Working to Create Jobs and Promote Vermont Businesses
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Next Generation Jobs. Vermont entrepreneurs are essential to diversifying our economy and creating jobs for the next generation of Vermonters. That is why Senator Leahy has worked around the state to support incubators for start up businesses, the largest of which is the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET). He also knows that access to early stage capital can be critical to the success of growing firms, so he secured funding that was matched by state funds from the Recovery Act to establish a $5 million early stage venture fund—brining capital to firms so they can stay and create jobs in Vermont.
High Tech Infrastructure. As a rural state, Vermont has faced challenges in building out a broadband network that is accessible to everyone, indispensable in attracting much needed high-tech firms and jobs to the state. Senator Leahy has worked to secure resources to overcome these challenges, improving broadband access in some of the most rural areas of the state and building a wider backbone along Interstate-89.
Downtown Revitalization - Historic Preservation - Affordable Housing. Vibrant downtowns and village centers are an essential part of Vermont’s way of life. Through efforts to build affordable housing in downtowns, preserving and rehabilitating historic buildings, and supporting smart growth policies, Senator Leahy has worked to make Vermont’s local economies strong, bringing money and jobs into many of Vermont’s small towns.
Innovation Solutions: EB-5. Senator Leahy championed Vermont as a regional center of the innovative EB – 5 visa program which he helped establish. The program has brought millions of dollars in investments into the state, creating hundreds of jobs. Vermont’s status as a regional center means that businesses across the state have access to this unique source of investment capital. Funded projects include expansions at Jay Peak and Sugarbush.
Truck Weights. Senator Leahy authored legislation to help get heavy trucks out of Vermont’s downtowns and onto interstate highways. Supported by a broad consensus of loggers, truckers, and municipalities from across the state, this legislation has allowed the Governor and legislature to reverse a situation where heavier trucks were forced off of interstate highways because of an 80,000 pound federal weight limit. It establishes a one year trial and evaluation period to study the consequences of putting these heavier trucks onto interstates.
Women’s Conference – Small Business Conference. Senator Leahy’s annual Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference, now in its 14th year, provides workshops helping women with career choices and expanding their economic opportunities. Senator Leahy’s Small Business Lending Conferences help small businesses learn how to access financing options through local banks, and resources from the state and federal government.
Infrastructure. Bringing resources to the state to upgrade and improve Vermont’s roads, bridges, and water and wastewater systems has been a top priority for Senator Leahy. He has also assisted communities throughout the state with their capital needs to make local public transportation more readily accessible and available. These improvements are vital to day-to-day life in the state. Along with employing hundreds of construction workers across the state, the strong infrastructure they create does much to attract tourism and businesses to the state, bringing further needed jobs to our state.
Recovery Act. During our national economic crisis, Senator Leahy worked tirelessly to ensure Vermont had the resources to weather the economic downturn. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), supported by Senator Leahy, Vermont received more than $700 million in funding to help meet job creation, law enforcement, health care, education, and infrastructure needs.
Green Jobs. Senator Leahy knows that Vermont must be a leader in the “green” revolution, to preserve and protect our environment, lower energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create jobs in this growing area of our economy.
Smart Grid. Smart Grid technology allows utilities and their customers to communicate in real time which allows for better management of the electric grid and has the potential to increase energy efficiency. Senator Leahy has advocated for resources to establish a statewide Smart Grid in Vermont. He worked with the Vermont congressional delegation to bring $69 million of Smart Grid funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement Smart Grid statewide.
Workforce Development. Senator Leahy knows that an educated workforce is an absolute necessity to attract jobs and business into the state. He has secured over $4 million in federal support for a number of workforce training programs across the state—programs doing everything from working with educators and industry to train and retrain workers for specific industry needs, to helping at risk youth with mentoring and internships.