Local News

New worker program will also be scrutinized

By Keith Whitcomb Jr. [email protected]
The State Auditor says his office will likely review a new grant program designed to lure workers to Vermont in much the same way it did a similar program created last year.

The “New Worker Relocation Grant Program” will begin taking applications on Jan. 1, said Lindsay Kurrle, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, in an interview on Monday. It offers people moving to Vermont to work for a Vermont company up to $7,500 in reimbursement for certain expenses related to moving.The program was created by the Legislature last session and funded for $2.1 million.

It’s not to be confused with the Remote Worker Grant Program, which the Legislature created in 2018 and set aside $500,000 to fund. That program targeted workers in other states who would move here and work for their employers remotely.

On Monday, State Auditor, Doug Hoffer said he thinks his office will likely review and report on the New Worker Relocation Grant Program after it’s had some time to operate.

In November, Hoffer released a report that was critical of the Remote Worker Grant Program, saying it had structural flaws and that its effectiveness was questionable. He said Monday he generally doesn’t favor economic incentives where the results can’t be accurately measured or quantified. He said he hasn’t seen details of the New Worker Relocation Grant Program, but felt like the November report on the remote worker program didn’t leave much of an impression on the Legislature.

“Most importantly, we cannot know with certainty that grantees moved to Vermont because of the Program. Indeed, there is a serious structural flaw in the Program since it requires applicants to prove residency before applying,” reads the executive summary of Hoffer’s report. “Therefore, applicants must make financial and major life commitments before knowing if they will receive grant funds. That means they had the will and the means to relocate without the program.”

The report can be found online at http://bit.ly/Report1223.

The Governor’s Office, at least, believes the remote worker program was successful. According to Kurrle, there were 135 approved applications for the program with 359 people moving to Vermont.

“This program builds on the success of last year’s remote worker grant program to grow Vermont’s workforce” said Governor Phil Scott, in a release. “Helping new Vermonters relocate and find employment is important as we work to reverse our demographic crisis, grow the economy and support employers so they succeed too. I’m grateful for the Legislature’s collaboration in developing innovative solutions.”

Kurrle said in an interview Monday that the media did much of the heavy lifting in terms of marketing for the remote worker program. Media outlets across the country picked up the story. The hope is the same thing will happen here, but if not her department will use its various outlets to spread the word.

She said her department would likely target employers, letting them know the program is something they can direct their prospective employees to when trying to recruit them.

Kurrle said Vermont has a low unemployment rate, to the point where there’s more jobs than qualified workers.

The application process is administered by the Department of Economic Development, said Kurrle. To be eligible, an applicant must have moved to Vermont as a full-time resident and be employed full-time at a Vermont business on or after Jan. 1. Kurrle said the business has to be operating in Vermont, it needn’t be incorporated here.

The grant program can help with closing costs on a primary residence, lease deposits, first month’s rent, moving companies, moving equipment rentals, shipping, and moving supplies. Other things are eligible if they’re not being offered by the employer, those being broadband connectivity, specialized tools and equipment, and membership fees for co-working spaces. Employer’s would have to verify these things are required for the person to perform their job, according to the department.

More information on the program can be found at ThinkVermont.com.

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