Building Greater School and Workforce Connections 

With rapid economic growth and innovation, along with the need for an evolving skillset to be successful, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is committed to supporting and strengthening collaborations that help students connect classroom learning to future careers. A new state initiative, comprised of Regional Education Partnerships, will connect early learning through post-secondary partnerships to ultimately increase educational attainment and career prospects for all Ohioans. Understanding the local needs of Ohio employers and ensuring the incoming workforce can fill specific gaps in skills, vital connections need to be fortified that span education, industry, communities, and essential stakeholders. The need is more urgent than ever to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and workforce experience to be ready to fill in-demand careers.  

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, in the implementation of SB 208 and Ohio Revised Code 3301.85, will offer an opportunity for Regional Education Partnerships to apply for state designation. The State of Ohio will designate at least one partnership in each of Ohio’s seven JobsOhio regions. Partnerships interested in applying must demonstrate the capacity to coordinate regional initiatives spanning prenatal to postsecondary and be committed to streamlining support to improve economic mobility outcomes for students and their families. Interested partnerships will have an opportunity to apply for designation beginning April 6 and the application window will close on Friday, May 1 at 5 p.m.  

Elevating Partnerships, Best Practices, and Community Support 

Regional Education Partnerships, sometimes referred to as “cradle to career networks” are organizations designed to work as intermediaries, convenors, and problem solvers within a region to develop strongly connected systems that provide access and opportunity for every student to succeed. They provide a throughline from the time before a child enters school through their experiences in the workforce, and at each stage along the way. While they may have a role as direct service providers, Regional Education Partnerships are primarily conveners of cross-sector partners within a region to enhance collaboration and impact. Regional Education Partnerships may act as direct service providers, but they primarily convene local cross-sector partners to enhance collaboration and drive impact. While other entities like Career Pathway Support Networks or WorkOhio Hubs operate at a broader geographical scale, Regional Education Partnerships focus their efforts locally to align resources for issues impacting academic achievement and advance solutions that span multiple systems and service providers.

Continuing Ohio’s Focus on Workforce Development   

State law requires the establishment of at least one Regional Education Partnership in each JobsOhio region. This mandate marks the beginning of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s role in supporting these partnerships. Ohio’s most recent state budget, House Bill 96, allocated $250,000 per fiscal year to support Regional Education Partnerships. 

Supporting Ohio’s Regional Education Partnerships 

Beyond the legislative mandate and allocated state funding, a national philanthropic organization, Blue Meridian Partners, has invested resources toward statewide efforts to bolster the Regional Education Partnership infrastructure in Ohio. This investment leads to a collaborative effort between the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Learn to Earn Dayton to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to the state’s Regional Education Partnerships. Learn to Earn Dayton is poised to serve as a technical assistance provider, with demonstrated experience improving academic outcomes in Montgomery County. This experience has positioned them as a national leader with significant knowledge of Ohio’s educational landscape. Learn to Earn Dayton is positioned to serve as a technical assistance provider to designated partnerships statewide. This expertise has established them as a national leader with significant knowledge of Ohio's educational landscape. 

Detailing Next Steps and Partnership Designations  

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will soon accept applications from organizations seeking a regional partnership designation.  

• Applications will be due May 1 at 5 p.m. Partnerships will be notified of their status in mid-late May.  
• ​Complete this form to be  added to our mailing list for future communication, to indicate interest or request more information.  Completion of this survey is  not  a prerequisite for consideration of future application for designation. 

Applicants must be able to demonstrate experience or intention to improve outcomes along the full cradle to career continuum. This begins with healthy prenatal to age 5, continues through kindergarten readiness, third grade reading, middle-grade math, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, postsecondary completion, and employment.  

Regional Education Partnerships will be designated along a progression from exploring, to emerging, to established, and the responses on the application will determine identification within the progression continuum.  

Status: Emerging to Established  

Applicants do not need to be established to be designated as a Regional Education Partnership. Newly formed, or those in process, should still apply. Partnerships designated as emerging or established will be eligible for funding from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.  

Status: Emerging to Exploring and Early Interest 

Partnerships identified as exploring or emerging status will be eligible to receive funding and targeted technical assistance from Learn to Earn Dayton. Applicants that do not qualify for designation will be identified as early interest and will be eligible for a quarterly, statewide community of practice. 

Last Modified: 4/14/2026 10:56:54 AM

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