PCEA Photo Gallery

We support, promote, improve and provide leadership in Cooperative Education and Career and Technical Education in Pennsylvania. We foster the involvement of Business, Labor and Industry and community interest for the educational and occupational development of the Student Learner.

The Pennsylvania Cooperative Education Association (PCEA) was founded in 1977 following a decade’s worth of initiatives globally to promote the field of cooperative education. Prior to 1977, efforts were led by Dr. Frederick Welsh of The Pennsylvania State University and Mr. Joseph DeFranco of Temple University, both of which took on leadership roles in the new organization. Dr. Welsh was responsible for the publishing of “Guidelines to Initiate and Operate A Cooperative Vocational Education Program,” a precursor to the recently updated “Cooperative Education Guidelines for Administration.” Welsh and DeFranco then worked to forge a partnership for further guidance and understanding. Indiana University of Pennsylvania joined in the partnership later through the work of Mr. Don Gamble. 

Since PCEA’s inception in 1977, the organization has been credited with offering workshops to educators interested in starting cooperative education programs, fostering effective partnerships with business and industry, and advocating for the safety of student-learners. These workshops became the annual PCEA Conference, occurring every fall in State College, PA. PCEA, along with The Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania played a vital role in the creation of the Cooperative Activity Packets (CAPS) for Capstone and Diversified Occupations programs in the late 1990s, revised in the early 2000s. These documents aligned Pennsylvania Department of Education Career Education & Work Standards with classroom materials that could be utilized by CTE professionals. Don Gamble’s students developed the Labor Law Reference Guide, used to compare state and federal legislation, in 2013. Recently, PCEA advocated for the inclusion of co-op training supervisors as school volunteers in compliance with Pennsylvania Act 15.

With the evolving job market and recognizing the need for skilled employees, PCEA is at the heart of producing qualified talent entering the workforce and reducing shortages in business and industry.