Applying for District Vocational Certification

  • The School District of Palm Beach County defines non-degreed teachers of Career and Technical (Vocational) Education (CTE) programs as those staff members whose qualifications are established on the basis of occupational expertise in the areas of agriculture, business, health occupations, family and consumer science, industrial, marketing, technology, and public service education, etc.

    A person holding a Career and Technical Education Vocational Certificate must be assigned to teach only Career and Technical Education courses as indicated in the Florida Course Code Directory.

    Career and Technical Education courses may be taught by qualified non-degreed personnel with expertise based upon verified satisfactory occupational experience.

    Application Process

    Submit the following documents to the School District of Palm Beach County and Career and Choice Department:

    Vocational Certificate Eligibility - Requirements for Initial Employment

    • Hold a high school diploma, or the equivalent, based on general educational development tests.
    • Meet the age requirement established for instructional personnel.
    • Meet the health requirements established for instructional personnel.
    • Submit fingerprints and be cleared for employment.
    • Submit notarized verification of occupational expertise in the area of the teaching assignment, gained as a wage earner after age sixteen (16) and verified by one of the plans listed below.

Verification of Occupational Expertise

  • Occupational expertise shall be established in the area of assignment by one of the plans specified below:

    Plan One:
    At least six (6) years of full-time occupational expertise or the equivalent part-time experience in the occupational field of the teaching assignment; or

    Plan Two:
    A minimum of two (2) years of full-time occupational experience or the equivalent in part-time experience in the occupational field of the teaching assignment with a bachelor's or higher degree. (Note: Upon review of submitted transcripts, graduate-level medical professionals with state/national and license/certification may count clinical experience hours toward occupational experience.) or

    Plan Three:
    A minimum of four (4) years of full-time occupational experience or the equivalent in part-time experience in the occupational field of the teaching assignment in combination with one of the options listed below:

    • Thirty-six (36) semester hours of college credit earned at an accredited institution in skills or theory courses specific to the teaching assignment.
    • Successful completion of a program of training specific to the teaching assignment and completed at an approved post-secondary vocational or technical institution. (This must be a preparatory program and not a supplemental program or component of a program.)
    • A valid certificate, registration, or license issued in the area specific to the teaching assignment from an approved credentialing agency. (Note: State-issued licenses are required for specific programs.)
    • A certificate of completion of an apprenticeship as established by the United States Department of Labor, or any state apprenticeship department, specific to the teaching assignment.

Additional Verification Requirements

  • Verification from one of the following must be notarized and submitted on business letterhead:

    • By former employers, or
    • By an individual knowledgeable of the applicant's service, such as an accountant or business owner, if self-employed, or in a family-owned business, or with a firm no longer in business.

    The verification must specify the following:

    • Dates of employment, and
    • Job Title(s), job descriptions and responsibilities, and
    • Full-time or part-time employment information. For part-time employment, include the number of hours worked per week.

    Acceptable documents that may be submitted for verification of occupational experience include the following:

    • Military separation form (DD 214)
    • Military evaluation
    • Employment documentation from a labor union

    Unacceptable documents include:

    • Internal Revenue Service W-4 Form
    • Social Security documents
    • Contract and/or Lease

Vocational Experience

  • Recency of Experience or Training

    Recency of experience or training is required in the occupational field relating to the specific teaching assignment, as follows:

    • Twelve weeks of occupational experience gained within a five-year period immediately preceding the date of application for employment, or
    • A vocational training program completed within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of application for employment, or
    • One year of successful teaching experience in the area of the teaching assignment was completed in the three-year period immediately preceding the date of application for employment.

    Computation of Work Experience

    The six years of required occupational experience is based on a forty-hour work week. The work experience requirement can be established on a full-time or part-time experience, but the experience must equal a total of forty hours per week.