All Ohio school districts and educational service centers are required to have a
Business Advisory Council (BAC) and are legislated by Ohio law to submit annual BAC plans to the
Ohio Department of Education (ODE). The ESC recently submitted its plan to ODE leading a BAC that includes 27 school districts in the Central Ohio region focused on three quality practices:
- Developing students’ professional skills for future careers;
- Building partnerships between schools and employers; and
- Coordinating experiences for students.
Through this regional approach and these quality practices, the ESC’s BAC works in partnership with the
Central Ohio Compact, workforce development boards, the
New Skills for Youth Initiative, the Central Ohio Pre-Apprenticeship Hub, non-profit organizations, and workforce development agencies. The BAC, its members, and partners have created regional programs and plans to expose students to in-demand careers, scaled internship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities for students, and supported regional mentoring programs to connect students directly to business and industry mentors.
To accomplish its work during the 22-23 school year, the BAC will meet on a quarterly basis
October 20, December 15, February 16, and April 20. It will have several workgroups meeting on a regular basis in-between the quarterly meetings to carry out the plans of the council as well. Members will continue to participate in Central Ohio Compact convenings to ensure the work is aligned at a regional level.