Occupational Credentials for Jobs in the Sub-Baccalaureate Economy: The Case of the Emerging Energy Sector in Ohio

The emerging energy sector is contributing significant job growth, but the ability of local workers to take advantage of new jobs can be limited by a lack of appropriate skills.The ShaleNET Program is a unique partnership between employers in the energy sector and a consortium of colleges in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Through this partnership, local employers have designed sub-baccalaureate credentialing programs that teach critical, occupation-specific STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills to students set to take high-demand jobs in the expanding energy sector across the tri-state region.To support the National Science Foundation's (NSF) goal of strengthening the research base that informs investments in STEM workforce preparation and development at the postsecondary level, the RAND Corporation is conducting an innovative, multi-method study of the ShaleNET Program.As ShaleNET is a conduit for entry- and career-level STEM jobs that do not require a bachelor's degree, RAND's study offers a unique opportunity to investigate whether public-private partnerships are an effective model for STEM workforce development.