Professional development refers to vocational education with specific reference to continuing education of the person undertaking it in the area of employment, it may also provide opportunities for other career paths.

Vocational education has been related to specific skills, usually tied to immediency of getting or retaining employment. Professional development has been as moving beyond that.

Generic professional development may be oriented to generic life skills or general personal coaching. Professional Development also involves development of process skills, sometimes referred to as leadership skills, as well as task skills. Some examples for process skills are 'effectiveness skills', 'team functioning skills', and 'systems thinking skills'. Some of the task skills are mentioned below.

More specifically professional development encompasses the developing of skills relevant to the one's current occupation, for example, leadership training for managers and training for specific techniques or equipment for technicians, metal workers, medical practitioners and engineers.

For many occupations there is a provision for accreditation tied to "continuing professional education" and proving competence.

In the USA, many states have professional development requirements for school teachers (preK-grade 12). For example, in New Jersey, state regulations mandate that all active teachers and educational services personnel in New Jersey complete 100 hours of professional development every five years, consistent with the New Jersey Professional Development Standards.

See also

• Apprenticeship
• Career
• Core competency
  • Competency evaluation
• Mentor
• Profession
• Vocational education

Vocational education | Management | Organizational studies and human resource management | Professions

Formation professionnelle