The PADI 5 Star Career Development Center (CDC) distinction is awarded to a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center (IDC) that conducts additional instructor-level training and meets strict requirements for assisting dive leaders in reaching their educational and professional goals. PADI 5 Star CDCs offer career-oriented training to prepare dive professionals for employment in the dive industry as well as offering job placement assistance for program graduates.
One of the advantages of taking your training through a CDC is that PADI allows CDC candidates who take a CDC Program to complete Instructor training and the IE, even if they do not meet the normal IE prerequisite of having made 100 logged dives. If you can not meet this prerequisite but need to take your training now, taking the CDC Program allows you to take the entire Instructor training process before you meet the 100 logged dive requirement. You should have at least 60 logged dives prior to taking the IDC. The CDC Program requires you to take 5 pre or post IDC courses, in addition to your IDC. After finishing your training and successfully completing the IE, you will still need to wait until you have made 100 logged dives before PADI will process your Instructor certification.