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If you are a Bennington County high school student or an adult searching for a job or new career, you are invited to attend the Northshire Career Expo at Burr and Burton Academy’s Founder’s Hall on Monday from 3:15 to 5:45 pm.

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MANCHESTER — If you are a Bennington County high school student or an adult searching for a job or new career, you are invited to attend the Northshire Career Expo at Burr and Burton Academy’s Founder’s Hall on Monday from 3:15 to 5:45 pm.

This inaugural workforce development event is sponsored by Democratic Reps. Kathleen James and Seth Bongartz, with support from the Vermont Department of Labor. It is designed to allow local employers and entrepreneurs an opportunity to share their industry knowledge about career paths, career building, apprenticeships, and educational or training requirements with students and adult job seekers.

Jobs in Bennington County have returned, unemployment is low, and wages have increased, especially in Manchester, with compensation in the area outpacing inflation, said Jonathan Cooper, a certified economic developer with Bennington County Regional Commission.

“This is a great time for someone who is facing some barriers to employment — transportation, childcare, elder care, soft skills — to come to the Career Expo and engage with the Department of Labor and the assistance they can provide,” Cooper said.

James said the free event was organized around information from Vermont’s best-bet careers and training programs, as published by the McClure Foundation.

“We looked at that list to start inviting selected employers, and then broadened it to be sure we were catching a good cross-section of our local businesses,” said James.

At least 60 local employers and entrepreneurs in industries ranging from the arts, agriculture, financial services, law enforcement, legal services, recreation and tourism will have tables set up to provide information regarding careers in their chosen fields.

Organizations attending the event include: Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, United Counseling Service, GSK Climate Control, Tyler Electric, solar system expert Bill Laberge, Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union, Northshire Day School, Mack Molding and Old Mill Road Media.

Local retail shop owners will be present to discuss the significance of local businesses in the economy and the importance of buying locally.  

To supply information regarding training, education and financial aid, representatives from Vermont Tech, Southwest Tech, Vermont Student Assistance Corp. and Community College of Vermont will be available.

James expressed gratitude toward the employers and entrepreneurs who have agreed to spend a few hours of their time connecting with job seekers.

“It’s a bit of an experiment and a community service project for everyone involved,” she said, adding that if the event is a success and the community finds it beneficial, they will consider doing it again.

“This is not a traditional job fair, though employers are certainly welcome to provide information about open positions,” James said, noting the importance of job fairs by promoting the Vermont Department of Labor’s fair to be held in Bennington in May.

James continued, “We wanted to do something here in the Northshire that was a little bit different — something about immediate hiring, yes, but also hopefully to get people thinking about career pathways here in our state.”

If you have questions regarding the Northshire Career Expo, email Fawn Montanye at fawn@fawnmontanye.com.


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