Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who serves as the director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, made several stops throughout the Dayton area Tuesday, one at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center, to talk with students in various programs about their decision to attend vocational school or achieve college credits.

Husted spoke to students about their career paths, with and without college, how MVCTC has helped, and coming initiatives for the state to promote career, technical and vocational schools.

“We’ve got two things in the budget coming this year. There will be $25 million a year to pay career centers and high schools bonuses for graduating more students with industry recognized tech credentials. We are also going to pay for all of the industry certification tests,” he said. “We’re growing a lot of talent here.”

Bethany Weldy is a senior at Covington High School and earned her associate’s degree from Sinclair College before she started her senior year. She is now a state tested nurse assistant at Cypress Pointe and will attend Wright State in the fall to earn her bachelor’s in nursing.

“I have over 85 college credits. I currently stand as a college junior,” she said.

Husted said the students are trendsetters and soon other schools will start to follow.

“What going to happen at a lot of our high schools is they are going to become what you already are. They’re just going to have to because the demand is going to be there,” he said. “If as a nation we want to compete against the rest of the world we have to have more students like you.”

Five to 10 schools come to MVCTC every year that want a satellite program or some form of educational expansion, said Superintendent Nick Weldy.

Versailles High School senior Nick Didier said the stigma and overall mindset about vocational schools need to change.

“I think there’s certain rhetoric that probably needs to be changed that people who come to these type of places aren’t good people or are on drugs. That’s simply not the truth,” he said. “It’s really a shame that some people don’t see the value of these kinds of schools.”

In a study from the 2017-18 school year, 93.7% of career tech planning district students work through apprenticeships, joined the military or enrolled in college or additional training six months after high school.

“We have to have more students who are taking their career seriously at an earlier age, gaining some real-world experience, preparing for work, earning college credits without having to run a bunch of debt, and make the education affordable and effective,” said Husted.

Twin Valley South High School senior Lauren Adams said going to MVCTC was one of the best decisions she’s made for her career and even her life.

“I didn’t really have a great art program at my home school and there was only so much you could learn from what they had,” she said. “I feel like I’ve just learned so many great things that would help me not only in college, but just as a graphic designer in the future.”

Miami Valley Career Technology Center, at 6800 Hoke Road in Englewood, serves five southwestern Ohio counties.