Ohio was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group worked with states to improve their career readiness systems.
This snapshot profiles the work Ohio did to enhance its career readiness system across the entire NSFY initiative. Between 2016 and 2019, Ohio:
- Galvanized employer engagement at the state and local levels: Ohio created statewide advisory councils tasked with guiding the design and implementation of career pathways, validating industry-recognized credentials and expanding work-based learning offerings.
- Designed and launched the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal: In 2018, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) designed and piloted a career readiness diploma endorsement called the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal.
- Supported the integration of academic and technical standards: In 2018, ODE released guidance to help local districts and schools expand opportunities for simultaneous credit, a policy that allows Ohio students to participate in Career Technical Education (CTE), dual credit or work-based learning and still receive credit for their core academic courses.
- Expanded access to high-quality career pathways for low-income students: Through NSFY, Ohio identified and leveraged an opportunity to expand access to career pathways using funding from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
To learn more about the history of the New Skills for Youth Ohio initiative, visit any of the following resources:
To learn more about 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the New Skills for Youth Impact Snapshots series page.
