Vermont Labor outlines UI modernization, apprenticeship expansion and local job fairs
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Summary
The Vermont Department of Labor told the Senate committee it has invested more than $30 million in a new unemployment insurance system due to launch in spring/summer 2026, highlighted apprenticeship expansion and statewide job fairs, and outlined targeted investments (background-check improvements and rural health workforce funding).
The Vermont Department of Labor told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that modernizing the state's 55-year-old unemployment insurance (UI) system and expanding training pathways are its top operational priorities for the coming months.
"We have invested with state dollars, over $30,000,000 into this," Commissioner Kendall Smith said of the UI modernization project, adding that the department will continue testing and will announce the launch date after further evaluation. Smith said the department is committed to a smooth rollout and asked for legislative patience during the final testing period.
Department staff described a recent statewide push to coordinate regional job fairs (five regional fairs on the same day) aimed at part-time and seasonal work; staff said roughly 230 jobseekers and about 30 employers attended the November event and another statewide construction-focused fair is planned for late February. The department also plans "sector-focused sprints," in which job-center staff interview employers to identify pain points and increase use of the Vermont JobLink posting system.
On apprenticeship and training, staff reported more than 1,600 active apprentices, about 106 active training programs and 29 active occupations under registered apprenticeship; the department said there are roughly 500 registered employer sponsors in the system. Smith noted significant new federal apprenticeship funding and philanthropic partnerships as major resources for scaling training.
Speakers also summarized interagency workforce work: collaborators include the Agency of Human Services on SNAP/Medicaid-related work requirements, the Agency of Education on CTE alignment and a recent rural health transformation grant that earmarked about $30,000,000 for workforce support. The committee heard the federal grant also funds improvements to fingerprint/background-check processing; staff said about $1,000,000 is targeted to reduce current turnaround times that can exceed eight weeks.
What's next: department staff said the UI system launch is expected in spring/summer 2026 after further testing; staff will continue to report on apprenticeship growth, job-fair schedules and the status of background-check system improvements.
