Next application period opens April 1st
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, today announced the results of the January round of TechCred, which will provide the opportunity for Ohioans to earn nearly 5,000 technology-focused credentials.
“Technology is changing the nature of work, and employers are having an increasingly difficult time recruiting a workforce that possesses the emerging technical skills it takes to compete,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “More and more employers are finding that TechCred can be part of this solution by upskilling their existing, hard-working employees with the new technical skills required in the modern economy.”
The most recent TechCred application period closed at the end of January. Today, 384 Ohio employers were approved for funding, resulting in Ohio employees earning up to 4,736 technology-focused credentials. The January round was record-setting, as almost 100 more employers were approved, in addition to more credentials being approved, than the previously most successful round.
“The interest in the TechCred program shows there is a desire among business leaders to improve the technical skills of the workforce,” said Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “The credentials being earned by Ohio workers will help both employees and business prepare for the future.”
With the approvals announced today, a total of 1,168 Ohio employers have been approved for funding, supporting the earning of 19,841 tech-focused credentials by Ohio employees.
Starting with the April round, the following updates have been implemented to further streamline the program:
- The length of the grant will be reduced from 18 months to 12 months from the award date.
- Training programs must start on or after the date of the award, not before, and must be completed in less than 12 months.
- Training providers are no longer eligible to receive reimbursement for employees trained in-house. If a training provider wishes to utilize TechCred to upskill their employees, they must use an external training provider.
“We talk about the ‘diversity of opportunity’ available in Ohio when it comes to education and training for a career, and the TechCred program has been one great example of that,” said Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner. “The employers taking part in TechCred and the credentials awarded have exceeded expectations thus far, and we look for that to continue as Ohio’s workforce gets even stronger.”
The next TechCred application period opens Thursday, April 1st and closes April 30th at 3:00 p.m. Businesses with employees who have completed their TechCred training should submit proof of credential completion to receive reimbursement at TechCred.Ohio.gov.
You can learn more about the program at TechCred.Ohio.gov