East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC) in partnership with OhioMeansJobs Belmont County has been awarded the RemotEdX Subgrant for Partners Increasing the Number of Students Earning Industry-Recognized Credentials. Their project is titled “PIIRC: Partners Increasing Industry Recognized Credentials for Students in Belmont County.” It will focus on outreach highlighting the value of industry-recognized credentials, professional learning, and implementation of programming for students to earn credentials at their home schools. The grant provides $150,000 of funding through June of 2022. The ECOESC and OhioMeansJobs are partnering with Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) and Ohio College Tech Prep: Southeast Region to provide some of the necessary educational components, and will be providing resources to Barnesville Exempted Village School District, Bellaire Local School District, Bridgeport Exempted Village School District, Martins Ferry City School District, Shadyside Local School District, St. Clairsville-Richland Local School District, and Union Local School District. 

Industry-recognized credentials verify student competence and are valued in the labor market as a validation of knowledge and skill. They can take many forms, including certifications, certificates, and licenses. Industry-recognized credentials can also help students toward graduation, as they can earn points toward Ohio’s Industry-Recognized Credential graduation seal. Ohio law requires that seals be earned by students for the class of 2023 and beyond.