Professional development is an important part of teaching! Below we have curated a list of sector specific conferences, training, online learning, and more!

Conferences and Training

Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC)
ACDC is a hybrid and plug-in training company based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Their Electric Drive class is for automotive instructors to take a 5-day deep dive into HEV, PHEV, and EV’s.

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Instructor Training Conference
High school or college auto, collision, or truck instructors can get 20+ hours of technical update training, connect with industry peers, and much more at the annual summer ASE conference.

SEMA Show
There is no other trade show where you can see thousands of product innovations from 1,300 new and iconic exhibitors, experience the latest product and custom vehicle trends, get access to 70+ free professional skill-enhancing education sessions and make career-changing connections with peers, leaders, and celebrities at the industry’s most anticipated in-person networking event.

VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo
VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo provides the opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and gain new skills, all while networking with leading industry professionals. Choose from more than 100 cutting-edge management, technical, educator, and heavy-duty training courses. VISION also features a 60,000 square-foot exhibit hall showcasing the latest tools, equipment, and technology.

Midwest Teachers of Transportation and Industrial Areas (MTTIA) Conference
The annual MTTIA conference provides hands-on training sessions in the areas of: Automotive, Auto Body, Diesel Equipment, and Heavy Truck. There is also introductory training in the areas of Small Engines/Powersports and Welding.

North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT)
The NACAT annual conference is held at various locations around North America and is usually hosted by a local school. This week-long event educates and renews the members to deal with the association’s goal of improving automotive education. There have been more than 40 successful NACAT conferences, ranging from coast to coast, Texas to Canada, and the tradition of excellence continues.

Aviation Technician Education Council’s (ATEC)
ATEC’s mission is to promote and support aviation maintenance technician education, with the ultimate goal of enabling the aerospace community to meet its workforce needs.

Aviation Maintenance Technician Conference
This Minnesota conference is for aviation maintenance technicians, IA’s, industry employers, aviation vendors, and students.

XPONENTIAL Conference
At XPONENTIAL, more than 7,500 of the world’s top experts in autonomous technology come together to change the course of human progress. We’re proud to welcome technologists, users, policymakers, and strategists from over 20 industries and 60 countries. No matter where you fly in from, XPONENTIAL will help you stay competitive and take advantage of immediate opportunities.

Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)
ACTE provides professional development opportunities that can advance your knowledge and skills in CTE and leadership development. Below are a few of those events.

American Technical Education Association (ATEA)
The American Technical Education Association (ATEA) was founded for the purpose of communicating the role and importance of technical education. 

Career and Technical Education at St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University has the perfect programs to

National Career Pathways Network (NCPN)
The National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) is a membership organization dedicated to the advancement of Career Pathways, career technical education (CTE), and workforce development initiatives.

Collision Industry Conference (CIC)
The CIC is a forum made up of participants from all industry segments for the expressed purpose of discussing and exploring the issues that occur among them. Through discussion and research during meetings and extensive interim committee work, CIC attempts to form a consensus on various issues.

I-CAR
I-CAR®, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs.

Midwest Teachers of Transportation and Industrial Areas (MTTIA) Conference
The annual MTTIA conference provides hands-on training sessions in the areas of: Automotive, Auto Body, Diesel Equipment, and Heavy Truck. There is also introductory training in the areas of Small Engines/Powersports and Welding.

Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Summit
The AED Summit is the only industry event that brings together equipment distributors, equipment manufacturers, and distribution industry service providers into a conference style event. Technical school instructors are encouraged to join!

Caterpillar Instructor Accreditation Program (CIAP)
CIAP is a fast paced, hands on, adult learning program designed to enhance instructor effectiveness. After successfully completing the workshop, participants will be able to: • Evaluate, select and incorporate adult learning techniques • Construct a competency standard and learning outcomes • Prepare structurally sound presentations using standard, repeatable methodology.

Midwest Teachers of Transportation and Industrial Areas (MTTIA) Conference
The annual MTTIA conference provides hands-on training sessions in the areas of: Automotive, Auto Body, Diesel Equipment, and Heavy Truck. There is also introductory training in the areas of Small Engines/Powersports and Welding.

Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) Summer Conference
This conference brings together a community of fleet and utility experts, as well as manufacturers, suppliers, software providers, and other industry professionals to address a wide range of prominent issues pertaining to fleet electrification. Fleet and utility professionals will find the dialogue and information shared at this event extremely valuable as they work to better understand the needs of both fleets and utility providers in making commercial vehicle electrification a reality.

Equipment and Engine Training Council (EETC)
The EETC Annual Conference is the place to go to receive continuing education directly from manufacturers and other industry representatives. Network with industry peers and learn from each other’s experiences. Our sole focus is to provide educators and technicians with the most up-to-date training to benefit you and your organization.

EETC also provides 3 day hands-on instructor workshops! Learn more about instructor workshops here.

National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) Conference
The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) is an organization for the promotion of public education for the transportation industry. Through membership, educators can network with other truck driving schools across the country to provide the highest quality, most cost-effective, and up-to-date training available.

Minnesota Trucking Association Annual Conference
Since 1932, the Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) has been a powerful voice for the trucking industry. The MTA champions safety, advocacy, and workforce development to advance the success of its members and the Minnesota trucking industry by influencing policy, providing professional development training, building industry recruitment programs,  providing members resources and guidance,  and by providing a platform for members to connect and learn from each other. 

Additional Resources

Educational Leadership Degrees from Minnesota State
Minnesota State Universities offer many degrees in educational leadership. To explore these degrees, click this link and select “search programs” and enter “Educational Leadership” into the keyword search box.

LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With more than 5,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests. You can also choose to add these courses and related skills to your LinkedIn profile once you’ve completed them.

ASE New Automotive Teacher Guide
This instructor guide will help new automotive teachers with lab management, resources, advisory committees, and more!

TCOE Mentoring & Mentee Resources
These two guides give you a variety of resources to help you feel more comfortable in your new role!

National Science Foundation’s Mentor Connect Program
Mentor-Connect is a leadership development and outreach initiative for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) offering transformational professional development experiences for two-year college STEM faculty. Through mentoring and targeted technical assistance, Mentor-Connect is enabling the nation’s two-year colleges to improve and expand technician education programs by increasing their capacity to prepare and submit competitive proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) ATE Program.

ASE Professional Development Webinars
View the past professional development webinars given by ASE here!

AVION Demand
AVI is a technology company that excels at creating training for the automotive industry.  Their area of expertise is developing and producing relevant content for Service and Repair Centers, Parts Manufacturers,  Parts Distributors, and Automotive Schools.

ConsuLab Distributed Learning and Teaching Automotive and Diesel in Isolation
In this time of social distancing, ConsuLab is closer than ever to you. We know it’s an extraordinary time for everyone and as such, to help you navigate this uncertain time, our education team is sharing some of their best practices with you.

Harbor Freight Tools for School Webinars
Watch webinars such as Building Communities through the Skilled Trades, Unlocking Learning through Core Collaborations, and more!

Worldpac Training Institute (WTI) Virtual Training Classes
In response to these challenging times, WTI continues to serve your training needs with live virtual webinars, interactive instructor-led classes, pre-recorded class videos, and more! These innovative training solutions are part of the recently launched World Professional Automotive Community brought to you by the Worldpac Training Institute (WTI).

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