Workforce Education and Development

Workforce Education and Development (WFED) at Penn State is a unique college program, which provides you with a foundation required for success in the field of workforce education and development. There are two areas of emphasis within the Associate Degree Program including: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Workplace Learning and Performance. The mission of Penn State's Workforce Education and Development Program is to promote excellence, opportunity, and leadership among current and future professionals in the field of workforce education and development, including professionals employed in secondary and postsecondary education institutions, social services, employee organizations, and private sector businesses. The program will allow you to develop the skills and abilities essential to: analyze community and organizational challenges; prescribe and deliver effective education and training programs; and manage workforce development projects and initiatives.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to learn about training in business, industry and educational settings.
• You want to study education and how to manage workforce development projects and processes.
• You want to learn how to provide improvement strategies for communities and organizations.
• You want to pursue a career in Training and Development or Career and Technical Education (CTE).

This is a 60 credit program, with many of the courses offered in multiple delivery formats to address the needs of the adult learner, such as a blend of face-to-face and online, delivery via video conference technologies such as Polycom or Adobe Connect, or totally online. It will provide a solid foundation of curriculum pertinent to gaining knowledge and skills required for success in the field of workforce education and development. It will allow the participant to develop the skills and competencies essential to analyzing community and/or organizational needs, recommend and deliver effective education and training programs for process and employee improvement, supervise and lead others, and manage workforce development projects and initiatives. It will also provide the opportunity to network with individuals who share many of the same interests and will enhance the participant's ability to address community and organization needs.

If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

• Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
• Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

Workforce Education and Development (WFED) graduates pursue career opportunities as teachers, trainers and leaders in career-oriented education programs and professional organizations. In business and industry, WFED graduates keep organizations and employees up-to-date with rapid advancements in technology, equipment, and work-related processes. The program is structured to provide you with enhanced learning and skill building opportunities essential to: analyze community and organizational challenges; prescribe and deliver effective education and training programs; manage workforce development projects and initiatives; and provide interventions within communities and organizations to promote the advancement of business, industry and education.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Penn State's Workforce Education and Development program offers certificate programs as well as graduate degree programs leading to master's of education (M.Ed.) and master's of science (M.S.) degrees. Students interested in these programs leading to the master's degree in Workforce Education and Development should be employed, or wish to be employed, as faculty members, trainers, administrators, or researchers in settings emphasizing education for work in private sector firms, schools, occupational home economics, cooperative education, youth apprenticeship, or employment and training.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES