Kevin Helderbrand recently received his high school diploma while also taking a welding class at BCACC.
It’s now even easier for adults to get their high school diploma. The Ohio Department of Education has made changes and increased funding for the Adult Diploma Program. The program is now open to people 18 and older who want to finish their high school education.
In Ohio, the average income difference made by a high school diploma is eight thousand dollars per year. That’s before any specialized technical education that can increase a person’s income much more than that. According to the ODE, there are 3573 adults in Adams County without a high school diploma. In Brown County, the number is 3995 and there are 16,405 adults in Clermont County under similar circumstances.
The Brown Clermont Adult Career Center in Mt. Orab is one of only six providers of adult diplomas in a 16-county region of southwest Ohio. The needs of individuals vary, but many times BCACC is able to fold adult diploma classes into technical training that a student is pursuing. When the adult classes are over, the students get the additional benefit of having a high school diploma from their own local school, not a generic one from the state. BCACC also has another program called 22+ Credit Recovery that benefits older adults.
The current funding from the state to BCACC for the Adult Diploma Program has been increased to $97,560, up from just under $30,000 last year. The increase will allow up to 30 students to be helped, up from 11 last year. The 22+ program got a similar increase to $50,000 this year up from $17,905 last year. That’s enough to help up to 15 more students.
The Ohio Department of Education explained the changes in the program on its website. “The Adult Diploma Program provides job training and an alternate pathway for adults, ages 18 or older, to earn an industry-recognized credential aligned to one of Ohio’s in-demand jobs (after passing the WorkKeys, course requirements, and assessments) AND awarded a state-issued high school diploma.”
The ODE added that students can work at their own pace. “What makes this program different from a traditional high school setting is the delivery of instruction to adults. Instead of measuring academic achievement through clock hours, seat time or credits earned, the focus is on a competency-based approach that provides a self-paced option. Once competencies have been learned, adults then demonstrate mastery of skill. Each eligible adult works with the provider to create a customized student success plan.”
“We are very pleased to be able to help our students without a high school diploma to meet that goal,” said BCACC Adult Education Director Vicky Carrington. “A diploma coupled with our adult education certifications can significantly help our graduates increase their incomes as they embark on their new careers.”
Anyone interested in the Adult Diploma or 22+ Credit Recovery programs is asked to call (937) 378-6131 for more information. Each individual’s circumstances and interests are different, so calling BCACC to find out more is the best place to start.