American Graduate

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) launched the American Graduate initiative in 2011 to address the nation’s dropout rate. Public media stations across the country forged community connections and innovative partnerships to help improve student outcomes—contributing to a substantial increase in the national high school graduation rate.

American Graduate: Getting to Work begins in 2018 with CPB grants to 19 public media stations to help advance education and career readiness in their communities.

WOSU Public Media was awarded a two-year grant. Moving forward entails collaboration with local organizations, educational institutions and businesses to assess workforce challenges and opportunities, and production of content focused on the essential skills needed for students and workers to succeed in the job markets of today and tomorrow. CPB gave the Ohio grantees a unique assignment. WOSU, CET/Cincinnati and Ideastream/Cleveland are working in partnership to create a state model for addressing the major issues of education and career readiness.

Learn more at WOSU's American Graduate website.

Ways to Connect

Recently Incarcerated Columbus Residents Graduate From New Employment Program

By • Jun 29, 2020
Paige Pfleger / WOSU

In January, Columbus launched a new career development program for recently incarcerated people. After months of work, and overcoming additional obstacles presented by the pandemic, the first class of participants graduated last week. 

Report: Ohio's Student-Debt Law Is 'Punitive'

By Jenny Hamel • Feb 25, 2020

Updated: 10:53 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020

An Ohio law requiring colleges to turn over student debt to the state attorney general’s office for collection is disproportionally harming low-income students of color, according to a new report from Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland-based nonprofit.

Skilled Trades

By All Sides Staff • Feb 7, 2020
An electrician apprentice works on a circuit box
WOSU Public Media

Skilled trade jobs pay well, are in demand and fulfill the requirement of a career for many people. 

But the skilled trades often are overlooked by graduating high-school seniors. 

Skilled Trades

By All Sides Staff • Feb 7, 2020
Mac Connor is now an automotive technician for COTA after graduating from Fort Hayes Career Center.
Rivet / WOSU

Skilled trade jobs pay well, are in demand and fulfill the requirement of a career for many people. 

But the skilled trades often are overlooked by graduating high-school seniors. 

Ohio State Graduate Works To Connect People With Criminal Records To Jobs

By • Feb 5, 2020
Harley Blakeman created HonestJobs to connect people with criminal records to jobs.
Harley Blakeman / Twitter

Ohio State graduate Harley Blakeman, 28, overcame some self-inflicted hurdles, and is now an entrepreneur who wants to help others who made similar mistakes.

Columbus Launches Career Development Program For Recently Incarcerated People

By • Jan 16, 2020
Paige Pfleger / WOSU

Columbus city leaders celebrated the inaugural class of a new career development program to help recently incarcerated individuals find jobs.

Amazon Adding 1,500 Workers For New Distribution Center In West Jefferson

By • Jan 15, 2020
Amazon distribution center in Groveport, Ohio.
WOSU

Amazon has started hiring more than 1,500 workers for a new distribution center in West Jefferson. 

Learning Coding With 14 Weeks And A Leap Of Faith

By • Dec 24, 2019
Ashton Sullivan dropped out of Ohio State in her sophomore year to enroll in a coding bootcamp. Now she works for Drive Capital as a software developer.
Rivet / WOSU

In the middle of her sophomore year, 20-year-old Ashton Sullivan knew she was done with college for good.

“I pulled the plug,” Sullivan says. “I dropped out of school.”

Skilled Trades

By All Sides Staff • Dec 19, 2019
Mac Connor is now an automotive technician for COTA after graduating from Fort Hayes Career Center.
Rivet / WOSU

Skilled trade jobs pay well, are in demand and fulfill the requirement of a career for many people. 

But the skilled trades often are overlooked by graduating high-school seniors. 

Taking A Different Route To Graduation, Only Some High School Required

By • Dec 17, 2019
Mac Connor and a senior mechanic inspect one of the buses at COTA.
Rivet / WOSU

Some students like academic work and thrive in high school. For others, it’s a real drag.

One of those people is Mac Connor. When the 18-year-old talks about it, he does so in a short, matter-of-fact way.

Fewer Students Are Going To College. Here's Why That Matters

By • Dec 16, 2019

This fall, there were nearly 250,000 fewer students enrolled in college than a year ago, according to new numbers out Monday from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which tracks college enrollment by student.

"That's a lot of students that we're losing," says Doug Shapiro, who leads the research center at the Clearinghouse.

Columbus State Community College Launches Office For Workforce Training

By • Dec 11, 2019
Columbus State Community College

Columbus State Community College has opened a new office meant to connect businesses with employees through a set of new training programs.

Insurance Internships Push Students To Think Beyond Ducks And Geckos

By • Dec 10, 2019
Sierra Roberts and a coworker collaborate at the Ohio Mutual office space in Bucyrus, Ohio.
Rivet / WOSU

Sierra Roberts knew the jingles and taglines about insurance. It’s that thing you pay for now in case something goes wrong later. It’s those commercials constantly clamoring for our attention.

When Starting Your Career Early Means Leaving Your Old School Behind

By • Dec 3, 2019
Billan Gurreh sits studying with a classmate at C-TEC Licking County.
Rivet / WOSU

A 45-minute bus ride to a different city gave 17-year-old Billan Gurreh plenty of time to wonder if she was making the right choice. She was nervous to start the year off at a new school.

Ohio's Agriculture Industry Is Much More Than Just Farming

By • Nov 26, 2019
Chris Dible presents a vintage Case tractor at Dible Brothers' Farm in Sunbury, Ohio.
Rivet / WOSU

Chris Dible, 17, walks past a giant red and black tractor. It’s the tractor Dible helped his dad bargain for when he was 13. Standing here, he can’t help but think about his family.

Pages