How to Earn PDCs Locally

​Looking for a convenient and close-to-home or close-to-work option to earn professional development credits (PDCs) to recertify your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP? SHRM's chapter network—composed of over 550 chapters nationwide—and the 53 SHRM state councils across the U.S. offer programs, seminars, conferences and other opportunities to earn PDCs. At the annual gathering of chapter and state council leaders in February, we asked the volunteer leaders of these SHRM affiliates to send us their top local picks for learning. We share them with you—because becoming involved in your local chapter or state council is a great way not only to learn but also to network with other HR professionals in your region and volunteer for the chapters or state council. 

This summer, we began featuring professional development programs offered by chapters and state councils. This will help you plan your professional development calendar for the remainder of the year. This is the third article in the series, which continues through November. In these features, we will offer programs scheduled for the upcoming three months so you can plan ahead. 

The programs hosted by your local chapter typically offer 1-3 PDCs. You have the option to attend webinars and in-person meetings. 

To increase the number of PDCs you earn, you can present on a topic of interest to your local chapter or to the state council. One great example of this: Local SHRM members jointly attend a program offered by a recertification provider, then hold follow-up discussions about these professional development programs. If your local SHRM affiliate is looking to add a global element or to broaden the scope of educational programming to a national or international level, chapters can leverage virtual programs offered by global or other national recertification provider organizations and encourage members to earn additional credits by joining the group for the program.  

Also, LinkedIn hosts offerings from several speakers and a variety of organizations on HR-specific topics, and these events are generally free, with credits that can be used toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. This is a perfect opportunity for you to volunteer to structure and lead a LinkedIn Learning discussion together as a group during your regularly scheduled chapter meeting. The chapter certification director can then submit all presentations for PDCs—whether it's a new topic developed and presented by chapter members or virtual programs offered by other recertification providers. This makes the programming attractive to everyone—it's a perk for the whole group! Leverage the PDCs earned for the program but discuss key takeaways and workplace applications as a group to increase the number of PDCs by coupling the length of the learning program with the time set aside for discussion. 

These programs are coming up soon. Plan now to attend one, and take action to reserve your spot.  

• Sussex Warren Human Resource Management Association presents Say It Like You Mean It— What Happens When Leaders Communicate with Intention. The session is presented by Kim Kerrigan, SHRM-SCP. The event will be held at Centenary University in Hackettstown, N.J., on Sept. 21 from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Everyone you encounter is motivated differently, communicates differently, and views tasks and relationships differently. What if you could tap into your (and your team's) greatest motivations and dramatically improve your relationships and accelerate your results?  This workshop will help you build a stronger team that communicates, appreciates the style of others and works well together. See the chapter website for more information.
• Buffalo Niagara Human Resources Association presents Driving Organization Success Through Strategy and Tactics: the HR Leader's Role, on Oct. 18 from noon to 1 p.m. This is a virtual meeting on Zoom. The speaker is Pasquale Ferrara, senior consultant with Westminster Consulting Human Capital Advisory and founder at Innovative Human Capital Solutions LLC. The program's learning objectives include: Gain an understanding of the strategic planning process; become familiar with the design of change strategies to align organizational performance with the organization's strategic goals; become familiar with third-party/vendor selection, including development of requests for proposals (RFPs) and contract negotiation; and become familiar with techniques and methods for organizational design (for example: outsourcing, shared services, organizational structures). See the chapter website to register.
• NOVA (Northern Virginia) SHRM's HR Academy program is one of our flagship programs annually along with our legal academy. On Sept. 28 in Tysons, Va., we will bring together practitioners to hear from some of the best in a full-day program complete with networking and opportunities to meet with sponsors for HR-related products. See the chapter website for details and to register.
• Northeast Human Resources Association (New England) hosts its Annual Conference, Oct. 10-12 in Newport, R.I. See the chapter website for details and to register.
• DC SHRM is holding its 2023 Annual Conference & Expo on Oct. 4, starting at 8 a.m.  The event will be held at Catholic University, 620 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington, D.C. For more information, contact DC SHRM by email at info@dcshrm.org or by telephoning 443-966-3872.
• Texas SHRM State Council & Dallas HR host The HRSouthwest Conference—the official state conference for Texas SHRM! Join us Oct. 15-18, 2023 in Fort Worth for our 83rd annual conference. HRSouthwest is one of the largest regional HR education and networking events in the country. As a conference attendee, you will experience great education (17.5 PDCs), see the latest HR products and services, and have a lot of fun experiencing Fort Worth with practitioners from across the state. Register today!
• The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter (SEPA) of SHRM hosts monthly meetings, which are either virtual or onsite at the American Heritage Credit Union in Northeast Philadelphia. See the chapter website for more information on our monthly meetings and how to register. 

Like all organizations, SHRM chapters and state councils are always looking to recruit talent. Consider stepping into an HR volunteer role at SHRM, your state council or your local chapter. This allows you to network and give back to the profession and your HR colleagues. Investigate the opportunities in your area by engaging with your SHRM chapter and state council.