The House Commerce and Economic Development Committee marked up the omnibus workforce development bill, and the Committee has included many of the Vermont Chamber’s workforce priorities. The most recent draft includes funding for incentive programs to retain recent college graduates, refugees and New Americans, and healthcare workers. It also includes investments in workforce training programs including in the trades and the CTE system, reentry programs for justice-involved individuals, and work-based learning and training programs. Noticeably absent from the bill is relocation marketing to recruit workers in high-need professions to relocate to Vermont, which the Vermont Chamber will advocate for inclusion in the bill. When the bill was presented to the House Appropriations Committee, it was unclear how much money they would have to work with, so cuts may still need to be made before it can progress.