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​​CSPG 66 - Career and Technical Intern and Instructional Certificates

Career and Technical Intern Certificate - Type Code 24
Career and Technical Instructional Certificate - Type Code 21
Modified: March 30, 2023

Career and Technical Education is the science or art of teaching fundamental concepts and skills in the specific career and technical education programs.

Grade Level Scope of Certificate

An educator holding a valid Pennsylvania Career and Technical Intern or Career and Technical Instructional certificate is qualified to teach career and technical education courses in grades 7 through 12 in an approved career and technical education program, providing the appropriate content certificate or occupational competency is held.

Certification Assignment

An educator holding a valid Pennsylvania Career and Technical Intern or Instructional certificate is qualified to teach skills within the area of their Occupational Competency Area (OCA) or certificate within an approved career and technical education program.  Access ​CIP Codes

Special Considerations

  • The certified educator may teach courses to students, including special education or gifted students, within the scope of the certificate.
  • An educator certified in this area may:
    • Provide professional development services regarding their collegial studies/skills;
    • Serve in the role of mentor/advisor; and
    • Assist students in understanding how to read content area materials.

Certification Clarifications

  • Related Occupational Competency Areas – Type Code (0)
    • When an Occupational Competency Area (OCA) has been approved by the Department as having related content to a specific Instructional certificate, that OCA may be added to the specific Instructional certificate and used in a career and technical instructional program.
    • Service on the related OCA is counted toward Instructional II certification and against the validity of the Instructional I certificate(s) held by the educator.
  • Certificate Requirements, effective July 1, 2018:
    • An applicant for a Career and Technical Intern certificate must present acceptable evidence of at least four years (8,000 hours) of wage-earning experience in the occupation to be taught.
    • An applicant for a Career and Technical Instructional I certificate must present four years (8,000 hours) of wage-earning experience in the occupation to be taught or two years (4,000 hours) wage-earing experience in the occupation to be taught and hold a bachelors degree.    (A minimum of four years wage-earning experience in the occupation to be taught is required if following the intern route).
    • An applicant for Career and Technical Instructional I is not required to present more than 18 credit hours in an approved program of career and technical  teacher education.
    • An applicant for Career and Technical Instructional II is not required to have completed more than 42 credit hours in an approved program in the appropriate field of career and technical education.
    • Note: The total number of credit hours to be completed for the Level I and Level II approved program is not more than 60 credit hours.
    • Access ​Career and Technical Instructional Intern and Career and Technical Instructional Certificates for additional requirements.   

    Restrictions

    Career and Technical Intern certificates are valid for three calendar years effective the date of issuance, whether or not the Career and Technical Intern certificate holder uses the certificate. Career and Technical Intern certificates can not be renewed, but an educator can be issued a Career and Technical Intern certificate in another CIP if they meet the requirements.

    Inactive and voluntary inactive Pennsylvania certificate holders may work for a total of 180 days per school year.

    • No permit is required to work in the certification content area.
    • Type 06 emergency permit is required when the individual is working outside of their certificate area(s). Substituting for an individual professional or temporary professional employee outside of their certificate area beyond 20 days requires a Type 04 long term substitute permit.
    • These two options combined cannot exceed 180 days per school year.

    References

    Program Specific Guidelines for Certification

    22 PA Code: Chapter 4: §4.22, §4.23, §4.31, §339.41

    Chapter 49: §49.11, §49.81, §49.131-132, §49.141-143, §49.151-152

    PA Public School Code: §1202, §1204.2, §1205.2, §1212, §1604

    This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject.  Previous printing dates on this subject: 3/75, 1/87, 7/04, 12/18, 1/20

    Summary of Changes

    ​Date of Revisions
    ​Major Changes to CSPG #66
    ​3/2023
    ​Added validity information for Career and Technical Intern certificates
    ​2/2022
    ​Revisions made for Ac 91 of 2021
    ​1/2020​Updated terminology per Act 76 from “vocational” to “career and technical”
    ​12/2018

    ​A note was added under Certification Clarification to clarify the total credit hour requirements for the completed Vocational I and II approved programs.

    ​9/2018

    ​Certification Clarification section was updated:

    • Added information on related Occupational Competency areas.
    • Added updates effective 7/1/2018:
      • Four years of work experience required for issuance of Vocational Intern certificate.
      • Two years of work experience required for issuance of Vocational Instructional I certificate if not following the Intern route.
      • 18 credits required for Vocational I in the approved program.
      • 42 credits required for Vocational II in the approved program.
      • Added information on Inactive and Voluntary Inactive certificates.
    ​7/2004

    ​CSPG 66 – Vocational Intern and Vocational Instructional:

    • Defined Grade Scope and Assignments.
    • Certificate Clarifications:
      • Standard certificate plus endorsement in an occupational area.
      • Vocational Instructional certificate plus OCA.
      • Vocational Intern certificate plus OCA.
    ​1/1987

    ​CSPG 58 – Vocational Instructional and Vocational Intern 7-12:

    • Standard certificate plus endorsement in occupational area.
    • Vocational Instructional or Vocational Intern certificate plus OCA.
    • Emergency permit plus endorsement in occupational area.
    • Related certificate areas plus OCA.

    CSPG 111 – Staffing Vocational Ed Programs for Special Education:

    • PDE approved curriculum for Industrial Production and Maintenance may be offered to a class of special education students and taught by a person holding a certificate plus this OCA.
    • Vocational certificates endorsed for Occupations-Retarded Youth enabled the holder to teach an exploratory experience with hand tools to special education students.
    ​3/1975

    ​CSPG 37 – Assignment Scope of Industrial Arts Certificates:

    • Revised Industrial Arts certificate and Unit Shops.

    CSPG 94 – Staffing Industrial Education Programs:

    • Trade and industrial courses:
      • Require proper vocational instructional certificate for the area taught.
      • Industrial Art certificate with appropriate endorsement is allowed for introductory courses.
      • Vocational certificates that correspond to a particular unit shop may teach that unit shop.
      • Certificates in Business Education, Distributive Education, Agriculture, and Home Economics may teach in either a general academic or vocational program.