Today’s resumes reflect career paths that are vastly different from those of previous generations. With digital innovations like AI and economic fluctuations causing significant layoffs across key industries, your association members are looking for professional development opportunities that will support them as they adapt and upskill. A robust learning program is no longer a nice-to-have for your association; it’s a necessity.

To meet member demand for lifelong, accessible learning, your association needs a development program that keeps pace with Continuing Education (CE) credit requirements, has an easy-to-use tech interface, and is easily shareable for digital proof of skills. In this guide, we’ll walk through the components you’ll need to build an educational framework that will support your members’ development and create new non-dues revenue streams. 

1. Align Learning Strategy with Association & Member Goals

To create a learning program that resonates with members and withstands future workforce trends, anchor your development approach to your overall association strategy. If your educational program is an offshoot of the priorities your association has set, you’re more likely to develop member benefits that support your goals, whether that is advancing the profession, driving membership growth and retention, or increasing revenue. 

Once you’ve clearly defined your learning program’s purpose in the context of your association’s wider strategy, connect the content you add to your learning platform with your members’ needs. Conducting market research to pinpoint what skills are in high demand by industry employers and where current members are facing knowledge gaps provides you with valuable information. 

With your strategic plan and market research, define your learning content outline. Establish subject domains, topics, and subtopics that respond to current workforce needs, rather than relying solely on older certification domains that may be outdated.

2. Choose the Right Learning Management System (LMS)

Association learning needs are unique compared to other educational contexts, so it’s beneficial to choose a learning platform that is specific to associations. A purpose-built association LMS is designed with flexibility to accommodate certification cycles. 

Here’s what to look for when reviewing LMS platforms: 

• • Mobile capabilities. Particularly if your members don’t spend a lot of time behind a desk, finding an LMS that allows your members to learn on the go is crucial. Along with a user-friendly app interface for your LMS, another key feature to look for is the ability for members to download learning content for offline viewing.
  • Content formats. To engage your members (which we’ll discuss in the next section), you’ll want to create learning materials in a variety of formats, like video, interactive PDFs, webinars, podcasts, quizzes, and so on. Your LMS should support these different content types.
  • Integration. Check that the LMS integrates with your existing tech stack. Not only will this enhance the member experience with features like Single Sign-On, but it will streamline your team’s work by eliminating redundant manual data entry.

On top of the platform’s available features, inquire about the support provided during the LMS implementation process and post-launch. A responsive support team can help your association take advantage of all of the platform’s features and deliver more value to your members.

3. Prioritize Engagement and Flexibility

With technology that supports your association’s educational program and that allows you to include multiple content types hassle-free, you can cater to different learning styles and needs. Explore the following educational delivery techniques to fully engage learners:

• Microlearning breaks lessons into shorter pieces of content (like a two-minute video or a short blog post) that are easily consumable when members have limited time.
• Interactive videos invite learners to proactively engage with the content by choosing what resources to explore next, checking comprehension with quizzes, or diving further into a specific topic.
• Blended learning connects your association’s in-person educational sessions, like those at a conference or regional chapter meeting, with supplementary digital content. 

For all of these techniques and across various content formats, another way to support your members is with self-paced learning. Enabling asynchronous online courses means learners can pause and resume modules as their schedule allows. TopClass identifies four asynchronous learning benefits: learner autonomy and pacing, reduced cognitive load, deeper critical thinking, and global accessibility. 

While educational courses tend to be individual activities, that doesn’t mean members have to be isolated in your learning program. Foster a sense of community with social tools, like discussion forums where members can share findings and get peer feedback on a topic.

4. Offer Robust Certification and Digital Credentialing

After your members have levelled up their skills, they’ll want to celebrate their achievements with their network and be able to prove their value to new employers. 

Automating the awarding of certificates and digital credentials, as well as upcoming expiration alerts to members, ensures that members receive recognition immediately and stay on track with any industry continuing education (CE) requirements. Clowder’s guide to member engagement also recommends clearly labeling which courses in your LMS are designed to meet CE requirements and which are for members’ general professional development.

In addition to more expansive learning courses that your association might offer, awarding learners with microcredentials is another way to support the diverse needs of your membership base. Industry-relevant and outcome-based microcredentialed courses that demonstrate specialized knowledge help members stand out as experts in competitive job markets.

To easily promote learners’ new skills, offer digital badges that can be shared on LinkedIn. While members boost their digital profiles, your organization also gains brand awareness. 

A learning program is one of the best ways to deliver value to your members, drive engagement in your association, and support members’ success. When you focus on your members’ needs throughout course development, you’ll build a program that will further members’ careers for years to come.