The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Tri-C to graduate first Adult Diploma Program class
The inaugural class of Adult Diploma Program students at Cuyahoga Community College will graduate this month with high school diplomas and the workforce credentials needed to land in-demand jobs.
Sixty-three students completed the Ohio Department of Education pilot program at Tri-C this year, according to a press release. They will be honored during a commencement ceremony at 7 p.m., June 15, at the Tri-C’s Eastern Campus in Highland Hills.
Participants were ages 22 or older who left high school before graduation. The program allowed each to earn a high school diploma while simultaneously taking jobtraining courses to work in growth industries.
“Education is the key to success in life,” JaNice Marshall, associate vice president of access and community engagement at Tri-C, stated in the release. “For each of these graduates, gaining a diploma and professional certification opens the door to a better future.”
Students chose their career pathway in fields such as health-care services, manufacturing, logistics and construction. The program embedded academics — such as math and reading — into career and technical coursework.
Unlike in traditional classrooms, students showed they mastered their courses by passing a job skills test rather than a traditional academic test, the release stated.
The state developed the Adult Diploma Program to connect undereducated Ohio residents with the education and training needed to secure jobs with a living wage. Data shows that adults without a high school diploma are twice as likely to live in poverty.
There are approximately 1.1 million Ohio residents age 22 or older who dropped out of high school.
The upcoming commencement ceremony at Tri-C will also honor 108 students who earned their high school equivalency diploma through Adult Basic and Literacy Education programs.
For information on TriC’s Adult Diploma Program, visit www.tri-c.edu/adultdiploma or call 216-987-0610. To learn about ABLE go to www.tri-c.edu/able-ged-esol or call 216-987-3029.