OCEA Spring Conference Brings Together Ohio's Work-Based Learning Community

The Ohio Cooperative Education Association (OCEA) held their annual spring conference May 13–15, 2026 at the Ohioan Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus.

The gathering brought together a diverse group of higher education and industry leaders from across Ohio to share ideas and strategies in support of work-based learning. This year's conference included representatives from 11 employer partners, 22 educational institutions, 3 state agencies, and 10 economic development, workforce, and nonprofit organizations — a testament to the broad collaboration required to create meaningful career-connected learning opportunities for Ohio students.

OFIC was proud to have leaders from our 30 member campuses in attendance, representing institutions that serve more than 69,000 students statewide. It was especially great to see colleagues from Oberlin College, Otterbein University, and Ohio Northern University.

OFIC celebrates the strong connections our corporate and campus partners have with organizations like OCEA, and we were proud to recognize several outstanding contributors at this year's conference — including Crown Equipment Corporation, recipient of the 2026 OCEA Legacy Employer of the Year Award, and Carrie Hartsel of Ashland University, honored as OCEA's New Educator of the Year. Read more in our upcoming feature on this year's award recipients.