Saturday September 1, 2012

VY will attract jobseekers

Editor of the Reformer:

According to a July announcement from Gov. Peter Shumlin, his office will be working to promote job opportunities in Vermont to encourage Vermonters to come back to the area to work, or consider staying here to work. Promoting job opportunities at Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon would be a good place to start.

With more than 600 full-time employees, Yankee is the second largest employer in Windham County and has remained a steady employer through the recessions of the last decade. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, the U.S. nuclear industry will be replacing 25,000 retiring nuclear workers by 2015. This number is based on demographic data collected in 2011. These 25,000 jobs include all types of employees: engineers, operators, security personnel, maintenance employees and technicians. This is a huge opportunity for Vermont to attract young, professional employees to the area.

I’m from Hinsdale, N.H., and my job in the public affairs department at Vermont Yankee kept me in the area. It is a great place to work and I enjoy working there and living close by. If I didn’t have work at Yankee, I would certainly relocate, and with limited business growth in Windham County, I likely wouldn’t find other work there.

If the governor is concerned about job opportunities in Vermont, he can hope that Vermont Yankee will continue

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operating and continue to attract young professionals like me and many of my co-workers at Yankee in the next few years.

Lindsay Rose,

Hinsdale, N.H., Aug. 28

Don’t fret; HelpLine is very useful

Editor of the Reformer:

I’ve heard that many seniors fear they won’t be able to get the services they are used to in Brattleboro now that Senior Solutions has moved staff from the senior center to the municipal building.

I can say from personal experience that you can access all of the available services by calling the Senior HelpLine, which will connect you with knowledgeable Senior Solutions staff people. I have called several times to ask questions, and they have always been very helpful.

Once I was helping a woman who was on Choices for Care and wanted to move into assisted living. She did not have the funds for a down payment. I suggested she call the Senior HelpLine. Senior Solutions quickly came up with a solution, and it was all set the very next day.

The director of Senior Solutions has explained to me their commitment to maintaining all of the current services even in the face of a shrinking budget, but they must find more efficient ways to offer the services that we rely on.

Senior Solutions cannot afford to keep as many case managers on staff these days. If you and I use the HelpLine for most of our questions, we can help them do more with less. We can free up the case managers’ time to meet with elders who can only be served by home visits or office appointments. I know that if I really need them to show up in person, they will; but I’m happy to start by calling the HelpLine, and I encourage you to try it, too. The number is 800-642-5119.

I have used the help line as a neighbor helping a neighbor, as a community nurse, an agency nurse, and as an administrator of various living facilities. Senior Solutions has always been a great collaborator. In fact, my confidence in the organization has led me to decide that I will serve on their Board of Directors

I hope this letter will serve to bolster the confidence of seniors and caregivers who are worried about getting help. Do not fear, Senior Solutions is there for you.

Susanne Shapiro,

Marlboro, Aug. 24