Senate Bill 328
An overview of Senate Bill 328, a proposal to improve student workforce readiness.
Why This Matters
Ohio's workforce depends on students who graduate ready for what comes next. However, not enough middle and high schools are providing career-connected learning for their students, causing students to miss essential opportunities to connect their educational experiences to viable career paths in Ohio. These experiences are essential to student success, economic self-sustainability, and to Ohio's competitiveness.
All students can benefit from career-connected learning, and it needs to start before students enter high school. Ohio Excels’ Reality Check report reveals a concerning trend: For 43% of the 138,038 students who started high school in the Class of 2018, high school is their last formal education stop before entering the workforce. Many students invest in additional education post-high school. With no clear direction for their futures, nearly half of those students will not earn a degree. Furthermore, polling of Ohio's parents shows that 86% of parents think it is important for their child to have a plan that maps out their child's pathway to a career after high school or college.
To tackle this challenge, Ohio Excels convened the Career-Connected Learning Coalition, made up of a broad range of stakeholder groups, including teachers, superintendents, school counselors, career-tech leaders, business groups, state agencies, regional partnerships, and other advocates, to develop a proposal to improve student workforce readiness. Now found in the recently introduced, bipartisan Senate Bill 328, this proposal will ensure every student experiences structured career exploration, professional skill development, and personalized planning, all while helping the state identify which programs deliver the best results for students, employers, and taxpayers.
Career Exploration and Planning
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Middle School Career Exploration (Grades 6–8)
Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, Senate Bill 328 will require all students to complete a ½ unit of career exploration between 6th and 8th grade (unless the district submits an alternative plan). Career exploration requirements include:
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Exposure to Ohio’s 16 career clusters
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Hands-on learning (e.g., projects, job shadowing)
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Local interest and aptitude assessments
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At least one career coaching session aligned to the state coaching framework
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Beginner financial and life planning
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Professional and soft skills development
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Preparing, or updating, a student academic and career plan.
Additionally, the state will audit up to 5% of schools each year for compliance with the career exploration requirement, potentially with the support of regional partners.
Alternative Career Exploration Plan Option
Districts may submit a two-year alternative plan to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), developed with their Career-Technical Planning District and Business Advisory Council. These alternative plans must show how the same requirements for the career exploration course will be met between grades 6-8. ODEW will approve, renew, and publicly post the plans.​
Career Coaching Framework
ODEW will create a statewide framework defining quality career coaching experiences, including recommendations on the timing of coaching sessions, the content and activities for sessions, and the qualifications of coaches. The framework will be a guide for career coaching conducted by school staff or external partners. ODEW will also create optional professional development resources for educators and coaches.
Professional Skills Standards
ODEW will create statewide professional skills standards aligned with the essential workplace competencies and soft skills that Ohio employers value most to help teachers infuse these skills into classroom instruction and career planning.
Student Academic and Career Plans
Current law includes several disconnected planning requirements for students. Senate Bill 328 consolidates and simplifies those requirements into one plan for all students with a focus on academic and career goals. The plans will also include an addendum for additional planning and support for students at risk of not graduating on time.
Starting with 8th grade students in the 2026–27 school year, every student, by the end of 8th grade, will prepare a personalized academic and career plan that includes the student’s strengths, interests, and aptitudes; career pathway alignment; academic, financial, and lifestyle goals; and a roadmap to meet graduation requirements tailored to the student’s individual plan. The plan will culminate in a professional resume completed by the student’s senior year.
The plans require parental participation and signature. If parents or guardians are unavailable to participate, a career coach will assist and provide additional coaching. Plans are updated annually, transferable, and accessible to families year-round. ODEW will provide a statewide plan template and guidance.
Education and Workforce Return on Investment (ROI) Initiative
Which programs deliver the strongest returns and should be expanded? Right now, we cannot answer this question with concrete evidence. The Education and Workforce Return on Investment Initiative, or ROI Initiative, is the first step toward answering questions like these and making it possible to identify student outcomes across systems, measure program effectiveness, and reduce the burden of duplicative reporting requirements. We can do so much more with the data we already collect. With the right privacy safeguards in place, we can finally unlock the full value of our data – making smarter decisions, measuring what matters, better serving Ohio’s students and economy, and spending taxpayer dollars more effectively.
ROI Initiative Overview
Senate Bill 328 will require the directors from the Departments of Education and Workforce, Higher Education, Job and Family Services, Development, and Children and Youth to work with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to link and analyze data across agencies, transforming how Ohio uses education and workforce data to drive improved results.​
The directors will meet at regular public meetings to develop a strategic plan, research framework with key questions that need to be answered, and data access policies; collect and share stakeholder feedback; increase efficiencies and capacity for data analysis; lead technology and security enhancements; and promote impactful tools, dashboards, reports, and research.
Education and Workforce Reports
The bill requires the state to create and publicly share the following annual reports:
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A high school graduate report for each public high school that includes postsecondary enrollment and workforce outcomes of recent graduates
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A talent gap report that compares the job openings for in-demand sectors with the number of graduates from related programs each year on a statewide and regional basis
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An industry-recognized credential outcomes report that includes workforce outcomes for common industry-recognized credentials
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A higher education graduate report that documents the employment, wage, and retention outcomes of graduates for each institution of higher education in Ohio
