Outdoor‑recreation businesses urge expansion of CTE and workforce training
February 06, 2026 | Education, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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Representatives of the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance and students told the Education Committee on Feb. 5 that career and technical education programs aligned with the outdoor‑recreation industry help place graduates in work and address workforce needs in trail building, bike mechanics and ski resort operations.
"We're in the research phase" of a climate‑focused workforce initiative, Brian Lamoreaux said, describing VOBA’s recent work to develop multi‑day professional development, credentials and a career‑pathways portal. Lamoreaux said VOBA delivered 19 multi‑day courses for about 140 professionals in 2024–25, engaged roughly 70 employers, and partnered with Vermont State University campuses; he cited a $2.1 billion outdoor sector contribution to the state economy and about 16,000 workers in 2023.
Lamoreaux said VOBA’s programs led to job placements and career advancement for participants and highlighted two persistent structural barriers for school‑level CTE expansion: start‑up costs for technical programs and teacher turnover with limited succession planning. He encouraged the committee to consider expanding funding and curricula in state CTE systems to feed outdoor‑industry careers.
A student speaker, Carson Tumble of Vermont State University’s outdoor education leadership program, described how a high‑school CTE program gave him hands‑on skills, professional certifications and near‑universal placement rates cited for an example program. Brad Moskowitz and other higher‑education representatives said college and certificate programs have produced many graduates for the local industry but that the system is in a rebuilding phase after past declines.
Committee members asked about program models and suggested examining existing templates — including a Linden Institute program and out‑of‑state high‑school models — to expand local CTE offerings. Witnesses recommended partnerships among industry, state colleges, the Department of Labor and school systems to reduce startup barriers and stabilize instructor pipelines.
Next steps: committee members thanked presenters and signaled interest in follow‑up on CTE funding and program expansion; the committee recessed for a short break after public testimony.
"We're in the research phase" of a climate‑focused workforce initiative, Brian Lamoreaux said, describing VOBA’s recent work to develop multi‑day professional development, credentials and a career‑pathways portal. Lamoreaux said VOBA delivered 19 multi‑day courses for about 140 professionals in 2024–25, engaged roughly 70 employers, and partnered with Vermont State University campuses; he cited a $2.1 billion outdoor sector contribution to the state economy and about 16,000 workers in 2023.
Lamoreaux said VOBA’s programs led to job placements and career advancement for participants and highlighted two persistent structural barriers for school‑level CTE expansion: start‑up costs for technical programs and teacher turnover with limited succession planning. He encouraged the committee to consider expanding funding and curricula in state CTE systems to feed outdoor‑industry careers.
A student speaker, Carson Tumble of Vermont State University’s outdoor education leadership program, described how a high‑school CTE program gave him hands‑on skills, professional certifications and near‑universal placement rates cited for an example program. Brad Moskowitz and other higher‑education representatives said college and certificate programs have produced many graduates for the local industry but that the system is in a rebuilding phase after past declines.
Committee members asked about program models and suggested examining existing templates — including a Linden Institute program and out‑of‑state high‑school models — to expand local CTE offerings. Witnesses recommended partnerships among industry, state colleges, the Department of Labor and school systems to reduce startup barriers and stabilize instructor pipelines.
Next steps: committee members thanked presenters and signaled interest in follow‑up on CTE funding and program expansion; the committee recessed for a short break after public testimony.
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