Vermonters Completing The Curtis Fund’s Career-Focused Training Programs See Increased Employment and Wage Growth

Plus: A new video for high school students highlights career opportunities available after earning a postsecondary certificate

Short-term, career-focused training programs can lead to big gains in employment and wages for Vermonters. This is among the findings of a study conducted by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) on The Curtis Fund’s scholarship program for students earning a certificate or Credential of Value (CoV). The Curtis Fund’s CoV scholarship program provides funding for short-term, career-focused training programs that can lead to a high-demand, high-wage career.

“We are excited to report very positive outcomes for our scholarship recipients for two consecutive years,” said Shana Trombley, executive director of The Curtis Fund. “We conducted a study of students who completed programs during the last two years and found a 22 percent increase in full-time employment,” noted Trombley. Another encouraging finding was that among the recipients who reported a pay increase, 41 percent experienced an increase of at least $4 or more an hour, which is $160 more a week for full-time employees. The full report is available at thecurtisfund.org/2023-scholarship-report.

The Curtis Fund’s CoV scholarship program provides funding for students interested in enrolling in a short-term, career-focused educational or training program. To raise awareness among prospective students about the opportunities that earning a certificate can offer The Curtis Fund has created a video highlighting young Vermonters who’ve chosen this educational path instead of or prior to earning a degree. The video is being distributed to high school counselors, students and their parents and is available here: thecurtisfund.org.

“The Curtis Fund helped me achieve my current career as a LNA (licensed nurse assistant),” said Jesse Wild. And because the certificates are ”stackable,” Wild is able to continue his education to become a LPN (licensed practical nurse) while he works at Central Vermont Medical Center. Wild’s experience is not unique—our study found that 74 percent of students who choose a certificate path plan to continue their education after earning their first certificate.

Certificate programs are available for a wide range of careers including:

• Dental Assisting Program
• CDL licensure
• IT Support Specialist
• LNA
• Pharmacy Technician
• Software Development Bootcamp
• UX Design Bootcamp
• Welding

To learn more about scholarships please call VSAC at 877-961-4369 or contact Shana Trombley at shana@thecurtisfund.org.