Walking from the high school graduation stage with a diploma to a 30-year career at the local factory is no longer a golden ticket to the American Dream. We need young adults to be prepared to enter an ever-changing workforce and to fully understand their God-given talents and potential, as well as how they align with today’s workforce needs.
That is why it is time to update our standards at the State level to encourage plans upon high school graduation. That is why I introduced Senate Bill 328, which will require the Department of Education and Workforce to develop professional skills standards aligned to the essential workplace skills needed by employers.
So where will those standards come from? From the experts and industries that are doing the work right now. I have a deep background in manufacturing, and I know the importance of a new hire being ready to read a blueprint, check a part for accuracy, or make a clean weld. Senate Bill 328 will provide students with opportunities to consider potential career fields and determine which field is the best fit for them through career exploration and aptitude testing.
Senate Bill 328 grew directly from the work of the Career Connected Learning Coalition, convened by Ohio Excels, a nonprofit organization backed by representing Ohio’s business community. The Ohio Business Roundtable, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Columbus Partnership, and the Cincinnati Business Committee created the organization, Ohio Excels, to zero in on the very qualifications that are needed in our workforce, and, more importantly, what needs to be taught right now. Ohio Excels has been particularly helpful in backing the critical reforms passed by the General Assembly that redefined and transformed the mission of the Department of Education into the Department of Education and Workforce.
Some of the bill’s key requirements to take effect in the 2026-27 school year include:
- Middle school career exploration: Any time between 6th and 8th grade, students must complete a ½-credit unit that includes exposure to 16 Ohio career clusters, hands-on learning, interest and aptitude assessment, at least one career coaching session, beginner-level financial and life planning, professional (“soft”) skills, and creating an academic and career plan.
School districts can ask permission to use an alternative plan for career exploration, and ODEW will develop a framework to guide career coaching efforts as well as statewide standards for professional skills.
We are on the right track to preparing the next generation of our workforce, but that isn’t enough. We need to get ahead of the curve and ensure that Ohio’s students are utilizing their natural abilities to establish great careers after high school. Ohio has a competent, qualified, and eager generation of young people who want to work. Successfully preparing them will continue making Ohio a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Senator Kyle Koehler represents Ohio’s 10th Senate District including all of Clark, Greene, and Clinton counties and is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 328.