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About

VISION

Advance Vermont envisions a highly educated and financially secure citizenry that supports a prosperous state economy and engaged communities. 

MISSION

We are working to ensure that every Vermonter can see, and is able to pursue, a career and education pathway that helps them meet their goals.

MISSION

​The prosperity of Vermont’s people and its communities is directly tied to the extent to which every person in Vermont can access, afford, and attain education and training after high school.
Tom Cheney

Executive Director

Advance Vermont Logo

OUR WORK

Meaningful career and education navigation is critical to reversing the sharp decline in aspirations and bridging socioeconomic gaps for Vermonters. Advance Vermont is uniquely positioned to support this need.

Through our programs, we:

  • Ensure that career and education seekers, and those who support them, have the information and tools they need to make informed choices. 

 

  • Elevate the importance of non-degree education options in building a strong workforce.
Current Initiatives

WHO WE SERVE

Advance Vermont serves career and education seekers of all ages. We also support those who guide them, such as school and career counselors, teachers, employers, and family members.

Our programs and resources are designed to meet the needs of low-income, first-generation, rural, and historically marginalized Vermonters.

OUR HISTORY

In 2016, Vermont’s leaders recognized the urgent need to boost educational attainment to support our state’s civic and economic vitality. They set an ambitious goal: by 2025, 70% of Vermonters should hold a credential of value—inclusive of credential type. Founded in 2017, Advance Vermont was designed as a collective impact organization to break down systemic barriers and drive this vision forward.

We have engaged a diverse network of partners—from education and business to government and nonprofits—to foster a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities in achieving this goal. In particular, our research highlighted the diversity of today’s students, whose needs and interests span a full range of education, apprenticeship, and training programs. We also published a widely cited online data dashboard to track state progress toward the attainment goal.

Since our founding, Advance Vermont has taken an active role in illuminating for the public the importance of postsecondary education and the many paths to earning a credential. In 2021, we launched MyFutureVT to raise awareness about the various pathways to earning credentials to ensure that all Vermonters can equitably make informed choices about their career and postsecondary education pursuits. 

In 2024, recognizing the need for Vermonters to have comprehensive career navigation, we began our Graduate with a Plan initiative, aimed at helping high school students develop a post-graduation career and education plan with the support of trusted adults.

Connect

Ready to join our partnership?
Interested in learning more?
We want to hear from you.

We’re always looking to help make connections and support innovative projects.

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