Midview Local Schools was recently awarded with an Innovative Workforce Incentive Program Implementation Grant from the Ohio Department of Education. The district is one of nine public school districts that were selected across the State of Ohio and the only district in Lorain County to receive the award.
The grant program, which was created through a partnership between Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly, seeks to increase the number of high school students who earn industry-recognized credentials in priority industry sectors, such as information technology and cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, construction, engineering and the skilled trades. These credentials offer students many ways to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they will need for high school graduation and beyond.
“We want to ensure our Midview High School students are prepared to secure employment in high-demand industries after graduation,” said Midview Superintendent Bruce Willingham. “Our goal is to provide them with opportunities that challenge and prepare them to excel in their future careers, and with the money from this grant, we will be able to do just that.”
“This has been a long time coming, the application process was long and strenuous but we knew how much it would benefit our students.” said Dr. Frank Major, the district’s Director of Education. “When we formulated our strategic plan, one of the main pillars was providing our students with unique educational pathways and being a leader in the county. The high school team, along with staff across the district, have spent several years developing these pathways for our students. The State’s recognition of this hard work further solidifies the planning and preparation that has gone into these programs.”
When asked what the district intends to use the funds for, “... we intend to implement state-of-the-art, lab-based experiences for our students. Much of our efforts to this point have been developing the courses and the way students will progress through these unique experiences. Now it is time to expose them to all of the amazing technology and resources available to students and teachers that are currently being used within industry. We are very excited for the months to come as we begin to utilize these funds to take a giant leap forward as a district” said Dr. Major.
The grant was presented on behalf of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Ohio Department of Education in the amount of $195,960.44 and is available for immediate use.