The VBR Research and Education Foundation was created in 2013 as a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to ensure a continuum of high quality educational experiences to prepare children and families to be productive citizens in a global economy (from prenatal through post-secondary and higher education).
VBR Research and Education Foundation currently hosts two related programs:
* Vermont Talent Pipeline Management (VTPM)
* Anderson Scholarship (formerly Nordic Educational Trust Scholarship)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meg Fleming, SymQuest Group, Board Chair
Renee Bourget-Place, KPMG LLP, Board Vice Chair and Treasurer
Seth Bowden, President, Vermont Business Roundtable (ex-officio)
Mission:
To promote educational opportunities to help Vermonters become productive citizens in a local and global economy.
Vision:
To educate a skilled workforce that meets the hiring needs of the Vermont economy.
The Vermont Talent Pipeline Management Project (VTPM) is an initiative of the Vermont Business Roundtable, a statewide CEO-led public affairs organization. VTPM began operating in 2017 as an employer-led model to fill the skills gap in industry. Leveraging lessons from supply-chain management, VTPM convenes employer collaboratives as the end-customers of the state’s education systems. Our mission is to improve the employability of Vermonters by aligning employer needs with education and workforce programs to grow the state’s economy.
Vermont’s economic resilience relies upon confronting a looming workforce skills gap. Targeted training investments are among Vermont’s primary economic development strategies. The Vermont Talent Pipeline organizes business leadership around shared workforce needs, to help workers gain valued skills.
Please visit VTPM’s website to learn about its current work and for more about industry recognized credentials, where to get them, and funding opportunities.
Media Links:
VTPM: Committing Statewide to a Strong Talent Pipeline
U.S. Chamber Foundation Announces TPM Fellows
Aligning Classroom to Career with Talent Pipeline Management
Learn about the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management Initiative
ABOUT THE ANDERSON SCHOLARSHIP
In 1988, the Nordic Educational Trust was founded by Ross and Gail Anderson, former owners of Nordic Ford and Toyota (now Heritage Ford and Toyota) in South Burlington, to support skill development in applied technical fields. Since then, the Trust has served students pursuing fields like automotive technology, computer aided design, and information technology, to name a few. Each year, the Trust grants scholarships to deserving students for one and two-year, post-secondary education programs. These scholarships are not based upon previous academic performance, but are targeted to need and interest in applied learning.
People who knew the Andersons well, spoke of their lifelong commitment to workforce education. According to Ross, “too many young people are missing a world of opportunity by ruling out certain technical types of employment”. Associate degrees, apprenticeships, and short term credentials produce strong employment outcomes. Learning a craft or trade can be a life altering, and result in higher wages, worker productivity, and economic stability.
The Roundtable took over stewardship and administration of the Trust in 2010, from the Andersons and renamed the Scholarship to honor the founders in 2022. In the past 14 years, the Anderson Scholarship has awarded $439,000 to nearly 100 students. These scholarships often reinforce the work of the Vermont Talent Pipeline, by supporting qualified entrants into preferred training for the sectors of construction, healthcare, and manufacturing. For more information about Anderson scholarships, please visit VSAC Scholarships.