OCSEA is excited to announce a new initiative with the State of Ohio to help open doors for OCSEA members to careers in Information Technology (IT). The IT Apprenticeship Program, a joint labor/management agreement, is designed to provide OCSEA-represented employees with training and development opportunities that lead to full-performance IT classifications. It is designed to create a career path to State of Ohio IT classifications and to address agency recruitment needs.
The new IT Apprentice and Associate classifications went into effect this week, with the Letter of Agreement (LOA) signed off on September 24, 2025, permitting agencies to begin implementing and utilizing this program. The program creates an avenue for current OCSEA bargaining unit employees who have started or expressed interest in an IT career to apply for posted IT Apprentice or Associate positions. Look for these posting opportunities at Careers.Ohio.gov coming soon.
The program is designed to:
- Address recruitment and retention challenges in the IT field.
- Close skill gaps through structured training and experience.
- Provide employees with a defined and supported career path, eliminating the uncertainty of job searching after program completion by ensuring a transition into full-performance IT positions upon meeting the conditions of the agreement.
Based on the LOA, State of Ohio agencies may post IT apprenticeship opportunities for the purpose of training selected candidates to meet the minimum qualifications of the needed IT classification. The LOA includes the possibility of auto progression from IT Apprentice to IT Associate classifications to a full performance IT position (as long as the required minimum qualifications of each level are satisfied). The LOA spells out the requirements of each level, terms and conditions and more.
Click below for a copy of the LOA and a “Frequently Asked Questions.” If you are an OCSEA union member with questions, please contact your Staff Representative or the OCSEA Office of General Counsel at GeneralCounsel@ocsea.org.