Rhino Foods Uses VTP to Advance Opportunities for New Americans
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Rhino Foods, a food manufacturer, has recently been awarded $9,600 through the Vermont Training Program (VTP), a workforce development program.
The grant will be used to fund on-site English instruction to Rhino employees, many of whom are new Americans. At these training sessions, Vermont Adult Learning will come to the facility to train the employees in English, reading, and writing. The prime emphasis of the curriculum will focus on English for workplace operations. Rhino Foods provides this benefit to its employees at no cost.
“We are proud to provide grant funding to Rhino Foods,” Joan Goldstein, Department of Economic Development Commissioner, said. “Currently, Vermont is suffering from a labor shortage. Rhino Foods is helping fill this gap, becoming an employer of choice for many new Americans.”
Rhino Foods has also developed an Employee Exchange Program as a solution to avoid seasonal employee lay off. Put simply, the program is an exchange of employees between companies with opposing business cycles. This program has saved thousands of dollars in staffing costs while retaining skilled employees. Partnering with other manufacturers that are busy, its employees have also found work at Lake Champlain Chocolates and Autumn Harp, two Vermont manufacturers.
“Rhino is very excited to announce our on-site English-Language Learner (ELL) classes, starting this month. Thanks to a grant from the Vermont Training Program, we are able to offer 4 classes of varying degrees of ELL, starting from the basic and moving up to the more advanced reading and writing. These classes will allow our employees to move up in their careers, as well as helping them in the community,” remarked Lorri Miller, Rhino’s Human Resource Manager.
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About the Vermont Training Program (VTP)
The Vermont Training Program is administered by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Economic Development. It is a workforce development program to enhance the skills of the Vermont workforce and increase productivity of Vermont employers; grants may cover up to 50 percent of the training cost which can either be on-site or through a training provider/vendor. For more information on VTP, visit http://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/funding-incentives/vtp.
About the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s (ACCD) mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. For more information on ACCD please visit: https://accd.vermont.gov/.