Momentum from well-attended inaugural Summit, Southern Vermont Economy Project launches new program

The Southern Vermont Economic Development Summit gathered and showcased individual and collaborative economic and community development entities and efforts in Bennington and Windham counties. Over 130 attendees from the two counties, representatives of statewide programs and collaborators from out of state were addressed by Vermont governor Phil Scot and Secretary Michael Schirling of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and received economic briefings from the Federal Bank of Boston and the Vermont Department of Labor. Summit co-sponsor, the Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP), plans to continue the momentum created at the summit with new professional development programming.

Starting in July, SVEP will be launching a bi-monthly quick hit webinar series titled “Knowledge Bites,” focused on providing introductory information about economic and community development tools, programs, and funding opportunities. Each session will be 30 minutes long including time for brief questions and contact instructions for participants looking to utilize the showcased tool or program. This programming will be free and open to the public, but geared towards entities in Southern Vermont that work in economic and community development. Presentations will include topics such as where to find commonly requested labor data on the Vermont Department of Labor website, who should and how to apply for the Windham Region Brownfields Reuse Initiative (WRBRI), information on how to utilize the state downtown/village designation to leverage funding, a discussion about the new joint Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and how to submit projects, and more. The first session will be Tuesday, July 11th, at noon: “How do I find useful labor data on the Vermont DOL website?” presented by VT Department of Labor staff.

Instructions on connecting to the webinars as well as an upcoming schedule of topics can be found at https://brattleborodevelopment.com/knowledge-bites/. SVEP will also be providing information on the site regarding how to request an opportunity to present best practices use of economic and community development tools. Webinars will be recorded and archived at the above web address.

 

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this organization is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, and familial status.  (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)  To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).