Earning a degree in workplace education and development trains you to help train and teach people so they remain competitive in the workplace. You can earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and even a Ph.D., in the field. Most schools offer this program as an offshoot of education programs.
Workplace Education and Development
The field of workplace education and development is broad and includes technical education or vocational instruction, human resources, business, industry and government. (reference 2) By earning your degree, you learn how to help other people learn the skills they need to excel in the workplace. You can do this by becoming a teacher or working in career development. Many people who earn degrees in workplace education and development work at vocational schools, where they help people learn skills specific to a certain job or career.
Most schools let you tailor your coursework to your interests. For example, the program at Southern Illinois University, which the U.S. News & World Report ranks as one of the 10 best programs in the country, (reference 1) offers courses that focus on the role technology plays in workplace development as well as how you need to tailor education and training programs to your audience and the area where you live. (reference 3) The program at The Ohio State College of Education and Human Ecology (reference 8) offers four workforce development and education programs, including career and technical education, family and consumer sciences education, integrated business education, corporate training and development, and also a general studies associate of arts degree.
Master’s Degree/Ph.D. Programs
Schools with workplace education and development programs often offer students the chance to earn advanced degrees. For example, through the Department of Workforce Education and Development program at Southern Illinois University, you can earn a Master of Science in Education and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. (reference 2) Before the school will let you enroll in its Master’s program, you must have at least two years of related experience. Earning a Master’s degree or Ph.D. qualifies you to work at a college and to train people who work in fields like industrial technology, aviation management and automotive technology. (reference 2)
Certifications and Endorsements
A degree in workplace education and development may land you a consulting job with a company or even a job in a company's human resources department, but to teach, you need to become certified. Most schools offer courses you can complete to become certified. (reference 5) Through the Workforce Education and Development program at the Penn State College of Education, you can become certified to work as a vocational supervisor or director, such as at a vocational institute, or as a teacher. (reference 5) Ohio State University, through its Workforce Development and Education program, also offers you the opportunity to become certified to work as a school nurse and become endorsed to lead career-based interventions. (reference 7)
Some schools, such as Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, offer programs online you can take to earn a bachelor’s degree in Workforce Development. At this program, for example, you select a track — supervision and leadership or human resources — and take 21 courses in business and workforce development programs. (reference 6) You can take advantage of this online program if you already have an associate’s degree.
- Southern Illinois University: Workforce Education and Development
- Southern Illinois University Graduate School: Workforce Education and Development
- Southern Illinois University: Workforce Education and Development -- Undergraduate Programs
- Penn State College of Education: Workforce Education and Development
- Penn State College of Education: CTE Certifications
- Pittsburgh State University: BS in Workforce Development Online
- The Ohio State College of Education and Human Ecology: Workforce Development and Education
- Noel Hendrickson/Photodisc/Getty Images