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Vermont Career Connect
Vermont Career Connect—a virtual career exploration program to help you:
- think about the future
- explore new possibilities
- hear directly from people in a wide variety of careers about their work
Below you’ll find a career interest survey, career interview videos organized by career cluster, resources for exploring careers and training requirements, recordings from past virtual events, and an activity to help you reflect on and identify next steps in your career planning journey. Click on each tab to access these materials.
Live events
KINGDOM CAREER CONNECT & THE NEK STEM FAIR
Every fall VSAC hosts an in-person career exploration event for middle schoolers in and around the Northeast Kingdom. This event is produced in partnership with Vermont State University, Northern Vermont AHEC, Careers CLiC, the Vermont Department of Labor, and the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation. Students attend with their schools to take part in a day of hands-on activities related to more than a dozen careers, including career exploration workshops and a hands-on STEM fair. This year's event took place on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at Vermont State University Lyndon.
RUTLAND AREA STEM FAIR
VSAC hosts this event to encourage middle school students in and around the Rutland region to develop STEM identities and consider future careers in STEM-related fields. Students attend with their schools to engage with more than a dozen hands-on STEM exhibits and take a STEM-focused tour of the VTSU Castleton campus. This year's event took place on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at Vermont State University Castleton.
VIRTUAL CAREER PANEL
VSAC also hosts a virtual career panel for middle schoolers across the state. View the recording from the 2023 event which took place on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
This event is structured around Vermont’s High-Pay, High Demand Jobs, and kicks off with an intro to career exploration in middle school from Careers CLiC, followed by a Q&A with panelists in four jobs that pay a livable wage and are projected to have many openings in the state over the next 10 years.
View the event flyer for more details on the 2023 panelists.
If your school is interested in being added to the invitation list for any of these events, reach out to Anna at telensky@vsac.org.
A great career allows you to get paid for work that matches your interests and abilities. Download this worksheet to help you identify the Career Clusters that might be the best fit for you.
The National Career Clusters® Framework was created by Advance CTE and includes 16 Career Clusters representing 79 Career Pathways that can help you discover and pursue the best educational and career pathway for your unique interests and abilities. Read more about all 16 Career Clusters and find more detailed information and resources for exploring Career Pathways here.
Click on each green bar for resources on each career cluster.
- Cluster 1: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Place-Based Education Coordinator for the Center for an Agricultural Economy, Reeve Basom. Learn about jobs that support local food systems and food security.
Game warden Jeff Whipple of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Learn about the gear a game warden wears, check out a bear trap, and tour their:
Shelburne Farm’s director of professional learning, Jen Cirillo
Water Resources Program Manager at Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Christine Cooley
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Outdoor educator and wilderness medicine instructor with Outward Bound and NOLS, Eric Strickler
Environmental scientist and environmental studies professor at Dartmouth College, David Lutz
Director of The Climate Consensus and faculty member/chair of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at NVU-Lyndon, Janel Hanrahan, PhD
Co-owner of Last Resort Farm, Eugenie Doyle
State Lands Forester with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Paul Szwedo
Energy engineer & senior program manager at Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Leah Milcarek, PE
Veterinarian Dr. Dayna Locitzer
River management engineer with the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, Todd Menees, PE. Learn about the VT River and Roads Training Program.
- Cluster 2: Architecture and Construction
Careers in construction with Vermont Talent Pipeline members PC Construction, DEW Construction, New England Air Systems, BreadLoaf Construction, ReArch Company, and Engelberth Construction
Civil engineer, David Nason
Civil engineering, Andrea Day, PE and Vice President of Dufresne Group
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Architect, designer, maker, and teacher, Kimo Griggs
Energy engineer & senior program manager at Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Leah Milcarek, PE
River management engineer with the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, Todd Menees, PE. Learn about the VT River and Roads Training Program.
Off-grid specialist at Catamount Solar, Chris Sparadeo
Master electrician and business owner, John Arrison
President of Norway & Sons: VT Electrical Contractors, Jeff Norway
Construction Operations Manager at Alliance Mechanical, Gary Morin
- Cluster 3: Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications
Author Beth Kanell
Managing editor for News Center Maine, Dana Rosengard
Musician, producer, and music coach, Patrick Ross
DJ and entertainer at LinCo Entertainment, Corey Gottfried
Founding director of Davis Studio for art education, Teresa Davis
Cartoonist Jarad Greene
Music producer Brian Warwick, GRAMMY® winning engineer and assistant professor at NVU-Lyndon
Senior graphic designer at Higher Ground, Bobby Hackney
Technical writer Katie Ferguson
Celebrant and ceremony officiant Martha Dallas
Music video production with dancer/videographer Liam Kinney
- Cluster 4: Business, Management, and Administration
Managing editor for News Center Maine, Dana Rosengard
Business owner, DJ and entertainer at LinCo Entertainment, Corey Gottfried
Professor of business and accounting at Landmark College, Dr. Jeanette Landin
Executive assistant at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Mandy Chapman
Nursing administration careers at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Project manager at BioTek Instruments, Jamie Gravelin, and learn about some of BioTek's imaging products for live cell analysis
Senior evaluation and research analyst at VSAC, Anna Prescott, PhD
Paralegal with Cleary Shahi & Aicher, P.C., Robyn Sweet, CRP
Owner of Power Play Sports and Waterbury Sports, Caleb Magoon
Human resources director at VSAC, Julie Hulburd
Recruiter at Google, Trevor Gilmore
Technical sourcing recruiter Erica Combopiano
Software consultant & CEO of Combo Consulting, Joe Combopiano
Founding director of Davis Studio for art education, Teresa Davis
Celebrant and ceremony officiant Martha Dallas
Associate director of audience products at Xandr, Mike Newell
Library director of the Norwich Public Library, Lucinda Walker
Yoga teacher Amber Gregory
Clinical social worker/therapist, Allie Forward, LICSW
Development director (fundraiser) for the House of Ruth, Elizabeth Kiker
Co-owner of Last Resort Farm, Eugenie Doyle
Product operations manager at Burton Snowboards, Fay Leuck
Client services manager at Cartus, Janet Newell
Automotive technician & owner of Brian's North End Automotive, Brian Moegelin
Master electrician and business owner, John Arrison
President of Norway & Sons: VT Electrical Contractors, Jeff Norway
Construction Operations Manager at Alliance Mechanical, Gary Morin
- Cluster 5: Education and Training
Shelburne Farm’s director of professional learning, Jen Cirillo
Program director at University Beyond Bars, Margaret Burke
Executive director at the Nanubhai Education Foundation, Sarah Birgé
Musician, producer, and music coach, Patrick Ross
Structural engineer and professor at Vermont Technical College, Scott Sabol. P.E.
Marine engineer and professor of engineering at Maine Maritime Academy, Laurie Flood
Professor of business and accounting at Landmark College, Dr. Jeanette Landin
Elementary teacher Kathryn Locke
Director at Heartworks Preschool Burlington, Ilia Gilligan
Founding director of Davis Studio for art education, Teresa Davis
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Outdoor educator and wilderness medicine instructor with Outward Bound and NOLS, Eric Strickler
Library director of the Norwich Public Library, Lucinda Walker
Science educator at the Fairbanks Museum Career, Bobby Farlice-Rubio
Environmental scientist and environmental studies professor at Dartmouth College, David Lutz
Athletic director at NVU-Johnson, Barbara Lougee
Director of The Climate Consensus and faculty member/chair of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at NVU-Lyndon, Janel Hanrahan, PhD
School social worker Ashley W.
Yoga teacher Amber Gregory
Architect, designer, maker, and teacher, Kimo Griggs
Special educator at Browns River Middle School, Robin Clokey
Early childhood education careers with Lets Grow Kids
Coordinator for the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Amy Brewer
- Cluster 6: Finance
Treasury management officer at TD Bank, David Stagliano
CPA, Controller, and Director of Finance at VSAC, Bruce Hicken
Technical writer Katie Ferguson
State representative and Director of Outreach and Financial Literacy with the Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, Dylan Giambatista
- Cluster 7: Government and Public Administration
Executive director at the Nanubhai Education Foundation, Sarah Birgé
Program director at University Beyond Bars, Margaret Burke
Senior evaluation and research analyst at VSAC, Anna Prescott, PhD
Water Resources Program Manager at Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Christine Cooley
Library director of the Norwich Public Library, Lucinda Walker
Williston Town Manager Erik Wells
Development director (fundraiser) for the House of Ruth, Elizabeth Kiker
Pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Samantha Waltz
State Lands Forester with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Paul Szwedo
Public Engagement Director at the Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance, Charlie Gliserman
State representative and Director of Outreach and Financial Literacy with the Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, Dylan Giambatista
River management engineer with the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, Todd Menees, PE. Learn about the VT River and Roads Training Program.
Assistant Attorney General David Scherr
Director of Air Operations for the VT National Guard, Colonel Laura Caputo
Coordinator for the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Amy Brewer
- Cluster 8: Health Science
Clinical blood bank specialist at Littleton Regional Healthcare, David Saikin
Working at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Nursing administration careers at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
Physical therapist assistant Nic Tremblay
Pediatric nurse practitioner at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Ann Christiano, MS, APRN
Registered nurse and training director at ettain health, Charlotte Smith
Pharmacist Jeff Almgren
Dentist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Dr. Collin Kwasnik, DDS
Outdoor educator and wilderness medicine instructor with Outward Bound and NOLS, Eric Strickler
Emergency medical services careers with the Director of Operations for Lyndon Rescue, Jillian McLaughlin
Water Resources Program Manager at Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Christine Cooley
Veterinarian Dr. Dayna Locitzer
Physical therapist at Dan Wyand, PT & Associates, Dan Wheeler
Coordinator for the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Amy Brewer
Physician Assistant at Mansfield Orthopaedics, Kristen Glick
- Cluster 9: Hospitality and Tourism
Director of sales & marketing at Hotel Tybee, David Thomas
Athletic director at NVU-Johnson, Barbara Lougee
Event planner/professional logistics expert, Abby Crossen
- Cluster 10: Human Services
Residential assistant at the Howard Center, Larissa Stride
Intensive community support worker at the Howard Center and Respite Provider, Shannon Dufour-Martinez
School social worker Ashley W.
Celebrant and ceremony officiant Martha Dallas
Library director of the Norwich Public Library, Lucinda Walker
Athletic director at NVU-Johnson, Barbara Lougee
Clinical social worker/therapist, Allie Forward, LICSW
Yoga teacher Amber Gregory
Development director (fundraiser) for the House of Ruth, Elizabeth Kiker
Special educator at Browns River Middle School, Robin Clokey
Coordinator for the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Amy Brewer
Children & Family Support at NFI-Vermont Tracy Jones
- Cluster 11: IT Information Technology
Senior software developer at Alley, Dan Bowles
IT systems and network administrator at Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont, Jo Telensky
Software consultant & CEO of Combo Consulting and former software engineer and product manager at Facebook and Microsoft, Joe Combopiano
Software engineer at Faraday, Forrest Wallace
RN and training director at ettain health, Charlotte Smith
Associate director of audience products at Xandr, Mike Newell
Technical sourcing recruiter Erica Combopiano
- Cluster 12: Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
Firefighter with Castine Fire & Rescue, Lisa Burton
Game warden Jeff Whipple of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Learn about the gear a game warden wears, check out a bear trap, and tour their:
Program director at University Beyond Bars, Margaret Burke
Paralegal with Cleary Shahi & Aicher, P.C., Robyn Sweet, CRP
Pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Samantha Waltz
School resource officer at CVU, Matt Collins
Assistant Attorney General David Scherr
Crime scene investigation — Tour a VSP CSI truck and learn how to process a crime scene.
- Cluster 13: Manufacturing
Project manager at BioTek Instruments, Jamie Gravelin, and learn about some of BioTek's imaging products for live cell analysis
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Product operations manager at Burton Snowboards, Fay Leuck
Light industrial lead machine operator at Hypertherm, Ben Rogers
Light industrial design engineer at Hypertherm, Jeff Ortakales
Heavy industrial systems team leader at Hypertherm, Beth Horstman
Registered apprenticeships (PDF)
For additional resources related to careers in manufacturing, check out:
- Cluster 14: Marketing, Sales, and Service
Director of sales & marketing at Hotel Tybee, David Thomas
Special events coordinator with VSAC GEAR UP, Anna Telensky
Business owner, DJ and entertainer at LinCo Entertainment, Corey Gottfried
Career opportunities with Hannaford supermarkets
Owner of Power Play Sports and Waterbury Sports, Caleb Magoon
Associate director of audience products at Xandr, Mike Newell
Event planner/professional logistics expert, Abby Crossen
Senior graphic designer at Higher Ground, Bobby Hackney
Software consultant & CEO of Combo Consulting and former software engineer and product manager at Facebook and Microsoft, Joe Combopiano
Recruiter at Google, Trevor Gilmore
Technical sourcing recruiter Erica Combopiano
Yoga teacher Amber Gregory
Development director (fundraiser) for the House of Ruth, Elizabeth Kiker
Product operations manager at Burton Snowboards, Fay Leuck
Off-grid specialist at Catamount Solar, Chris Sparadeo
- Cluster 15: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Project manager at BioTek Instruments, Jamie Gravelin, and learn about some of BioTek's imaging products for live cell analysis
Senior evaluation and research analyst at VSAC, Anna Prescott, PhD
Clinical blood bank specialist at Littleton Regional Healthcare, David Saikin
Structural engineer and professor at Vermont Technical College, Scott Sabol, P.E.
Marine engineer and professor of engineering at Maine Maritime Academy, Laurie Flood
Civil engineering, Andrea Day, PE and Vice President of Dufresne Group
Civil engineer, David Nason
Senior software developer at Alley, Dan Bowles
IT systems and network administrator at Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont, Jo Telensky
Software consultant & CEO of Combo Consulting and former software engineer and product manager at Facebook and Microsoft, Joe Combopiano
Software engineer at Faraday, Forrest Wallace
Energy engineer & senior program manager at Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Leah Milcarek, PE
Science educator at the Fairbanks Museum Career, Bobby Farlice-Rubio
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Director of The Climate Consensus and faculty member/chair of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at NVU-Lyndon, Janel Hanrahan, PhD
Water Resources Program Manager at Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Christine Cooley
Registered nurse and training director at ettain health, Charlotte Smith
Pharmacist Jeff Almgren
Technical writer Katie Ferguson
River management engineer with the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, Todd Menees, PE. Learn about the VT River and Roads Training Program.
Off-grid specialist at Catamount Solar, Chris Sparadeo
Physical therapist at Dan Wyand, PT & Associates, Dan Wheeler
- Cluster 16: Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
VTrans Intern Maintenance Worker Program and National Summer Transportation Institute
Energy educator with VEEP and NHEEP, Kaity White
Automotive technician & owner of Brian's North End Automotive, Brian Moegelin
Pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Samantha Waltz
Product operations manager at Burton Snowboards, Fay Leuck
Client services manager at Cartus, Janet Newell
Director of Air Operations for the VT National Guard, Colonel Laura Caputo
We recommend the following resources to continue exploring careers and training requirements.
- McClure Foundation Pathways to Promising Careers for Vermonters
- MyFutureVT — A free online resource to help you take the next step in your education and career journey
- Vermont Department of Labor Career Exploration Resources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics student resources
- Jump$tart’s Reality Check — find out how much you need to make to support your ideal lifestyle.
- Explore the Shires — learn about career opportunities in southwestern Vermont.
- Road Trip Nation, in particular their Roadmap tool and Possible Dreams, Possible Paths resource
Check out hundreds of additional videos in each of the career clusters with a free 30-day trial at Nepris.com.
Click on the button below for a reflection activity that can help you keep track of what you’ve watched and reflect on next steps to move you toward your future career goals. If you’re a student, this can be a resource for your PLP.
Download Career Planning Reflection Activity
The reflection activity can also be used as a Google Docs file. To edit, you'll need to make a copy to your own Google Drive account.
2022 Virtual Event
View the recording from our fall 2022 virtual event, featuring an intro to career exploration from Careers CLiC and a Q&A with panelists in the following jobs (each speaker represents one of the four categories of Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs):
- Registered Nurse
- Intensive Needs Special Educator
- Craft Manager
- Senior Investment Operations Manager
Check out answers, from the panelists and moderators, to student questions from the live event.
2021 Virtual Event
View the recording from our fall 2021 virtual event, featuring an intro to career exploration from Careers CLiC and a Q&A with panelists in the following jobs (each speaker represents one of the four categories of Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs):
- Electrician / Stage Technician
- Dental Resident
- Career and Education Outreach Counselor / Clinical Social Worker / Small Installation Designer
- Support Representative / Freelance Web Developer / Musician
Check out answers, from the panelists and moderators, to student questions from the live event:
Event Partners
Thank you to our event partners:
