Career and Technical Education Resources
Welcome to the Professional Personnel Development Center!
A Penn State Resource...
The mission of the Professional Development Team is to provide educational resources, facilitation services, and training delivery systems customized to the professional development needs of career and technical educators.
The Professional Personnel Development Center (PPDC) is associated with two Penn State University academic units ♦ the Workforce Education and Development Program and the Agricultural and Extension Education Department.
The PPDC offers career development opportunities for Pennsylvania citizens who wish to teach occupational or technical training programs.
The Center provides teacher preparation, online resources, and in-service programs that prepare Pennsylvanians to meet professional standards as career and technical educators. Through these programs, participants may earn state teacher certification and become eligible to teach technical career programs in career and technical schools in Pennsylvania.
The Penn State University Center is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education.
Call for papers from current doctoral students and recent doctoral graduates.
Center Services
Courses that lead to PA certification in teaching, school administration, and cooperative education
Career guidance for workforce development professionals
Competency Based Teacher Education for new career and technical instructors
Staff professional development
Credit for work experience
Performance-based occupational assessment
Recruitment and placement for career and technical instructors and administrators
Center Clients
The Penn State Career and Technical Education Professional Personal Development Center develops that segment of Pennsylvania's workforce who will prepare the rest of the Commonwealth's workforce with the skills and standards needed by business. Potential Center participants may include:
Trained and experienced workers who are newly hired by career and technical schools to teach technical skills to students
Experienced instructors in search of professional upgrade training
Certified career and technical instructors who want college degrees
Teachers who want to do school-to-work or cooperative education placements
Experienced trainers who want state certificates that will allow them to work in public schools
Seasoned teachers who want to become school administrators
Central Pennsylvania schools with career and technical programs
Anyone interested in lifelong learning in topics related to education for work
Opportunities for Employment and Advanced Study
Employment at the Center offers professionals an opportunity to develop their skills while they pursue advanced study with either the Workforce Education and Development Program or the Agriculture and Extension Education Department at Penn State. Positions as instructors and training consultants are frequently available. Individuals with experience in workforce development and a desire to pursue graduate study are encouraged to apply.
