Ohio TechCred and
SkillSpout Courses
TechCred is a State of Ohio program that reimburses Ohio employers for short-term, technology-focused credential training for their employees. Reimbursement is paid after an employee earns an approved credential.
SkillSpout is an eligible TechCred training provider.
The October 2026 application period
- Opens: October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
- Closes: October 30, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
- Reimbursement: Up to $1,000 per employee per credential (down from $2,000 in earlier rounds), and up to $30,000 per employer per application period.
- Review: The State has said application review can take up to 90 days.
- Training start: Training may begin on or after October 1. The State notes that employers take on the risk if a credential or application is later denied.
- Completion: Approved employers have 12 months from the award date to finish training and earn credentials.
- Future rounds: The State anticipates quarterly application periods, possibly starting in January 2027, depending on available funding and demand in October.
What changed this round
A much shorter credential list. The eligible credential list went from about 3,800 credentials to about 250.
A narrower definition of technology-focused. Eligible credentials center on developing, building, configuring, or operating technology. Leadership training, management and supervisory programs, OSHA and general safety training, and non-technical soft-skills programs are no longer eligible.
Credential Not Listed. Employers can select "Credential Not Listed" in their application and document how a credential meets the technology-focused criteria. Only employers can make this request.
Employer eligibility. Eligible employers must be registered with the Ohio Secretary of State, have a physical, non-residential Ohio business location, and employ Ohio-resident W-2 employees. Public employers, including government agencies, municipalities, and public educational institutions, are no longer eligible. Private-sector nonprofits may still qualify.
Check your Payee ID first
The State has identified Payee ID delays as the most common hold-up in the application process. Before you apply, the State recommends that you:
- Confirm your Ohio Pays Payee ID is active
- Make sure your business name and address match your Ohio Secretary of State records
- Confirm your banking information for electronic payment is current
Setting up or updating a Payee ID takes at least 7 to 10 business days, and longer if corrections are needed.
How our courses are built
Our training is hands-on. Participants build, configure and operate the tools during the session, on their own work, not case studies, and not a lecture about the technology.
- Delivery: Live with an instructor or self-paced, and virtually or in person. Learning objectives, required deliverables and assessment standards are identical in every mode.
- Platform: Each course runs in the AI platform your organization already licenses. No software development background is required.
- Coaching: Included from AI at Work onward, as two 30-minute sessions applied to the participant's own build.
- Assessment: A pre-course and post-course skills and confidence assessment for every participant, with results reported to the employer, plus a practical assessment requiring a working artifact.
- Documentation issued: A certificate of completion per participant showing participant name, the exact course name, and the date earned.
Full documentation for every course, including hours, learning objectives, and assessment standards, is published on our documentation page. Which credentials are eligible, and what an employer submits in its own application, are set and determined by the State.
Reimbursement documentation
To request reimbursement, the State requires:
- Evidence that the credential was earned
- An itemized training invoice
- Proof that the employer paid for the training
The employer must be the purchaser. Employees can't pay for their own training and have the employer reimbursed.
What we issue
- A certificate per participant identifying the participant's name, the credential name, and the date earned
- Itemized invoices, per credential and per participant
- The credential name exactly as it appears in your approved application
What you supply
Proof of payment and the participant data the State requires at reimbursement.
The State's materials
Program rules can change with each application period. Always check the State's current materials before you apply.
Ohio Department of Development: TechCred program and application
September 2026 program update webinar (recording)
2026 program update presentation (PDF)
Reviewed September 30, 2026, against the Ohio Department of Development's September 2026 program update and the TechCred Program Guidelines effective July 1, 2026.
If you'd rather not wait on a funding cycle
The SkillSpout Currentthe accessible way to get your whole team trained, and what keeps them going afterward.
Your team gets the full SkillSpout methodology: high quality, interactive training sessions, microlearning for the moments in between, and optional coaching sessions.
The SkillSpout Current is built for your company - the tools you use, the work you do - rather than a generic catalog. It suggests where AI fits in specific workflows, and helps build custom assistants right in your platform.
Leaders get a view of who's accelerating and who needs a hand -- plus support running the change itself.
No application and no state timeline. Your team starts this month.
Or work with us directly
Custom training the same hands-on courses, delivered to your people, on your timeline.
See the course catalogImplementation we build it with you, on your own systems.
See what we buildConsulting ongoing guidance for leadership as the work scales.
See how we adviseContact us
SkillSpout's recognition as an eligible TechCred training provider does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, approval, or certification by the TechCred Program or the State of Ohio. SkillSpout is not an agent, representative, expert, or spokesperson of the TechCred Program, the Ohio Department of Development, the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation, or the State of Ohio, and does not provide guidance or opinions on program rules or eligibility. For program questions, contact the State directly.