In early 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (“DCED”) developed the Guidelines for Certification of Economic Development Organizations (“Guidelines”). Included in these Guidelines were minimum standards for organizational certification which were based upon a foundation of finance-related coursework and which apply to all economic development organizations certified by DCED as either Area Loan Organizations or Industrial Development Corporations. Beginning approximately January 1, 2010, all of these certified economic development organizations are required to engage in mandatory continuing education that meets the standards developed by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Institute (the “Institute”) and DCED.
The central principle guiding DCED’s decision was the importance of having certified economic development organizations become and remain current in the practice of economic development – with a focus on skills relating to loan administration – and demonstrating professional credibility through continued professional development at the organizational level. The creation of the Institute is the direct result of that principle. DCED is able to ensure organizational compliance with certification training standards through the Institute’s:
- Identification and certification of programs that meet professional development standards established by PEDI and by DCED;
- Development of its own curriculum and training programs that will count toward meeting the annual training requirements of CEDOs; and
- Monitoring of the professional development of both individuals and organizations in order to ensure compliance with the certification standards
Downloadable Documents
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Joshua L. Skopp, Executive Director