MARIETTA— Washington State College of Ohio recently awarded seven students from three different area high schools the first credentials related to the college’s innovative inCERT Yourself program.
InCERT Yourself, a new program the college rolled out at the beginning of the year, is aimed at helping students, who may not have previously considered college as an option, earn a credential that will make them more employable after graduation. These students come to campus one day a week to utilize Washington State’s state-of-the-art labs and equipment to get the hands-on experience and training necessary to earn in-demand industry certification and have the opportunity to network with local industry employers.
The first credentials were awarded to students in the industrial welding and maintenance program. Jackson McGrath from Federal Hocking, Germain Christy, Trent Pettit, Jacob Richards, Evan Simons, and Connor Tomlin from Trimble High School, and Ashden Stillion from Meadowbrook High School each received their NIMS Maintenance Operations credentials.
WSCO Assistant Professor Chris Carpenter said the credential is the first of three they will earn this semester, but called the first credential an “important big step.” He explained that by May “Each of these students will have evidence of training that sets them apart in the job market, if that’s what they choose after graduation. These credentials also show the students they can be successful in the college classroom.”
More than 60 high school juniors and seniors from 10 schools including Belpre, Caldwell, Federal Hocking, Fort Frye, Marietta, Meadowbrook, Shenandoah, Trimble, and Warren are currently taking classes in one of three programs at Washington State: cyber security, advanced manufacturing, or industrial welding and maintenance.
Dan Leffingwell, WSCO Dean of Business and Engineering and the guiding force behind inCERT Yourself explained that students earning marketable credentials is just the initial phase of the program. The college eventually wants students to also earn college credits.
“The vision is to have the inCERT Yourself classes provide students with industry credentials and college credits,” said Leffingwell. “Our goal is that they’ll start their college path and then they have the opportunity to continue their degree here or continue into the job market. In the end, they will have succeeded at both, college and job preparation.”
