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

CurtisFund up to 8inW

An additional $85,000 in funding is available through June 30th to support students interested in the Curtis Fund’s Credentials of Value program.

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,” 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 that, of the students who were unemployed prior to receiving the CoV scholarship, 59 percent were employed at the time of the study and another 19 percent were still in school,” noted Trombley. Another encouraging finding was that among the recipients who reported a pay increase, 51 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 vermontcf.org/2022-Curtis-Fund-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.

“We hope more Vermonters will consider these programs. We have $85,000 in scholarship funds still available for students between now and June 30th, 2022,” Trombley explains.

Programs currently accepting students include:

  • CDL licensure
  • Dental Assisting Program
  • IT Support Specialist
  • LNA (licensed nursing assistant)
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Software Development Bootcamp
  • UX Design Bootcamp

Additional funds for even more programs will be available again in July 2022.

To learn more about scholarships please call VSAC at 877-961-4369 or contact Shana Trombley at [email protected].