Professional Development Day
Professional Development Day is the Work College Program's annual, campus-wide extension of the same recognition philosophy departments practice all year: a dedicated day to pause and celebrate students' contributions to the campus community. Classes and work-learning assignments are excused so students can take part fully. Today, the day centers on skill development and career readiness, offering workshops, sessions, and activities that help students strengthen their competencies, explore career pathways, and connect their work-learning experience to their future goals.
The day traces its roots back to 1921, when Berea College's first Labor Day was celebrated by putting students' everyday skills on full display, through competitions in sheep shearing, weaving, basket making, table setting, and alphabetical filing. Over the following century, the event evolved, and the term "Labor Day" gave way to a new focus on professional and skill development, though its original purpose, celebrating student work, remains at its core.