Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed FY 2026-2027 Executive Budget, released this week, contains significant investments in workforce development to strengthen Ohio’s talent pipeline. The budget includes nearly $60 million in new competitive grants to Tech Prep Regional Centers to expand career-technical education and increase high school student access to college credit opportunities.

The budget proposes to allocate $32 million for industry-recognized credentials for high school students and $10 million for the Industry Partnership Grant to support business-education collaborations. The TechCred program, which helps employers offset upskilling costs, has been suggested to receive over $50 million in funding.

“Our executive budget is all about investing in Ohio’s greatest asset, our people,” said Governor DeWine.

OMA staff are still analyzing the proposed budget and will have deeper analysis on OMA priorities coming soon. Visit governor.ohio.gov to learn more about the proposed 2026-2027 budget. 2/5/2025