Loveland and Milford high school students will have access to career coaching, internships and pre-apprenticeship programs during the 2026-27 school year through a new partnership with a Cincinnati nonprofit.
LEAD Training announced Sept. 1 that it has signed agreements with 30 school districts across six Ohio counties, the Clermont Sun reported. Loveland City School District and Milford Exempted Village School District are both on the list.
The nonprofit will place career coaches at 14 of those high schools, with each school receiving either a dedicated on-site coach or a fractional embedded coach. Sixteen additional schools have agreements for career-readiness resources, job shadowing and workforce development support. The source did not specify which service tier Loveland or Milford will receive.
Across all 30 districts, LEAD expects to reach 6,000 students in Hamilton, Warren, Clermont, Butler, Clinton and Montgomery counties.
$300,000 in state and foundation grants
The expansion is backed by $250,000 from the Ohio Department of Development's Industry Sector Partnership Grant Program (ISP), awarded to grow LEAD's Medical Pathways Partnership at 23 high schools in four counties. LEAD was one of only 15 Ohio organizations to receive ISP funding this cycle.
A separate $50,000 grant from PNC Charitable Trust is funding a Career Quest component that provides one-on-one coaching, certifications and job placement help to underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, according to a LEAD Training press release in July.
The Medical Pathways program connects students with healthcare employers including Mercy Health, UC Health, TriHealth and The Christ Hospital. LEAD's stated goals include placing more than 100 students in paid internships each year and converting at least 60% of those into full-time healthcare jobs.
Track record
Riley O'Grady, founder and executive director of LEAD Training, said the coaches help students build actionable career plans.
"Development of employability skills is also critical to instilling a sense of confidence and readiness for the work world," O'Grady said in the announcement.
O'Grady founded the nonprofit in 2018. A former educator and psychology research coordinator, she has scaled the program from a single initiative to partnerships spanning 30 districts. In the 2024-25 school year, 2,500 students participated in LEAD's High School Workforce Initiative. The organization reported that 93% of its Career Quest seniors graduated with a clear career plan and 96% of students gave the program a positive satisfaction rating.
Other Clermont County districts in the agreement include Goshen Local, Clermont Northeastern Local, Batavia Local, Bethel-Tate Local, Felicity-Franklin Local, New Richmond Exempted Village and Williamsburg Local.
No enrollment deadlines or upcoming informational meetings for Loveland or Milford families have been announced.
