Ohio high school students can earn recognition by showing they are prepared to contribute to the workplace and their communities. Students can earn the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal on their high school diplomas and transcripts indicating they have the personal strengths, strong work ethic and professional experience that businesses are looking for.
To earn the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal, motivated high school students must demonstrate certain professional skills that relate to success in the workplace. Students work with at least three experienced and trusted mentors who verify the demonstration of these skills in school, work or the community. By becoming the student’s mentor, the mentor is recommending the student to future employers and/or institutions of higher education based on that student’s demonstration of professional skills.
The OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal shows that the high school graduate has demonstrated that they are ready for the next step in their career path, whether in the workforce or the postsecondary classroom.
Professional Skills
The OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal is based on a list of 15 professional skills created by business leaders in Ohio. Ohio businesses have reported a gap between the skills they seek and the skills applicants have, placing the professional skills listed below in high demand.
Students and applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the following professional skills to be ready for work:
- Drug-Free - The student commits to being drug-free.
- Reliability - The student has integrity and responsibility in professional settings.
- Work Ethic - The student has positive work habits, personal accountability and a determination to succeed.
- Punctuality - The student arrives to commitments on time and ready to contribute.
- Discipline - The student follows guidelines, demonstrates self-control and stays on task.
- Teamwork/Collaboration - The student builds collaborative relationships with others and can work as part of a team.
- Professionalism - The student demonstrates honesty. He or she dresses and acts appropriately and responsibly. He or she learns from mistakes.
- Learning Agility - The student desires to continuously learn new information and skills.
- Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving - The student uses strong decision-making skills, evaluates issues effectively and thinks creatively to solve problems.
- Leadership - The student uses the strengths of others to achieve common goals. He or she coaches and motivates peers and can prioritize and delegate work.
- Creativity/Innovation - The student is original and inventive. He or she communicates new ideas to others, drawing on knowledge from different fields to find solutions.
- Oral/Written Communications - The student expresses thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms.
- Digital Technology - The student has an in-depth understanding of emerging technology and uses technology to solve problems, complete tasks and accomplish goals.
- Global/Intercultural Fluency - The student values, respects and learns from diverse groups of people.
- Career Management - The student is a self-advocate. He or she articulates strengths, knowledge and experiences relevant to success in a job or postsecondary education.