CEDO - Community Economic Development Office

THE CONSTRUCTION JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM

CEDO, in partnership with ReSOURCE, teamed up to train people in Construction and Safety Training after receiving a grant award from the Vermont Department of Labor in February of 2018. The 10-week intensive program kicked off on June 4th, 2018, with the first six to eight weeks dedicated to training in construction math, carpentry, tool usage, and other construction related courses. Trainees spent the final 2 weeks getting hands-on experience on construction sites, developing their personal and professional skills and preparing for permanent careers. The first two trainee groups graduated from this course in 2018, and two other rounds of training are planned to begin on January 28, 2019 and March 25th, 2019. 

The program aims to prepare targeted populations, including low income, young adults, at-risk youths, ex-offenders and New Americans so they may become qualified for the hundreds of skilled entry level and high-skilled, high wage construction jobs available in Vermont as a result of several major incoming and already ongoing development projects in Burlington. 

For more information on the Construction Jobs Training Program, please call Gillian Nanton, Assistant Director, CEDO at # 802-865-7179 or email: gnanton@burlingtonvt.gov

2018 WINNERS OF MAYOR'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRIZE

Mayor Weinberger awarded $100,000 in grants to Generator, Center for Women & Enterprise and Women's Small Business Program (WSBP) - Mercy Connections to help entrepreneurs start and grow more businesses in Burlington. Fully funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and first launched in October, 2017, the Mayor's Prize looks at areas that strengthen resources for entrepreneurial growth. 

Generator, $50,000 grant
Generator, Burlington's largest makerspace, provides the tools, training, community and workspace to help makers test, evolve, prototype and bring their best concepts to market. Generator will seek to expand its JumpStart program which provides high quality founder education and support for early stage entrepreneurs. In particular, Generator will add a summer incubator to help college students launch businesses in Vermont, as well as a new business bootcamp for artist entrepreneurs next fall.

Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), $25,000 grant
Center for Women and Enterprise, building on the success of its Power Forward four-month accelerator designed to support high growth women-owned firms, will expand this program to the food and retail industries. Additionally, CWE will launch a new initiative, Retail Boot Camp designed to help entrepreneurs who have a strong retail business concept, prepare to open a brick and mortar business.

WSBP - Mercy Connections, $25,000 grant
Women's Small Business Program  - Mercy Connections, serving aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs, will undertake innovative program enhancements focusing on energizing their extensive alumnae and business network and offering advanced training to business founders. Specifically, peer-to-peer exchanges will be facilitated, a mentoring network created and Mercy Marketplace expanded.