Grants Fund Tech-Focused Projects in Southern Vermont; New Report Highlights the Positive Impact of the Tech Sector
Development of Vermont’s tech ecosystem will receive a boost with the announcement of new funding totaling $4.5 million to support tech-focused economic development projects.
Two southern Vermont organizations – The Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC) and the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) – have been awarded more than $2.2 million in grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for separate technology-focused economic development programs. When matching funds are included, the combined projects are valued at $4.5 million.
The grants are part of the EDA’s $47 million “Build to Scale” grants to organizations that support “technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation and fuel economic growth.”
BRIC will partner with the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation (GMEDC) to support a new project focused on scaling the network and support needed for technology startups to succeed in rural Vermont. As part of the effort, BRIC will bring its Actuator technology entrepreneurship program to Randolph and GMEDC will launch an innovation and entrepreneurship hub in Randolph.
The Rutland project will focus on creating a regional culture and community of tech innovation, which will include a Tech Onramp Program, a mentor and investor network for tech entrepreneurs, and the launch of Rutland’s Tech Startup Incubator in a newly-renovated space in downtown Rutland.
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Why developing the tech economy should be a priority is underscored in a new report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. The report reinforces what the VTTA has been saying all along: the IT/tech sector pays above average wages, even for non-college-educated workers. In addition, compared to other parts of the U.S. economy, the sector enables many other jobs, generates exports, and produces products and services that have dropped in price over time, helping reduce the impact of inflation.
These are the top conclusions in the report titled How the IT Sector Powers the US Economy.
In many ways they mirror the VTTA’s own findings in Vermont – where STEM/Tech wages were 88% higher than the state’s average wage – and underscores the importance of supporting and growing the tech sector in the state.
Our VTTA members are a good representation of the diverse range of innovative businesses that make up Vermont’s tech sector, and which offer outstanding career opportunities.
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One of the best opportunities to meet and connect with some of Vermont’s leading tech business is at the Vermont Tech Jam, at Hula in Burlington on Oct. 22. Vermont Tech Jam is an annual career and tech expo, organized by Seven Days, that showcases some of Vermont’s most innovative companies.
The VTTA has been involved since the first Tech Jam in 2008, an event that attracts hundreds of job seekers, career changers, tech professionals, college students, enthusiasts and anyone eager to learn from and connect with Vermont companies.
Be sure to plan to attend and visit the VTTA booth
We do the work we do only because of our members. If you support what we do, please become a member.
Jeff Couture
Executive Director
Vermont Technology Alliance
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2nd Annual Northern New England MedTech Conference 2022
(October 12, 2022)
This conference highlights the growing MedTech ecosystem in Northern New England.
Attend for an engaging day of networking and thought-provoking conversation to expand the broader MedTech community via the sharing of ideas and building lasting impact.
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2022 Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium: Robots Rising: Arming Artificial Intelligence
(October 12, 2022)
The 2022 Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium will examine the good, the bad, and the ugly of the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence for warfare and related applications from the perspective of some of the globe’s leading experts in the field.
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Vermont Tech Jam 2022
(October 22, 2022)
Vermont Tech Jam is an annual career and tech expo, organized by Seven Days, that showcases some of Vermont’s most innovative companies and attracts hundreds of visitors. This year’s event takes place at Hula, a coworking campus on the Burlington waterfront. The VTTA is a Tech Jam organizing partner.
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Renewable Energy Vermont Conference
(October 27-28, 2022)
The 2022 REV Conference and Expo, now in its 22nd year, will take place in-person on October 27, and October 28 at the DoubleTree Hilton in South Burlington, Vermont. Hear leaders and innovators in renewable energy discuss how to realize Vermont and New England’s clean energy future.
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MindEdge & VTTA Professional Development Offering |
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Creativity and Innovation |
With Creativity and Innovation courses, learn to harness the power of your imagination and
apply it to real-world scenarios, setting you apart in the professional workforce.
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Why Career Building Training?
Feeling stuck when you’re trying to come up with new creative ideas for your professional or personal life? As a kid, it was easy to use your creativity and imagination to come up with wild adventures and inventions. Now? Not so much. Creativity and critical thinking are vital skills for workplace success, but it can be hard to get out of your own way to let those skills flourish.
VTTA members receive 10% off all courses
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Sample Course List
1: Certificate in Creativity and Innovation
2: Creativity in Teams and Organizations
3: Innovation in Teams and Organizations
4: Introduction to Critical Thinking
5: Personal Creativity
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Two Southern Vermont Organizations Receive Federal Grants for Tech Startup and Innovation Projects Totaling $4.5 Million
(October 10, 2022)
Two southern Vermont organizations – The Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC) and the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) – have been awarded more than $2.2 million in grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for separate technology-focused economic development programs. When matching funds are included, the combined projects are valued at $4.5 million.
The grants are part of the EDA’s $47 million “Build to Scale” grants to organizations that support “technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation and fuel economic growth.”
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FirstLight, Consolidated Communications and Other Private Providers Partner with Communications Union Districts in $114 Million Proposal for Statewide Middle Mile Network
(October 10 – VT Dept. of Public Service)
Vermont joined other nationwide applicants in applying for funding from the $1 billion Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program.
Vermont’s application proposes a $114M, 1,663-mile, statewide middle mile network. The proposal was developed in collaboration with the state’s nine Communications Union Districts and the state’s major telecommunication companies. This project is supported by a $30 million state match to be included in the Governor’s budget proposal and over $16 million in cash and in-kind contributions from NEK Broadband, ECFiber, and FirstLight.
If awarded, the network will be constructed within 60 months. Awards will be announced starting in March 2023.
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BETA Technologies Lands in St. Albans; Hundreds of Tech Jobs to Come with Move
(Sept. 28, 2022 – St. Albans Messenger)
BETA Technologies is coming to St. Albans.
The electric aerospace company signed a lease at the former Energizer battery plant to begin research, development and battery validation operations at the facility.
The move will help the company develop and validate battery packs able to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards to ensure the company’s electric aircraft are safe and reliable, according to a BETA press release sent out Wednesday.
“We are excited to establish our new battery facility in Franklin County and create more opportunities for the strong skilled workforce here,” BETA’s founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, said in a press release. “The site’s proximity to our aircraft final assembly and manufacturing facility, which is currently underway at the Burlington International Airport, is an important part of our plan for integrated operations in this phase of the business.”
The move is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to St. Albans over several years. Franklin County Industrial Development Corp. director Tim Smith said the company will move in phases to occupy the facility, and the expectation is that the growth will be gradual as the company continues to expand.
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Amid Widespread Workforce Shortages, Vermont Tech's Apprenticeship Program Sets an Example
(Sept. 28, 2022 – WPTZ-TV)
With workforce shortages across the nation, the Vermont State Colleges System is working to provide more apprenticeships to students.
Vermont Technical College is just one school in the state with programs placing students in apprenticeships.
The school said with current workforce shortages, these programs are getting even more popular.
"The old adage was 'go to college to get a good job' and that just has not been providing enough workers for these manufacturers," said Dr. Jeffrey Higgins, a professor at Vermont Tech.
Higgins said companies like GE Aviation have had to flip the narrative.
"Now it's 'get a good job to go to college!" Higgins said. "So, they're being hired by the companies, working full time, filling an immediate need, but then they're being educated to become leaders inside that company."
This year, Vermont Tech had over 40 students graduate from GE Aviation's Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Programs.
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Report: IT Sector Delivers High Pay, Low Inflation, Drives Exports and Creates Innovation that Improves Quality of Life
(Sept. 24, 2022 – VTTA)
America’s IT industry delivers high pay, low price inflation for consumers, strong exports, and superior innovation. In addition, it offers the highest paying job opportunities for non-college-educated workers.
ITIF analyzed the latest data available from the federal government to examine the key role and contributions of the IT industry in the U.S. economy. It notes that the U.S. IT sector (also referred to as the “tech sector”) includes industries such as computing, data storage and processing, IT components, information services, semiconductors, and software.
According to the report the tech sector employed 5.9 million workers in 2020, accounting for 4.4 percent of U.S. private sector jobs. From 2017 to 2020, IT jobs grew more than twice as fast as total U.S. private sector jobs did. Workers in the sector earned more than double the average U.S. wage, and these jobs had a multiplier effect that supports 19 percent of all U.S. jobs.
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MTX, a Tech Company That Said It Would Bring 250 Jobs to Vermont, Has Quietly Canceled its Plans
(Sept. 22, 2022 – Vermont Public)
A tech company announced last August it would hire 250 people to staff an office in Waterbury. But in recent months, it quietly canceled those plans.
The development comes even though the company, MTX Group, was in line to receive the largest-ever award from a controversial state economic incentive program. Details of that award remain secret.
MTX — which was founded in Albany, N.Y. in 2018 and is headquartered in the Dallas region — declared last year that it was “committed” to creating 250 jobs in Vermont over a five-year period, with the creation of a “Northeast regional office” in Waterbury. In December 2021, state officials approved an incentive package worth $6.3 million. The firm would have received the money if it followed through on its pledge to create new jobs in the state.
“Due to changes in market conditions, MTX restructured earlier this year and will not be opening an office in Vermont at this time,” said Amy Desler, MTX’s director of communications, in a brief statement to Vermont Public. “We look forward to continuing to contribute to the state and local economy.”
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Champlain College Debuts New Esports Arena
(Sept. 19, 2022 – Champlain College)
Champlain College celebrated the grand opening of a state-of-the-art esports arena at its Miller Center Lakeside campus in Burlington, VT.
The new facility is home to Champlain’s varsity and club esports teams. In addition to supporting students in competitive play, the esports program paves the way for students to learn about and gain experience in the multi-billion-dollar video game industry, and cultivate skills in related fields such as marketing, graphic design, broadcast media production, communication, business management, and more.
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Vermont Technology Alliance Membership Update
The Vermont Technology Alliance works on behalf of its members and is able to carry out its mission through the support of its membership.
Renewing members include FirstLight as a Leadership Member-Sponsor. FirstLight and our other Leadership Sponsors are our top member-sponsors who provide annual foundational support for the VTTA.
Not a VTTA member yet? Then why not join now? Find more information and register here. You can also contact us at admin@vtta.org.
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When the world’s top medical device OEMs and academic institutes need real-time medical instrument navigation, they call NDI. Why? Because no one can rival the accuracy and reliability of our optical measurement and electromagnetic tracking solutions.
Our technologies have helped our partners pioneer computer-assisted surgery and computer-assisted therapy and is the foundation of 90% of the most progressive surgical navigation systems on the market. We enjoy tackling new projects and developing new pathways to serve our customers. NDI team members are passionate about delivering innovative technology that will help to unlock new procedures and solutions.
NDI is a growing global company based in Ontario, Canada with additional offices in Vermont USA, Germany, and Hong Kong. We offer exciting, interesting, and meaningful work based on cool technology and employee social and engagement events throughout the year. We are located 20 minutes to Burlington, Vermont International Airport and 15 minutes to the to the shores of Lake Champlain and the Burlington Surf Club.
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Useful Information & Links |
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Tech Jam Exhibitor Registration
If you’re a tech-focused business, you should be part of Vermont Tech Jam, Vermont's premier career and tech expo being held Saturday, October 22, at Hula in Burlington. The exhibitor cost of $500 includes a table and bio in the program, which will be distributed at the event and inserted in 35,000 copies of that week's Seven Days.
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Events Scheduled in October for Manufacturing Month
(Oct., 2022 – VMEC)
MFG Day is held annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month to showcase the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders.
The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) has scheduled a number of events for the Month
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Online Professional Development Courses
The VTTA has partnered with MindEdge to offer easy-to-access, affordable, online professional development courses. Whether you are looking to expand your skill set, earn professional credits, or learn something new, these courses are an option to gain essential and in-demand skills on your own time, at your own pace, and from any location. As a bonus, VTTA members save 10% on all offerings.
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VTTA Career Center
Vermont Technology Alliance member companies are hiring, and when you visit the Career Center on the Vermont Technology Alliance website you can browse and search for these job openings and subscribe to updates. The Career Center on average features 200+ tech and non-tech jobs with Vermont Technology Alliance member businesses. Jobs available from VTTA members are listed at no charge in the Career Center as a member benefit.
Find the Career Center here.
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Advertise in the Vermont Technology Alliance Newsletter
Feature your business or organization as a sponsor or with an ad in this newsletter and support the VTTA.
Each month, reach an audience made up of leaders, innovators, supporters and partners of Vermont’s growing and dynamic tech sector.
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The VTTA Thanks Its Member/Sponsors
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