Contractor licensing—it’s back (sort of)
In S.226, the Legislature passed language which requires residential building contractors to register with the Office of Professional Regulation prior to entering into a contract with a homeowner when the contract price totals $10,000 or more in labor and materials combined. Leaders felt this was the most they could get by the Governor.
Workforce Development
Vermont Workforce Development bill passes; will help the building trades
Throughout the 2022 Vermont legislative session, a bill (H.703) to develop a better workforce in Vermont has been front and center. In the second week of May the bill (now part of S.11) finally passed the Legislature and is currently waiting for the Governor’s signature.
As it relates to the building trades, the legislation provides money to modernize Career and Technical Education (CTE). It provides $15 million to fund loans for a new Tech Center based construction and rehabilitation experiential learning program. This program will allow local technical centers, with their students doing the work, to collaborate with private businesses and other community partners to rehabilitate housing and build new housing and commercial projects with ‘a substantial community benefit.’ CTE students in construction, electrical, plumbing, design, and business management programs can participate. This is the first time this level of funding and guidance have been provided to our tech centers and their students.
Other relevant funding in the bill will go to providing a pilot project in the Department of Labor to train CTE students in key ‘credentials’ in various industries (including the building trades). At the end of session this was scaled back to a pilot program, as the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation did not want to run or monitor the program.
The Legislature has now adjourned for the year.