Goshen High School a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon school is attempting to do something few traditional schools in the State of Ohio have attempted to do. They are beginning to offer industry credential pathways to students starting next year with credentialing pathways for Emergency Medical Technicians, Logistics, Computer Information Technology credentials as well as credentials in Adobe Photoshop. The new programs are designed to find new ways to help students become College and Career Ready by offering nationally recognized industry credential courses that will help students handle rigorous college course work after graduation.

Goshen High School is leading the way and in some aspects becoming a model for traditional schools to start offering new credentials. Although Career Technical Schools have offered some credentials in the past the State of Ohio has really opened up a large number of credentials that can now be offered to HS students. Goshen is focusing on these credentials as a place to start with the hope of increasing more options in the future.

Strong partnerships with the Goshen Fire Department, Great Oaks, and the University of Cincinnati has been instrumental at bringing these credentialing programs to Goshen High School. Last September Goshen Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Paul Hasenmeier approached the school with the unique program idea to connect more students with the Fire Department by offering the EMT credential at the HS. Similarly, University of Cincinnati Director of Information Technology, Hazem Said, developed a program that results in a bilateral agreement with Goshen Local Schools and the University of Cincinnati. The agreement allows Goshen to teach courses at the HS that will be accepted for credit at the University of Cincinnati after the completion of the course. The students taking these courses will also have the opportunity to gain industry credentials along the way which will further prepare them for life after High School.

The Director of College and Career Readiness at Goshen Local Schools stated “The goal of these new programs is to really equip our students for life beyond high school. Research shows that 65%-80% of jobs in the future are going to require post high school credentials. We want 100% of our students to either have college remediation free scores on college entrance exams or have these credentials before they leave high school so they are ahead of any one else competing for the job they want.” Goshen Local Schools are planning to start small and scale quickly when it comes to credentialing students in high school and will add more as they are able.