Introduction
Vermont Employment Pathfinder (VEP) is a free, personalized resource Vermonters can use to aid in finding and applying for jobs that align with their skills and interests. Through the platform, users can also add experiences, explore careers, and create CVs.
Throughout 2024 and the first half of 2025, we collected data on which careers Vermonters were most likely to favorite and which careers were most likely to be recommended to users by the AI technology. We combined this user data with data from the Vermont Department of Labor to understand how job skills and career interests of users align with the Vermont job market. We also identify some opportunities for career coach engagement to assist users in identifying careers with high anticipated job growth in the next ten years.
Who Uses Vermont Employment Pathfinder?
VEP users come from a variety of backgrounds, including high school students exploring their first professional pathways, refugees building lives and livelihoods in new communities, and adults seeking career opportunities in a shifting labor market.
Not all users have entered in their residence or nationality. The data displayed in both the Residence and Nationality maps are not representative of all users on the platform.
In a survey of current adult VEP users, we found that most were already working full-time (52%). Nearly 40% of VEP users were currently looking for a job.
VEP allows users to complete a range of activities, from building a skill-based resume to exploring new career paths and searching for job openings. In our survey, VEP users were most likely to report that the software had helped them explore more career options and feel more confident in job searching.
VEP User Interests and Skills
Using Skillab software, VEP users added skills they developed across a range of experiences, including their professional experience, personal hobbies, and educational background. More than half of VEP users added skills they gained through job experiences, and around 50% of users added skills they gained through hobbies or education.
The most commonly reported skills across all experiences included communicating with customers (34%), maintaining customer relationships (28%), and customer service (27%). Practical skills like identifying customer needs (23%), complying with food safety and hygiene (19%), and multitasking (22%) were also frequently added. Interpersonal and self-management skills such as active listening (15%), conflict management (15%), and intercultural awareness (14%) rounded out some of the top reported skills.
The prevalence of these skills likely reflects the diverse backgrounds of users, including many who are still in high school or have limited formal job experience. For these users, skills gained through part-time jobs, household responsibilities, sports participation, and volunteer activities play a significant role in shaping their skill profiles.
Career Recommendations Reflect Current Skills, Not Future Aspirations
The data reveals a clear distinction between the careers VEP recommends— largely based on users’ existing skills—and the careers users aspire to, as shown by their favorites. While many users already possess strong foundational skills for accessible fields like Gastronomy & Hospitality (recommended to 39% of users) and Customer Service & Support (17%), their career interests often lean toward fields requiring more specialized or creative skills, such as Teaching, Healthcare, and Visual Arts & Design.
Opportunities for Career Coach Engagement
The Vermont Department of Labor publishes projections for the top growing occupations in Vermont. Notably, the career recommendations and favorites for VEP users miss critical opportunities in the technology and business sectors. Roles such as Information Security Analysts, Data Scientists, Statisticians, Software Developers, and Web Developers—all offering substantial salaries and growth potential—remain underrepresented in both user selections and application recommendations.
Conclusions
VEP has many strengths…
The VEP platform provides a strong foundation for individuals seeking to explore and advance their careers. It effectively helps users identify their existing skills, which is a critical first step in understanding potential career opportunities. By showcasing a range of career options aligned with those skills, the platform broadens users’ perspectives on viable career paths. Additionally, VEP offers practical resources to support job seekers, including assistance with creating professional resumes that are tailored to specific roles. These features make VEP a valuable starting point for individuals entering or re-entering the workforce.
But there are also some gaps and limitations
Despite its strengths, the VEP platform has notable gaps that limit its effectiveness in fully supporting long-term career development. One significant limitation is the lack of a strong, clear connection between users’ current skills and their future career goals. The platform does not adequately address how existing skills can be adapted to meet evolving labor market demands. This missing link makes it challenging for users to chart a clear pathway toward sustainable, future-oriented employment opportunities.
Career Coaches play a critical role in user success
Career coaches play a vital role in bridging the gaps left by digital tools like VEP. They can proactively engage with users whose skills or interests suggest readiness for high-demand fields but who may lack the awareness or confidence to pursue these opportunities. By offering personalized guidance and labor market insights, career coaches help users better understand how their current skills and experiences align with Vermont’s workforce needs.
VEP Recommendations
Enhance Career Exploration Tools:
Encourage users to begin their journey with the Career Interest Test available on VEP, which is an excellent tool for helping individuals clarify their interests and identify suitable career paths.
Integrate Labor Market Data:
Establish stronger links between career options presented on the platform and data from the Vermont Department of Labor. This will provide users with accurate, up-to-date information about job opportunities in the state.
Tailor Recommendations to In-Demand Careers:
Align career recommendations with the VT Department of Labor's Most Promising Jobs report. This targeted approach will help ensure users focus on career paths with strong growth potential and economic sustainability.
Report data range is from 01/01/2022 - 06/12/2025
Questions or comments - contact Alex Beck
Data provided by SkillLab
Report created by Green River