Lt. Gov. Rodgers: Building opportunities for our youth and businesses

April 25, 2025  |  By Lt. Gov. John Rodgers with Lisa Durocher and Christine Frost 

The average age of a Vermont tradesman and woman is 56 years old.   

Being a 59-year-old tradesman myself, it is hard to stomach being the average – in more ways than one – never mind being on the wrong end of the bell curve. As a stone mason and excavator turned lieutenant governor, I feel obligated to utilize the resources of my office to encourage young (and disillusioned mid-career) Vermonters to embrace the opportunities available to them through the trades so that they may, too, experience success and fulfillment. 

At the same time, I know the state, as a whole, has an opportunity to collaborate with businesses to expand apprenticeships, a net positive for both working Vermonters and Vermont businesses. It’s a mission I am embracing with the help of my friends Christine Frost at Courtland Construction and Lisa Durocher at the Northwest Career and Technical Center. I invite you to join us. 

Vermont’s infrastructure – our roads, bridges, water systems, and stormwater control – is the backbone of our communities and economy. As our state struggles with aging public infrastructure, the need for timely repair, replacement, and innovation has never been more urgent. To make no mention of the shortage of housing. Yet behind the shovels and backhoes is a crisis: the shrinking pipeline of skilled workers able to operate heavy equipment. 

The work of building and maintaining infrastructure is no longer just brute force labor – it’s technical, creative, and increasingly reliant on sophisticated technologies. GPS-enabled machines, digital tablets, wireless communication tools, and precision controls are now standard on modern heavy equipment. Today’s equipment operators need to be tech-savvy, safety-minded problem-solvers with strong communication skills and spatial awareness. 

This reality creates a promising opportunity for high school students, especially digital natives who already thrive in technology-rich environments. Careers in heavy civil industries can offer excellent pay, long-term stability, and the satisfaction of building lasting public works. Yet, despite these benefits, students are rarely exposed to this pathway early enough to pursue it. 

Career and Technical Education centers have a crucial role to play. These programs provide hands-on experience, industry-aligned training, and a direct pipeline to jobs that are vital to our economy. In Vermont, career and technical education’s effectiveness is undeniable. As of June 2024, 64.9% of CTE students graduated with an industry-recognized credential, and 46% earned college credit, up from just 20% a few years ago. These gains highlight the system’s adaptability and responsiveness, largely due to support from federal initiatives like the Perkins V grant. 

However, the limitations are real and growing. The high cost of launching heavy equipment programs, from acquiring machinery to building simulation labs, places a major strain on already limited budgets. Meanwhile, recruiting instructors who bring real-world experience into the classroom is an uphill battle. Industry professionals earn significantly more in the private sector than Career and Technical Education centers can offer. Without these qualified instructors, we lose the bridge between students and meaningful career opportunities. 

This workforce shortage isn’t a distant threat, it’s a present-day reality. Without sustained investment in CTE infrastructure, staffing, and programming, we are not only failing our students, but we are also jeopardizing our future infrastructure. Communities depend on people who know how to safely and efficiently operate the machines that build our roads, lay our sewer lines, build and renovate our homes, and maintain our bridges. If we don't act now, we risk an even greater shortage in the years to come.

The solution is within reach. Strategic public investment, industry partnerships, and creative solutions to recruiting educators and acquiring training equipment can make a powerful difference. With the right support, we can build the workforce we need to meet

 the current and future infrastructure demands.  When you grow up milking cows, banging nails, and running – and fixing – equipment, your formative years on a Vermont farm are where you receive your CTE.  And while the Vermont of today is different than that of my youth, there will always be a need for the Vermont work ethic and “get-er done” spirit.  Our young people deserve the opportunities I had, and our businesses and communities need our young people.  Please join us in investing in our state and young people by supporting career and technical education.  

John Rodgers serves as the 84th lieutenant governor of Vermont while continuing to operate the family farm, his 35-year-old masonry business, his excavating business, and a plowing business.   

Christine Frost is Chief People Officer at Courtland Construction in Milton. Lisa Durocher is the Assistant Director at Northwest Career and Technical Center.