Ohio is one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY), an initiative enhancing state efforts to increase the number of learners across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. NSFY is a $75 million national initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
Since the launch of NSFY, the Ohio team has worked to evaluate existing career pathways and lay the groundwork for new or enhanced college and career readiness initiatives. This work includes defining high-quality career pathways, developing new frameworks for work-based learning (WBL), and streamlining career pathways to align with postsecondary education requirements. In 2018, Ohio’s main areas of focus were:
- Equipping local leaders to take advantage of credit flexibility: The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released guidance for local school districts to offer credit for WBL and coursework that simultaneously integrates academic and technical standards. The state is also working to help school districts better understand and use its credit flexibility policies.
- Expanding access to high-quality WBL and in-demand career pathway course credit through the Personalized Professional Pathways (P3) program: With the aim of bringing WBL opportunities to non-Career Technical Education (CTE) students, the NSFY team has breathed new life into a formerly popular state program and piloted the new version at nine schools statewide.
- Leveraging federal funding to increase access to career pathways through the Expanding Opportunities for Each Child Grant: Ohio is now taking advantage of the Direct Student Services component of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to connect more students with Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and CTE coursework.
To read more about the 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the 2018 NSFY Snapshots series page.
