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Community College of Vermont emphasizes credit-bearing apprenticeships, healthcare and early‑childhood pipelines
Summary
Tiffany Walker, senior director of workforce at the Community College of Vermont, told the Senate committee CCV serves over 10,000 students annually, embeds workforce education in credit programs, and runs apprenticeship and career-pathway initiatives with employers, with particular emphasis on health care and early‑childhood education.
Tiffany Walker, senior director of workforce at the Community College of Vermont (CCV), told the Senate committee that CCV serves more than 10,000 students per year — including about 3,000 high‑school students — and treats students primarily as working adults who need flexible, stackable credentials.
Why it matters: Walker said CCV emphasizes credit‑bearing, stackable programs so students can earn short‑term credentials or continue toward degrees. That design, she told senators, helps workers pursue upskilling while continuing employment and supports employer partnerships for tuition remission, contracted training, apprenticeships, paid job shadows and internships.
Health care and apprenticeships: Walker said CCV offers multiple health care pathways — three apprenticeships, five certificates and a health‑care meta‑major — and that roughly 1,400 students were enrolled in health programs in fiscal 2024. She described “grow your own” models in which employers (hospitals and health systems statewide including UVM Health Network, Northwestern Medical Center, Gifford, and Brattleboro Memorial) sponsor or send employees into CCV coursework and apprenticeships; she cited a pathway from LNA to LPN where students can work and study concurrently.
Early childhood education and scholarships: Walker said CCV’s associate degree in early childhood education is its largest program (about 400 students) and noted scholarship supports (Northern Lights scholarships) that cover many participants.
Career Pathway Program (CPEP): Walker described CCV’s Career Pathway Program (Northern Borders brand) as an employer‑embedded model that offers paid job shadows and early employer engagement; she said CCV had “62 current prospects that wanna start this summer” in that program.
Why officials asked for more data: Several senators asked how CCV’s enrollments and credentials track to labor market needs and whether state investments should expand. Walker and committee members agreed more data tying credentials to job placements and employer demand would help guide funding decisions.
Ending: Committee chairs asked CCV to coordinate with labor‑market data providers and the Department of Labor so the committee can more clearly assess whether expanded funding is meeting identified employer shortages.
