Funding will help Ohioans access training at no cost

Columbus, Oh -- Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, on Dec 20th, announced that 12 training providers located throughout the state will receive a total of $2.58 million in awards through the Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP). This program helps Ohioans who are low-income, partially unemployed, or totally unemployed participate in a training program and earn a technology-focused credential at no cost to them.

The selected training providers, which include four-year universities, career centers, and private businesses, will be reimbursed up to $3,000 per earned technology-focused credential.

"We continue to see a growing number of Ohioans find rewarding careers as a result of earning new tech skills through IMAP,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “In many cases, credentials rather than degrees are what employers are looking for when making hiring decisions—credentials are the currency of the modern economy.”

IMAP offers a variety of credentials to help Ohioans choose a career path just for them. Training will be offered both in-person and online, making it easy to learn from anywhere in the state.

Training providers include:

• Ashland University
• Gallia-Jackson-Vinton JVSD (Buckeye Hills Career Center)
• Global Lynx, Inc.
• Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio, Inc.
• Hocking College
• Miami Valley Career Technology Center
• My Career IT, LLC.
• National Center for Urban Solutions, Inc.
• Ohio Valley Construction Education Foundation
• Pickaway-Ross County JVSD
• Washington County Career Center
• We Can Code It, LLC.

“Credentials offered through IMAP can put Ohioans on the path to a better quality of life,” said Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “This training positions people for good-paying jobs in high-demand fields.”

“This program is another example of the all-of-the-above approach that Ohio takes to educating our students and making our workforce even stronger,” said Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner. “Our colleges, universities, and career technical centers are among the many partners in this collaborative effort.”

Ohioans interested in earning a credential or learning more about the program can visit the IMAP website at: Workforce.Ohio.gov/IMAP.