Young Vermonters often leave the state in search of higher-paying opportunities in big cities, but increasingly, tech and engineering jobs are available right here.
At Burlington鈥檚 Memorial Auditorium, job seekers showed up with resumes in hand, and companies were ready to greet them.
Much has been said about Burlington鈥檚 growing tech industry, and nowhere did it seem more robust than the eighth annual Vermont Tech Jam.
The event was part job fair, part tech expo and featured over 40 employers with current openings. Those fields ranged from healthcare I.T. to graphic design to software development.
"Lots of resumes, lots of worried folks. They like working there, but they're just uncertain of what's going to happen." - MyWebGrocer Recruiter Glen Gehrkens, on talking with current IBM employees
And it鈥檚 important to note how broad a term 鈥渢ech鈥� has become. Cathy Resmer is an associate publisher at Seven Days and one of the event鈥檚 organizers.
She says there are some unexpected fields under that umbrella.
Manufacturing, for one. Resmer noted , a manufacturing company based in Arlington.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e making very high-end medical and industrial manufacturing equipment,鈥� said Resmer. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e also looking for engineers. Some of the same types of people you might need at IBM.鈥�
Talk of IBM was very much in the air. The job fair came less than a week after the company announced its chip division, including the plant in Essex Junction, will be sold to the California-based company GlobalFoundries.
While Global Foundries has indicated the Essex jobs aren鈥檛 going anywhere yet, some IBM workers here say they鈥檙e skeptical. They鈥檙e looking for other options.
Glen Gehrkens, a recruiter for Winooski-based , says he鈥檚 spoken to quite a few current IBM employees.
鈥�Lots of resumes, lots of worried folks,鈥� said Gehrkens. 鈥淭hey like working there, but they鈥檙e just uncertain of what鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
He also noted he was surprised at how many young people, middle schoolers even, showed up. Gehrkens says an event like this may shed light on what opportunities exist in Vermont.
"For me it's more the job than the location. I can make anywhere work if I love my job." -Emily Miller, UVM senior
鈥淚 think it goes back to trying to get them to realize what鈥檚 here,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to leave the state in seven or eight years after your graduate.鈥�
Still, some job seekers aren鈥檛 so sure. Emily Miller is a senior engineering student at UVM. She says it鈥檇 be nice to stay here, but not necessary.
鈥淔or me it鈥檚 more the job than the location. I can make anywhere work if I love my job,鈥� said Miller.
For Miller and others like her, it鈥檚 up to Vermont companies to offer the kinds of jobs that inspire graduates to stay.
