Specialty Education Program

The Specialty Education program provides eligible state bargaining unit employees more educational opportunities by providing financial assistance for courses designed to meet specific training requirements for current or future State of Ohio government jobs. Specialty education programs are identified to meet ongoing development needs of union members, and they include courses in such areas as Information Technology (IT) and Commercial Drivers License (CDL).

SE Commercial Driver License

The Commercial Driver License (CDL) Specialty Education program is a voucher-only program. It is designed to help bargaining unit employees acquire a CDL Class A or Class B license. Employees successfully completing the training and acquiring a CDL license will be a step ahead in their effort to improve their careers in job classification series requiring a CDL license. Eligible state bargaining unit employees can enroll in one of the participating training providers and apply for a voucher.

Eligible participants should download the CDL Application Form, complete the paper form, and submit the form by mail or by fax. Since the CDL course cost exceeds the annual CIP approved budget, the UET will pay the cost of the course and apply it to the participant’s budget over two fiscal years. Therefore, the total dollar amount available in the participant’s CIP budget for two consecutive fiscal years must be equal or greater than total course cost.

Participants are eligible to receive financial assistance for a CDL course only once. CDL course offerings at schools throughout the State of Ohio are listed and accessible through the SE School/Course Search. Participants may apply to attend only pre-approved CDL courses that are listed on this web site.

SE Information Technology

The Information Technology (IT) Specialty Education program is designed to meet the needs of participating members who plan to enter or advance their careers in the IT profession or other professional work using advanced computer skills.

SE-IT Voucher:

Eligible state bargaining unit employees can enroll in IT courses at participating training providers and apply for a voucher to attend the courses that help them achieve their career goals. The voucher can be used to pay for tuition and mandatory instructional fees.

A wide variety of course offerings at schools throughout the State of Ohio will be listed and are accessible from the menu on this web page. Participants may submit a paper application or apply online to attend pre-approved IT courses at participating schools and training vendors that are listed on this web site. Click here to access the SE-IT school and course listings

SE-IT Prepayment:

If the IT training vendor you wish to attend is not participating in the SE-IT voucher program, you may submit an application for prepayment. To qualify for the prepayment option, the training vendor must be authorized by the technology developer and proprietor to deliver the course curriculum; the instructor must be certified to teach the course; and, the course must lead to a license or professional certification. Eligible state bargaining unit employees must submit a paper application with supporting documentation.

FAQ

Q: What courses can I take?

A: Only the courses found in the directory are eligible under the Specialty Education (SE) Voucher program. The SE-IT program offers a prepayment option for participants to attend courses at training vendors that are not participating in the voucher program.

Q: How do I qualify?

A. All eligible state bargaining unit employees on active pay status - including members in their probationary period - are eligible.

Q. How do I sign up?

A. Complete the application and submit it to UET or call the UET hotline at 1-866-436-7900.

Q. Will my supervisor support me?

A. Your supervisor should be pleased that you are involved in this program. However, the program is set up to allow you to shape your future without your supervisor's direct involvement. You deal directly with the UET staff. All information regarding your participation in UET programs is confidential to the maximum extent of the law.

Q. What about grades?

A. Grades are not used to determine eligibility. However, you will receive payment for a particular course only once.

Q. What if my class meets during my work hours?

A. Provision of release time will be up to each agency.

Q. What does the program cover?

A. The Career Improvement Program covers the cost of tuition, lab fees and computer technology/training fees.

Q. What is not covered by CIP's specialty education voucher program?

A. The Specialty Education program does not cover:

Application, registration, certification or test fees.
Any one-time mandatory or non-mandatory fee.
Meals or recreational activities.
Telecourse or self-instructional fees.
Transportation or parking.
Late registration, add/drop fees.

Special Note: CIP will not pay for any costs that have been paid by other sources.

Q. In case of layoff, what are my rights and responsibilities?

A. Click here for UET Layoff Information.

For additional information or questions, contact UET at 1-866-436-7900, or by e-mail at support@uedtrust.org

Specialty Education Application

Apply online for voucher to attend Information Technology (IT) courses already pre-approved. Note: You may only apply online for the SE-IT voucher program. All SE-IT Prepayment and CDL applications must be submitted via hard copy.

To apply for IT courses using a paper application, download a printable version of the SE-IT Application (Adobe Acrobat .PDF format)

To apply for CDL courses, you must use the paper application for the CDL program. Click Here to download a printable version of the CDL Application (Adobe Acrobat .PDF format)