Office of the Senate President Pro Tempore
Office of the Speaker of the House

	Vermont Jobs Forum January 21, 2010, 9:30 AM - 12:00 Noon Vermonters are experiencing the toughest economic times in recent memory. Too many Vermonters are struggling to find employment while even more are worried about paying mounting bills on stagnant incomes. We can no longer afford to do business as usual. Now is the time for bold ideas that will create jobs, speed up our state’s recovery and have Vermont emerge as a more prosperous, sustainable place to live and do business. These ideas will be developed by listening to the employers who are using Vermont’s assets to thrive and generate new jobs. As we travel around the state we continue to meet successful employers who have chosen Vermont as a place to build and grow their businesses. We have spoken with employers who want to grow but need capital and a better trained workforce to do so. We will work with these employers to better understand how we can build on our successes and remove the obstacles that are in place to support further innovation and job growth. To develop and articulate an understanding of how businesses and workforce trainers are using Vermont’s assets to succeed and how state government can better partner with them to create more opportunities for Vermonters. Out of the messages expressed at this forum, legislators will craft an economic development bill – a jobs bill – that will find new ways to partner with and support our employers and those training our workforce. Due to time and space constraints we are limited to hearing from only 10-14 employers. In order to get a broader spectrum of ideas we would like to invite employers of all sizes and from all sectors to attend the forum as members of the audience and to submit written comments to: jobs@leg.state.vt.us.