SB 1 Proponent Testimony — Jamie Nash, Superintendent, Buckeye Hills Career Center (March 28, 2023)
Summary
Proponent testimony on SB 1 dated March 28, 2023, from Jamie Nash, Superintendent of the Gallia-Jackson-Vinton Joint Vocational School District (Buckeye Hills Career Center), to the Ohio House Economic and Workforce Development Committee. The testimony says the career center is in Southeast Ohio and is the Career Technical Planning District lead. It lists developments including career exploration courses for all 7th and 8th graders and expanded satellite programs at high schools. It closes by saying it is time for Career Technical Education to have a seat at Ohio's highest table of leadership.
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“SB 1 Proponent Testimony — Jamie Nash, Superintendent, Buckeye Hills Career Center (March 28, 2023).”
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Ohio House Economic and Workforce Development
Committee
SB 1 Proponent Testimony
Jamie Nash, Superintendent, Buckeye Hills Career Center, SE Ohio
March 28, 2023
Good afternoon, Chair Swearingen, Vice Chair Santucci, Ranking Member Upchurch, and members of
the Ohio House Economic and Workforce Development Committee:
My name is Jamie Nash, Superintendent at the Gallia-Jackson-Vinton Joint Vocational School District, also
known as the Award Winning Buckeye Hills Career Center. Our career center is located in Southeast Ohio
and is the Career Technical Planning District lead for 3 counties and 6 districts. In addition, we operate
an Ohio Technical Center (focused on Adult Education), which serves 4 primary counties, including Meigs
and 6 secondary counties.
Introduction & Background on Growth of CTE in Ohio:
For years, many career centers were known as the best kept secret. Well, not anymore. Career Centers
have expanded Career Technical Education (CTE) access across our entire state and region. The key to this
expansion is our role as the Career Technical Planning District (CTPD) Lead. We have developed
partnerships across multiple stakeholder groups, which include: our CTPD partner schools, school board
members, advisory committee members, business and industry partners, apprenticeships both union and
non-union and our local leaders. I would like to briefly begin by sharing the following positive
developments on our work across the state to expand:
• Over the past several years, career centers and district members have designed, developed, and
implemented career exploration courses for all 7th and 8th graders.
• Many CTPDs have expanded CTE satellite programs located at all high schools, which include but
are not limited to: Agribusiness and Production Systems, Business and Administrative Services,
Networking, Cyber Security, STNA, Family and Consumer Sciences, Interactive Media, Natural
Resource Management, Engineering and Design, Hospitality and Tourism and Fire Fighter.
• Just this year, our career center has hired 3 full-time career coaches that serve all three counties
and 6 school districts starting as early as the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. In most cases, this work is
being led by CTPDs and member districts across Ohio.
• Career Centers are implementing driver’s education programs for all CTE students, so we can
prepare students for job placement their senior year.
• Currently, our career center is in the process of opening an early childcare center for our staff and
students to access while they are onsite receiving in-demand training.
• Many CTPDs are offering and/or plan to offer senior only programs. Our career center is offering
these programs in the following area(s): Heavy Equipment Operator Training (Local 18), Masonry
(Lang), Firefighter, Broadband Infrastructure Training, STNA, CDL (Destiny) LPN, Surgical Tech, and
Medical Assisting.
• Several CTPDs have implemented Drug Free Club Chapters. This is a student lead historical
movement to fight the opioid epidemic. Our career center has one of the largest Drug Free Clubs
of America Chapter within our region. (High School 87% and Adult Education 89%). Many of our
partner schools are joining these efforts as well.
• All CTPDs have strong Work Based Learning Programs. Just last year, our high school senior class
generated over $1.5 M of new income within this region and we are still collecting data from that
class. That is an outstanding ROI.
My personal background:
So you may wonder “why” we are here to provide testimony to support SB 1.
First, it is important that you know my background. I am a product, practitioner, leader, and advocate for
CTE.
As a Product:
This journey began for me at 15 years of age, when I went to get on a school bus to visit the local vocational
school and my principal/counselor asked me where I was going. I said, that I wanted to visit the vocational
school. They told me that it wasn’t for kids like me as I watched my two best friends get on the bus. That
day changed my entire life forever. I got on that bus and my journey began, which led to my lifelong
mission to serve CTE within our great state.
As a Practitioner I have served in the following roles:
• CTE Instructor (Secondary/Post-Secondary)
• Building Administrator
• District Administrator
• ODE Assistant/Associate Director
• CTPD-JVSD LEAD Director
• CTPD-JVSD LEAD Superintendent
As a Leader/As an Advocate:
We now have the attention of Ohio’s leaders, employers, and workforce development entities across the
state. This is because we have strategically designed our career centers to be innovative, flexible, and
adaptable. We move at a speed that is required and needed. At Ohio’s Career Centers, we know learning
means doing. We provide hands-on training for in-demands jobs so our students can get to work and use
their skills to change the world. From high school to adult education, our students are prepared to face
any challenge that lies ahead. At career centers we work hard. Think big. And find a way. Because in Career
tech …. It’s what we do.
Our Support for SB 1
I have reviewed a summary of SB 1 and I have some comments to make based off my comprehensive
experiences, especially working in state government with multiple agencies:
• We support the restructuring of the Ohio Department of Education and I like the name change to
the Department of Education and Workforce.
• Creating two Divisions within the new Department makes sense because although education and
workforce are not the same, both hold value in developing Ohio’s economy. We need a workforce
that is reliable, knowledgeable, and skilled. The SB 1 model would provide the governor and
legislators a security blanket to make certain all arms of education and workforce development
are equally represented at the highest table.
• As far as the State Board of Education (SBOE) and State Superintendent, I would agree with SB 1.
The SBOE selects the SOPI and the General Assembly guides their role(s) and duties. The position
must serve as an advisor to the cabinet member(s) within education and workforce
• Career Technical Planning Districts are the key to workforce development and the expansion of
CTE. We are proven and for years have been the best kept secret. However, it’s time for Career
Technical Education to have a seat at Ohio’s highest table of leadership.
• “WHY” we get it done and provide results “NOW.” We know learning means doing. We provide
hands-on training for in-demands jobs so our students can get to work and use their skills to
change the world. From high school to adult education, our students are prepared to face any
challenge that lies ahead. At Ohio’s Career Centers we work hard. Think big. And find a way.
Because in Career Tech…. It’s what we do.
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