Last January, during his 2023 state of the state address, Governor DeWine pledged to invest additional state funding in career and technical education (CTE) programs. These programs, which blend career training and academic coursework, provide students with opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and college credit and can be used as a pathway to a high school diploma. They are also an integral part of Ohio’s career pathways efforts, which aim to ensure that students are well-prepared for what comes after high school, whether it be college or career.
In his address, the governor noted that many of Ohio’s career centers lack the “modern, up-to-date equipment” and facilities needed to teach certain courses. He promised to address this by investing millions in one-time funding for CTE equipment and capital improvements, and he followed through in his budget recommendations for FY 2024 and 2025. The final budget, which was signed into law in July, allocated $100 million toward CTE equipment upgrades along with another $200 million for the Career-Technical Construction Program.
Over the last several months, the state has begun to distribute these funds. In November, Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted announced which districts would be awarded funding under the Career-Technical Construction Program. Of the fifty-nine districts that applied, thirty-five were awarded funds. The majority (twenty-four) were Joint Vocational School Districts (JVSDs), which are independent school districts that primarily offer CTE programming. Four comprehensive districts (traditional districts that provide CTE programming at schools or career centers within their boundaries) and seven compact districts (groups of districts that collaborate and combine resources to offer students CTE programming) also received awards.
These dollars will be used to build and expand classrooms and training centers. And according to the state, this investment should result in 3,719 additional seats for students. The majority of these seats fall into three programs: construction and engineering, manufacturing and operations, and healthcare. Northeast Ohio will receive the biggest investment, with over $84 million being distributed to fifteen districts. Among the thirty-five grantees, the following five received the highest funding amounts.
More recently, the administration announced the recipients of the first round of funding[1] for the $100 million Career-Technical Education Equipment Grant Program. This program is designed to award competitive grants to schools for equipment, instructional materials, facilities, and operational costs. To be eligible, schools must plan to offer a qualifying CTE program that supports a career on Ohio’s Top Jobs list or a qualifying credential program from the Innovative Workforce Incentive Program list. Under the first round of funding, fifty-six schools will receive grants that total more than $67.7 million. The state estimates that this funding should expand CTE access to an additional 10,345 students. The following seven schools received awards of $2.5 million, the highest amount provided to recipients in this round.
Given that these grants have only recently been awarded, it’s too soon to know what their true impact will be. But the state estimates that over 14,000 additional students will be able to access CTE, and that’s worthy of praise. Going forward, though, state lawmakers must shift their attention toward student outcomes. Significant taxpayer investment, along with the potential of high-quality CTE, make it crucial for the state to keep a close eye on the short- and long-term impacts of these programs. Adding more access and capacity is a great first step. But having more seats only matters if those seats ensure that more students master the knowledge and skills they need to secure in-demand, well-paying jobs.
[1] The application period for the second round of funding will open soon.
