Career Technical Education Access Grant

Career Technical Education Access Grant is sponsored by Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Provides funding to Ohio schools for creating or expanding career technical education programs in manufacturing, including equipment purchase and instructor hiring.

CTE Access Grant: WorkAdvance Model for Manufacturing Pathways # Request for Applications FY2027 ## Office of Career-Technical Education 1 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 PERKINS V LEGISLATION ................................ ................................ .........

2 FISCAL YEAR 2027 CTE ACCESS GRANT OVERVIEW ................................ ..... 3 WORKADVANCE MODEL FOR MANUFACTURING PATHWAYS ........................

4 Year 1 – Program Development and Capacity Building ................................ ................................ ......

5 Year 2 – Implementation ................................ ................................ ................................

...................... 5 Conflicts of Interest ................................ ................................

................................ .............................. 6 General Information ................................

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6 Eligibility ................................ ................................ ................................

................................ ............... 6 All Application Requirements ................................

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6 Required Documentation ................................ ................................ ................................

.................... 6 Upon Being Awarded: Secondary -Specific Requirements ................................ ................................

. 6 Upon Being Awarded: Postsecondary -Specific Requirements ................................ ..........................

7 Admission Criteria Notice ................................ ................................ ................................

.................... 7 Application Timeline ................................ ................................

................................ ............................ 7 Total Funding Amount ................................

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8 Allowable Expenses ................................ ................................ ................................

.............................. 8 MONITORING AND REPORTING ................................ ................................

9 Monitoring ................................ ................................ ................................

................................ ............ 9 Reporting ................................

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.............. 9 EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS ................................ ..............................

10 Initial Review ................................ ................................ ................................

................................ ...... 10 Application Evaluation ................................

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10 Application Submission Directions ................................ ................................ ................................

10 One Funding Application ................................ ................................ ................................

................... 10 Budget ................................ ................................

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10 APPENDIX A ................................ ................................ ..........................

11 CTE Access Grant Application ................................ ................................ ................................

............ 11 CTE Access: Proposal for Grant ................................ ................................

................................ .......... 12 APPENDIX B ................................

................................ .......................... 15 CTE Access Grant Application Scoring Rubric ................................

................................ ................... 15 APPENDIX C ................................

................................ .......................... 19 2 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) is a reauthoriz ation of the Carl D.

Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) which continued Congress’ commitment to providing over a billion dollars annually f or career technical education ( CTE) programs supporting students in secondary and post -secondary The Perkins V law section 112 (c) allows the state of Ohio to award competitive grants made available from the Perkins V reserve funds to local recipients as described : An eligible agency may award grants to eligible recipients for career and technical education activities described in sections 135 — b.

areas with a high percentage of CTE concentrators or CTE participants; c. areas with a high number of CTE concentrators or CTE participants; and d. areas with disparities or gaps in performance as described in section 113(b) a.

foster innovation through the identification and promotion of promising and proven career and technical education programs, practices and strategies, which may include programs, practices, and strategies that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields; or , b.

promote the development, implementation, and adoption of programs of study or career pathways aligned with state -identified high -skill, high -wage, or in -demand occupations or industries.

3 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 # Fiscal Year 2027 CTE Access Grant Overview In an effort to continue expanding effective access to high quality career -technical education , the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (“Department”) is adopting the Ohio Manufactur ers’ Association (OMA) WorkAdvance Model through this employer -driven competitive grant.

This two -year grant is designed to address the most common capacity - building needs involved in launching and sustaining high -quality manufacturing programs that expand access to high -skill, high -wage career pathways for students and adults who are economically disadvantaged.

The OMA WorkAdvance Model has demonstrated su ccess in preparing adults, including untapped talent and career changers , for high -demand manufacturing operator roles through short -term , employe r-driven training.

By leveraging the classroom knowledge of our career - technical planning districts (CTPDs) , Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs) , and the knowledge of the Industry Sector Partner (ISP) , such as those endorsed by OMA , this approach will: • Build a strong pipeline of qualified industry ready operators and technicians . • Establish modern, industry -standard learning environments . • Strengthen sustained, employer -driven partnerships .

• Deepen alignment between education, training, and regional workforce demands .

• Connect economically disadvantaged learners to paid work -based learning and By separating program development (Year 1) from program delivery (Year 2) , this grant supports institutions in moving from planning and readiness to high -quality , student - centered implementation , resulting in durable pathways that lead to meaningful employment and long -term economic mobility, rather than short -term pilots.

Programs must be fully implemented and operational by the beginning of school year 2028. Applications will be submitted through the One Funding Application (OFA).

4 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 # WorkAdvance Model for Manufacturing This grant adapts the Ohio Manufactur ers’ Association Work Advance model through the structure and accountability of approved CTE programs to create durable, employer -driven manufacturing pathways for students and adults who do not currently have access.

The WorkAdvance model emphasizes employer -driven design, progressive skill development, paid work -based learning, job placement, and long -term retention and advancement.

When applied within approved CTE programs, these core elements are strengthened by for mal instructional frameworks, credentialing requirements, and continuous program quality This integrated approach aligns recruitment, career readiness preparation, technical skill development, work -based learning, post -program job placement, and advancement into a CTE pathway.

By embedding the WorkAdvance model into CTE program approval and delivery, the grant supports sustainable, high -quality programs that prepare learners for high - skill, high -wage manufacturing careers while meeting regional employer needs.

By sequencing program development in Year 1 and program delivery in Year 2, th is model ensures that instructor pipelines, facilities, employer partnerships, and work -based learning systems are fully established before student enrollment.

The result is a scalable, student - centered pathway that connects learners to paid work -based learn ing and long -term manufacturing careers, with programs fully operational by the start of the 2028 school year.

5 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 YEAR 1 – PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING July 1, 2026 -June 30, 2027 Category Allowable Uses of Funds Initial Teacher Costs Recruiting , hiring, and onboarding a new manufacturing CTE instructor , l icensure costs, and industry credential Equipment and Supplies Machinery, tools, safety equipment, software, and lab supplies required for initiating program Curriculum Instructional materials Student Recruitment Marketing, outreach, advising meetings , and materials Administration of Grant and 5% of funds can be used for the administ ration of the grant and indirect costs associated with the grant REQUIRED DELIVERABLES OF YEAR 1 • CTE -licensed instructor hired and onboarded for School Year 2028 • Equipment installed and an operational lab space • Approved CTE -26 or Ohio Department of Higher Education -approved program with aligned Industry Recognized Credential s July 1, 2027 -June 30, 2028 Category Allowable Uses of Funds Professional Development Professional development Equipment and Supplies Machinery, tools, safety equipment, software, and lab supplies required for initiating program Curriculum Instructional materials Student Recruitment Marketing, outreach, advising meetings , and materials CTSO Advisor stipends, m embership dues, registration , and transportation to state and regional competitions Work -Based Learning Transportation Administration of Grant and 5% of funds can be used for the administration of the grant and indirect costs associated with the grant 6 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 As a nonprofit or public benefit entity receiving public funds, recipients must avoid conflicts of interest when administering grants and entering contracts for equipment and services.

State law regarding conflicts of interest is very strict. It is the res ponsibility of the recipients to comply with Ohio Ethics Law, Ohio Revised Code Chapter 102 regarding conflicts of interest.

An eligible applicant is defined as the lead district of a CTPD applying to offer satellite programming at any local education agency , including any city , local , or exempted village school district, community school , or STEM school where current manufacturing programmatic offerings do not exist , or a n Ohio Technical Center .

Each a pplicant must demonstrate a documented need for a manufacturing program aligned to local labor market demand in the satellite location by providing a PDF validation report of in -demand occupations from the Ohio Top Jobs List ( https://topjobs. ohio. gov/top -jobs -list ).

Each application must demonstrate meaningful engagement with a recognized Industry Sector Partnership (ISP), such as those identified on the OMA ISP list included in Appendix C.

• Submit a letter of support confirming the commitment to the students in the new • Provide a two -year timeline of engagement activities with administrators and students enrolled in the new manufacturing CTE program , including : o Mentorship activities (such as Career Coaching) o Secondary only - Description of how each student will participate in paid Work - Based Learning (WBL) opportunities , the site location where the WBL will occur, and name of the co -superviso r.

Applications that do not have required documentation will not be considered for funding.

UPON BEING AWARDED: SECONDARY -SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Upon being awarded, a secondary recipient must submit a new CTE -26 workforce development career pathway application for Fiscal Year (FY) 202 8 in one of these pathways: • R7: Precision Machining • R9: Advanced Manufacturing • F8: Mechatronics 7 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Each CTE -26 application must align with the FY 20 27 Manufacturing Pathways and Course Descriptions or FY2007 En gineering and Science Technologies Pathways and Course Descriptions and must embed Industry Recognized Credentials offerings and postsecondary UPON BEING AWARDED: POSTSECONDARY -SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Upon being awarded, each Ohio Technical Center must have a new, approved manufacturing technical program through the Ohio Department of Higher Education beginning in FY2028.

All programs must be submitted to the Chancellor for approval as a new program in accordance with the procedures outlined in the OTC Program Operations and Approval Manual . Programs must comply with all OTC operational standards, including accreditation requirements and quality assurance measures as specified by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

According to the federal 1979 Guidelines for Vocational Education section IV (K): Recipients may not judge candidates for admission to vocational education programs on the basis of criteria that have the effect of disproportionately excluding persons of a particular race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap.

However, if a recipient can demonstrate that such criteria have been validated as essential to participation in a given program and that alternative equally valid criteria that do not have such a disproportionate adverse effect are unavailable, the criteria will be judged nondis criminatory.

Examples of admissions criteria that must meet this test are past academic performance, record of disciplinary infractions, counselors' approval, teachers' recommendations, interest inventories, high school diploma and standardized Therefore, a n entity is not eligible for federal grant funds if admission criteria for career - technical education exist that are deemed unnecessary to participate.

The CTE A ccess G rant application window opens May 11 202 6, and closes June 1 2, 202 6. Recipients will be notified of award by June 26 , 202 6, with grant funds substantially approved date of July 1, 202 6. Applications , budget , budget narrative, and supporting documentation must be uploaded and entered through the One Funding Application (OFA) .

Year 1 e xpenditures must be committed by June 30, 202 7, and fully claimed by Sept . 30, Year 2 expenditures must be committed by June 30, 2028, and fully claimed by Sept . 30, If Year 1 awarded funds are not fully committed by June 30, 202 7, the recipient may carry over funds with Year 2 award.

If Year 2 funds and Year 1 carry over funds are not fully committed by June 30, 2028 , the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reserves the right to request the recipient return the balance of awarded funds. 8 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Approximately $3. 2 million is available for the two -year CTE A ccess Grant , pending congressional authorization of funds for FY28 .

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce ’s Office of Career -Technical Education plans to allocate up to a maximum of $320 ,000 per applicant and seek s to award a minimum of 10 applicants. The Perkins V reserve funds are federal funds that may only be used toward Perkins V allowable expenses .

Recommended uses of funds for a new CTE pathway would be new CTE (licensed for secondary education) teacher salaries and fringe benefits .

9 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 # Monitoring and Reporting The grant administrators and staff from the Department’s Office of Career -Technical Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education will monitor and provide oversight of the grant, including technical assistance to all grant recipients. As a condition of this grant, the Department is responsible for evaluating and monitoring recipients.

Recipients will be evaluated and monitored in accomplishing the performance Goal 1: The recipient will meet all deliverables outlined in this RF A for each year.

Goal 2: The recipient will provide details to support strategy replication, including any artifacts of implementation such as toolkits, manuals, forms, policies , or accompanying documentation through the Interim and Final Grant Monitoring survey through Microsoft Goal 3 : The recipient will fully commit all grant funds by June 30, 202 8, and claim all grant funds by Sept . 30, 202 8.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, each recipient will be required to submit an Interim Grant Monitoring and a Final Grant Monitoring survey which includes a The Interim Grant Monitoring survey will be sent via email to all grant contacts by Jan . 1, 202 7 & 2028 , to be completed by Jan . 31, 202 7 and 202 8.

The Final Grants Monitoring survey will be sent via e -mail to all grant contacts by June 1, 202 7 & 2028 , to be completed by June 30, 202 7 and 2028 . The narrative report is included in each survey and must contain a detailed summary of the current status of each performance metric or how the approach has accomplished each performance goal and emailed directly to the Department grant administrator as described in the survey.

The Final Expenditure Report (FER) must be submitted by Sept . 30, 202 7 and 2028 , through the One Funding application . The Department s reserves the right to reject the report and request revisions for clarity or ask for additional information to be provided.

10 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 # Evaluation of Applications The grant administrator will review all applications for completeness, eligibility, and budget submission. If the applicant meets the mandatory requirements listed herein, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Ohio Department of Higher Education will continue to evaluate the application.

If the applicant does not meet the formatting or mandatory requirements listed herein, the applicant will be notified by the Departments and allowed to submit a correction within two weeks from notification . Each qualifying application will be evaluated by no less than three Office of Career -Technical Education and/or Ohio Department of Higher Education staff members using the Grant Scoring Rubric (Appendix B).

An average of three scores from each scoring rubric will become the grant application’s final score. The top scoring applications will be approved for grant funds until all eligible funds are exhausted.

# Application Submission Directions Applicants must upload the official CTE Access Grant application (Appendix A) , enter the Budget Grid and Narrative , and upload any supporting documents into the One Funding Application (OFA) for an application to be considered complete. The OFA is a unified grants application and verification system that consists of two parts: the Planning Tool and the Funding Application.

For the purposes of the CTE Access Grant application, applicants will only use the Funding Application that contains the budget, assurances , and budget upload sections. A grant applicant must have an OHID portal account , Information Retrieval Number , and designated roles in the Ohio Educational Directory System to access the OFA .

Applicants must enter information into the Budget Grid and Narrative in the OFA , including the total sum requested for the grant. 11 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 All applicants must complete this application in full and submit all required documentation through the One Funding Application (OFA). Incomplete applications or applications missing required documentation will not be considered for funding.

Proposed Manufacturing Career Field Pathway Date Total Amount Requested (not to exceed $ 320 ,000) Applying Institution Information Application Ty pe (check one) Lead District or OTC Name IRN Secondary Only: Satellite Location , School Name Lead District or OTC Responsible Lead Lead District or OTC Responsible Lead Job Telephone Number Email Address ISP Name ISP Contact Name Lead District or OTC Fiscal Officer Name Telephone Number Email Address 12 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 CTE ACCESS : PROPOSAL FOR GRANT ## Demonstrated Need and Labor Market Alignment Describe the local or regional workforce need for a new manufacturing CTE program at the proposed satellite location.

Identify the in -demand manufacturing occupations for which the program will prepare According to the FY2026 Top 15 Ohio In -Demand Manufacturing Jobs by Region document, how many manufacturing jobs are in -demand in the applicant’s region that directly align to the Manufacturing pathway listed above?

Identify the percentage of economically disadvantaged students currently being served in the proposed location of the new Manufacturing program and cite the data source . Describe barriers to participation currently faced by th is population in the location where the pathway will be delivered. Explain how the program design, recruitment strategies, and support will reduce or eliminate these barriers.

13 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 ## Industry Sector Partner Does the applicant have a letter of support from an Industry Sector Partner (ISP) ? Explain how the ISP will participate in the program design and planning. Provide the two -year timeline of events that the ISP will host engagement with students enrolled in this pathway.

These events must include paid work -based learning opportunities with Learning Agreements in place, curriculum alignment, career advising, job shadowing or other f orms of career planning. Please include the estimated dates of the events and the name(s) of the person(s) responsible for the event for the entire 2 years of the grant.

Describe how the proposed program incorporates the following WorkAdvance elements: • Employer -driven program design • Progressive skill development • Paid work -based learning • Job placement, retention, and advancement List the courses that will be in the pathway (minimum of a 4 -course program of study is required for secondary applications ).

14 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Identify the Industry Recognized Credentials embedded in the program. Describe the action plan for implementing this program . Describe how the program will be sustained after the funding cycle is complete.

Include the practices and resources ( human and fiscal ) currently in place that will support implementation and overall sustainability of the strategy. 15 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Applicant: Applicant IRN: Is all contact information complete and accurate? ☐ YES ☐ NO Is the entit y an eligible applicant?

☐ YES ☐ NO Criteria Weight Rating (1 -4) Extended Demonstrated Need and Labor Industry Sector Partner 25 Action Plan and Sustainability 10 FINAL SCORE 16 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Demonstrated Need and Labor Market Alignment Review Criteria: Assesses the applicant’s ability to demonstrate documented regional workforce demand and clear alignment between the proposed manufacturing pathway and in -demand occupations identified in the FY2026 Top 15 Ohio In -Demand Manufacturing Jobs by Region.

The response is significantly incomplete, missing required information or documentation of data , or otherwise raises The response meets some of the established criteria but is missing considerations for one or more areas. 2 The response meets the established criteria, but would benefit from additional information, explanation , or detail in one or more areas.

3 The response meets the established criteria and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the workforce demand with specific Review Criteria: Assesses the applicant’s use of data to demonstrate service to economically disadvantaged students and the strength of the proposed strategies to address documented participation barriers.

The response is significantly incomplete, missing required information , or otherwise raises substantial concerns . 1 The response meets some of the established criteria but is missing considerations for one or more areas. 2 The response meets the established criteria, but would benefit from additional information, explanation , or detail in one or more areas.

3 The response meets the established criteria and demonstrates a thorough understanding of how proposed strategies to address participation barriers for the economically disadvantaged student Reviewer Comments: 17 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Review Criteria: Assesses the applicant’s documented Industry Sector Partner commitment and the quality, specificity, and accountability of the proposed two -year student engagement and paid work -based learning plan.

The response is significantly incomplete, missing required information , or otherwise raises substantial concerns. 1 The response meets some of the established criteria but is missing considerations for one or more areas. 2 The response meets the established criteria, but would benefit from additional information, explanation , or detail in one or more areas.

3 The response meets the established criteria and demonstrates a thorough partnership with the ISP over a two -year timeframe. 4 Review Criteria: Assesses the strength and coherence of the proposed program design, including alignment to WorkAdvance elements, a complete program of study, and embedded Industry -Recognized Credentials.

The response is significantly incomplete, missing required information , or otherwise raises substantial concerns. 1 The response meets some of the established criteria but is missing considerations for one or more areas. 2 The response meets the established criteria, but would benefit from additional information, explanation , or detail in one or more areas.

3 The response meets the established criteria and demonstrates the applicant’s thorough alignment to WorkAdvance elements. 4 Reviewer Comments: 18 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 Action Plan and Sustainability Review Criteria: Assesses the feasibility of the implementation plan and the strength of the applicant’s strategy to sustain the program beyond the funding cycle using identified human and fiscal resources.

The response is significantly incomplete, missing required information or otherwise raises substantial concerns . 1 The response meets some of the established criteria but is missing considerations for one or more areas. 2 The response meets the established criteria, but would benefit from additional information, explanation, or detail in one or more areas.

3 The response meets the criteria established and demonstrates the applicant’s thorough alignment of the action plan and sustainability Reviewer Comments: 19 | CTE Access Grant | 202 6-202 8 The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Endorsed Industry Sector Partnership Network