Inspire Ready!

The LOS journey: Turning industry experience into classroom impact

Our Educator Services team is here to help you take what you know from the field and translate it into meaningful learning for Idaho students. Here are the steps to turn your industry experience into classroom impact:

1. Qualify for a Limited Occupational Specialist (LOS) certificate.

Use your professional experience to qualify for a teaching certificate in your technical area.

2. Complete your Professional Development Plan (PDP).

Once certified and hired, your approved PDP is shared with our Professional Development team. They’ll connect with you to help you navigate the transition to teaching and guide you through the requirements of your LOS certificate during its three-year validity period.

3. Apply for your Standard or Advanced Occupational Specialist (SOS) certificate.

After completing your PDP, you’ll upgrade your certification and continue teaching full-time.

4. Advance to Advanced Occupational Specialist (AOS), if desired.

Continue your professional growth with additional coursework or a teacher education degree to reach Idaho’s highest level of CTE certification.

Where Inspire Ready! fits

Inspire Ready! is a streamlined, Idaho-specific professional development option that replaces multiple disconnected trainings with one coherent sequence delivered by IDCTE at no cost to participants.

Cohorts and pacing: Semester-based cohorts; most teachers finish in about two years.
Support: Each participant works with a Regional Teacher Educator (RTE).

Course overview

Completing Inspire Ready! fulfills the professional development requirements for upgrading your LOS certificate to an SOS certificate.

Block A—Launching Your Classroom with Confidence

Learn essentials like lesson planning, classroom management and assessment basics.

Block B—Planning and Teaching for Engagement and Mastery

Practice instructional strategies and student engagement techniques through a CTE lens.

Block C—Growing as a Reflective, Collaborative Professional

Build professional identity, relationships and systems for growth.

Block D—Teaching What Matters: Building CTE that Tackles Industry Needs

Refine your teaching practice, use data to improve instruction and complete a classroom capstone.

Delivery format

The program is designed to be completed over approximately 1.5 to 2 years.

Training Blocks are offered on a semester basis, and only one Block may be completed per semester. Blocks must be completed sequentially (A through D), as each block builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the previous one.

Block Structure

Blocks A and B: Two in-person training days, followed by three to four virtual follow-up sessions

Blocks C and D: Fully virtual training with live discussions and follow-up sessions

After each block, monthly virtual follow-up sessions are held during the semester following the training to reinforce learning and support implementation

Ongoing Support

Throughout the program, participants work with their regional teacher educator to receive personalized guidance, feedback, and support.

Cost and Travel

There is no cost to participate in the training program. However, participants are responsible for any travel expenses associated with in-person training sessions.

The Limited Occupational Specialist (LOS) pathway helps industry professionals turn their experience into classroom effectiveness. After qualifying for an LOS certificate, new teachers complete a Professional Development Plan and receive support from IDCTE’s Inspire Ready! program. Over about two years, participants work with a Regional Teacher Educator to build teaching confidence, instructional skill and professional growth. Completing the program fulfills the requirements to upgrade to a Standard or Advanced Occupational Specialist certificate.

Upcoming Training Dates

Blocks A-D are offered sequentially because they’re designed to build progressively deeper knowledge and practices. Multiple dates are available for Blocks A-C; a LOS/PLOS educator only needs to attend one session of each. All block trainings include additional training requirements during the following semester. Registration opens here approximately two months before each training: