With its $300 million annual budget, the University of Vermont is a major economic engine of the Burlington regional economy. The UVM/Burlington COPC has studied how UVM spends this money and impacts the lives of local residents and the fortunes of local businesses. We are particularly concerned about how UVM spending ultimately affects the employment and advancement opportunities available to lower-income residents of Burlington.
The project examines UVM’s current employment and purchasing policies and practices, and then identifies possible areas where UVM and its community partners might work together to increase economic benefits to local businesses and lower-income residents.
For employment, the project asks, for example:
- how much money goes to employees in total and by different job categories and wage levels
- where do these employees live
- what are the benefits and opportunities at UVM for those in lower wage positions and to what extent do they take advantage of these
- what are the turnover rates at lower wage jobs and where do people go who leave these positions, and
- what changes might be made in UVM policies and practices, with the support of its community partners, to increase local benefits for lower income residents?
For purchasing, the project asks, for example:
- how much does UVM spend within the region, the rest of Vermont and out-of-state
- for what kinds of goods and services
- from what local businesses
- who does or does not do business with UVM and why or why not
- how are these decisions made at UVM, and
- what might be done to increase local purchasing while meeting the university’s needs for efficiency and obligations to the rest of Vermont?
A major question of the study has been how to redirect purchasing from out-of-state to Vermont, and how to support Vermont businesses that are most likely to create better opportunities for employment and advancement for economically-disadvantaged Vermonters.
The project has completed two reports on, The Impact of UVM's Employment and Purchasing Policies and Practices on Local Businesses and Lower Income Residents and has worked with its advisory committee to implement the following activities:
(click here to download Report 1)
(click here to download Report 2)
For more information, please contact:
Richard Schramm, Project Coordinator
UVM Community Development & Applied Economics Department
rschramm@zoo.uvm.edu (802) 656-0292
or: Nancy Brooks
UVM Department of Economics
nbrooks@zoo.uvm.edu
Economics Impacts Advisory Committee and Implementation Team Members
