College Credit Plus allows high school students to take college classes for free in high school and earn dual credits.
CCP students pursuing technician certificates or degrees in electro-mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, manufacturing equipment, and semiconductor fundamentals can all benefit from the waiver, according to the state. Two and four-year colleges are eligible for the waiver.
The announcement will impact Sinclair Community College, one of the first three community colleges in Ohio to get approval to use the waiver. The other two colleges are Columbus State and Lorain County Community College.
“The implementation of this statewide innovative waiver represents a significant advancement for Sinclair and the Dayton region,” said Steve Johnson, president and CEO of Sinclair Community College. “By broadening access to manufacturing-focused College Credit Plus coursework, we are providing high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while developing industry-aligned skills that meet the evolving needs of our regional workforce.”
Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey said Ohio’s fastest-growing jobs include engineering technician roles connected to advanced manufacturing. For students who are interested in that pathway, the waiver gives them a head start on their future, he said.
“Columbus State, Sinclair, and Lorain County Community College are already among the largest schools providing these credentials and, of course, do an exceptional job creating opportunities for Ohio students,” Duffey said. “Given recent announcements regarding growth in manufacturing jobs, this is an opportunity for students to earn technology-focused degrees – in many cases partially paid for by an employer.”
Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel said the waiver will help the state achieve its goal of establishing more Ohio-grown talent in manufacturing.
“The expansion of College Credit Plus eligibility will give more of our home-grown talent an affordable pathway to high-demand careers like advanced manufacturing and others, and will allow us, as a state, to be ready to fill the jobs we need to fill,” said Tressel, who made the announcement during a meeting of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board at Columbus State Community College.
Tressel is a former president of Youngstown State University from 2014 to his retirement in 2023.
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