Patch.com, the AOL-owned collection of local news websites, is undergoing a major expansion and will be doing a lot of hiring.

Here’s what former Courant Investigative Editor — now a Patch.com regional editor — John Ferraro says about it:

In Connecticut, the plan is to eventually launch 74 more sites – from the current 10 to 84 total – in most areas of the state. As you’ve posted already, Patch is hiring local editors to run the sites. The local editor is the main reporter and oversees a team of freelancers. It helps to have some multimedia skills but more importantly there must be an interest in quickly learning multimedia. The local editor is supplied a laptop, camera (same for stills and video) and phone. They work from the field. Folks who are interested can follow this link: http://www.patch.com/jobs/local-editor.

Here’s the big picture.

A quote: “Patch expects to be the largest hirer of full-time journalists in the U.S. this year.”