenticeship Program
This skill-based education program coordinates and integrates classroom instruction with a structured workplace learning experience where the student receives education and training in a skilled occupational field. Students are paid and receive academic credit and can earn industry certification through their apprenticeship. Employers work closely with schools to design learning experiences and assessments. Apprenticeships are currently available at each of the regional technical centers.
VT Dept. of Education (802) 828-5132

Vermont REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) Enterprises
Offers an engaging, applied approach to student entrepreneurship for high school and post-secondary students. Students progress through the process of creating business plans based on identified community needs and their own personal interests. Some actually launch their own long-term businesses, which “graduate” with them out into the community.

Don Anderson
Missisquoi Valley UHS
(802) 868-7311

Jim Avery
Otter Valley UHS
(802) 247-6833

Rich Tulikangas
Burlington High School
(802) 951-8850

Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program
The Apprenticeship Division of the Vermont Department of Employment and Training supports paid registered apprenticeship experiences with Vermont Industries in several occupational areas.
VT Dept. of Employment & Training
(802) 828-4000

US Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training
(802) 951-6278

Vermont Small Business Development Center
A partnership of government, education, and business with the mission of helping Vermont’s small businesses to succeed through a statewide network that provides free, one-to-one counseling, and the delivery of affordable training seminars.
SBDC Lead Center (802) 464-SBDC
NE Vermont (802) 748-1014
SE Vermont (802) 885-2071
Central Vermont (802) 295-3710
NW Vermont (802) 658-9228
SW Vermont (802) 773-9147