Updated · Vermont Community Newspaper Group · Jul 9
Beta Technologies Hires 420 in H1, Draining Vermont Aviation Shops
Updated
Updated · Vermont Community Newspaper Group · Jul 9
Beta Technologies Hires 420 in H1, Draining Vermont Aviation Shops
1 articles · Updated · Vermont Community Newspaper Group · Jul 9
Summary
Beta Technologies added 420 employees from January through June, lifting its workforce to nearly 1,400 and intensifying a labor squeeze for smaller Vermont aviation businesses.
85% of those hires came from Vermont, and Beta says its $55,000-to-$185,000 pay range plus perks such as free lunches, a health clinic and flight lessons help it recruit in a tight technician market.
Green Mountain Avionics says its staff has fallen 50% since Beta opened its South Burlington plant in 2023, while J&M Avionics has shrunk from 21 workers in 2008 to two and is shifting most operations to North Carolina.
Beta, state officials and local economists argue the strain is temporary, pointing to partnerships with technical schools and Vermont State University to expand the future aerospace workforce.
The clash highlights a broader Vermont problem: manufacturing jobs are down nearly 8% over 10 years, technical schools are turning applicants away, and small shops say Beta's rise is accelerating an already thin labor pool.