What Are Stackable Certificates?

Ohio is developing a system of stackable certificates to provide a clear and accessible path for individuals seeking to advance their education and prepare themselves for satisfying and productive careers. Stackable certificates will certify that an individual has specific skills needed for the workplace and for postsecondary education.

• Pre-College Certificates
• Basic Skills Certificate
• Advanced Skills Certificate
• College- and Work-Ready Skills Certificate
• College-Level Certificates certifying technical and occupational skills in occupations in demand statewide and in different regions of the state

Under the current plan, of the pre-college certificates, only the College- and Work-Ready Skills Certificate may lead to college credit. Individuals who earn the College- and Work-Ready Certificates may receive college credit provided they enroll in postsecondary education. An individual who earns any college-level certificate will receive college credit.

AccelerateOhio is an initiative to connect all Ohioans to higher education, particularly ones who have not gone to college or have been away for many years. Section 375.20.70 of House Bill 119, 127th General Assembly, directed OBR to use existing AccelerateOhio funding to develop and implement, in collaboration with the state’s public 2-year campuses, a statewide program of “competency-based, low-cost, noncredit, and credit-bearing modules and courses in communications, mathematics, and information technology, and other fields . . . to culminate in a certificate.”

One of the proposals under Learning for Life: Skills for High-Quality Jobs in Turnaround Ohio, Governor Strickland’s vision for the state of Ohio, is to “fully implement and expand AccelerateOhio, a free, entry level certificate that will certify to employers that Ohioans have the skills to get and keep a good job, and help give adult learners confidence in their ability to get a promotion, complete college or certification or move into another career track” (p. 47)

The Strategic Plan for Higher Education, 2008-2017, the 10-year plan of the Chancellor of OBR, presents stackable certificates as a Key Strategy for Adult Learners and Workforce Training under Structure of the University System of Ohio.

System Requirements

The system of stackable certificates is required to

1. Be uniform across the state;
2. Be available from an array of providers, including adult career centers, institutions of higher education, and employers;
3. Be structured to respond to the expectations of both the workplace and higher education;
4. Be articulated in a way that ensures the most effective interconnection of competencies offered in specialized training programs;
5. Establish standards for earning pre-college certificates;
6. Establish transferability of pre-college certificates to college credit.

Source: ORC Section 3333.34.

Other System Features

Source: Ohio Board of Regents & University System of Ohio (2008), Strategic plan for higher education, 2008-2017.

State-Level Collaboration

The system is being designed by representatives from

• OBR, including Ohio Skills Bank
• ODE’s Adult and Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) unit
• Community colleges
• Career centers
• University- and community-based research partners

Pilot and Implementation

Starting in the summer of 2008, the stackable certificate system will be piloted at 12 technical colleges and adult learning centers (1 in each of Ohio’s 12 economic development regions). Statewide implementation is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2009.

Certificates: Skills and Connections

Additional details on the skills covered in planned certificates and connections with other educational programs are provided below.

Several aspects of Ohio’s planned system of stackable certificates can meet the needs of WIA youth participants.

Types of Skills Covered

Documentation of Skills

Out-of-school youth often face serious challenges in finding and keeping good jobs because they lack educational credentials like a high school diploma or associate degree. Stackable certificates can document skills youth can acquire in a relatively short period of time – and employers will value the formal evidence of a youth’s skills.

The planned system of stackable certificates involves relatively small, incremental steps toward the long-term goal of satisfying and productive careers. As such, it is well-suited for many WIA youth participants, who often do not have a history of success in learning and school. With stackable certificates, WIA youth can experience success one certificate at a time, increasing their confidence in themselves and their motivation to continue.

• Consider stackable certificates as potential goals in individual service strategies (ISSs) of new and current youth participants.
  • Pre-college certificates may be appropriate for youth with basic skill levels below grade level 12.9, especially basic skills deficient youth.
  • College-level certificates may be appropriate for youth with long-term and short-term occupational goals in targeted statewide and regionally specific occupations.
• Ensure that your local program provides an adequate foundation to prepare youth to take advantage of stackable certificates if youth so desire.
• Contact your local economic development district (http://www.odod.state.oh.us/regionals.htm) for information about the stackable certificates pilot conducted in or near your local area.

LearningWork Connection is an initiative of the Center for Learning Excellence at The Ohio State University.