Everyone I know in the association community is struggling to keep their skills up to date with the rapid pace of technological change. The pressure is on because if we lag behind, our organizations suffer.
Skills gaps are the #1 barrier to business transformation, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025. That explains why 85% of employers plan to prioritize reskilling efforts and 52% plan to increase spending on workforce skills development.
Yet when I saw a learning and development (L&D) professional share this report on LinkedIn, people pointed out the contrasting reality: downsized L&D teams and budget cuts.
The corporate need for skills training is indisputable, but whether they actually do something about it is debatable. However, your association is well positioned to provide the education and credentialing programs employers need for workforce development.
I bet your association’s mission includes something like:
• Advancing your industry
• Supporting professional growth
• Maintaining high standards
You can achieve these goals by helping employers attract talent and helping professionals improve their skills and performance.
Employers need this help now. 75% of association executives surveyed by ASAE’s Association Insights Center said their members’ industry is experiencing workforce shortages caused by:
• Changing demographics/retirement of boomers
• Field/industry not perceived as attractive
• Lack of desirable work conditions
• Competition from other industries or fields for talent
Here’s why a collective effort is required to deliver your education and credentialing programs to existing and prospective industry professionals
Few companies have the staff or resources to design and deliver training and education programs, never mind keeping them updated. If employees seek education elsewhere, companies don’t have the time, processes, or technology to track that training.
If L&D teams had the bandwidth, they’d help employees build skills that improve the company’s competitive position in the marketplace. But their priority is onboarding and compliance programs.
The ASAE report said one of the top workforce development challenges is unclear career pathways, which are a deterrent to retaining talent and attracting individuals seeking a field.
The problem starts with managers and supervisors who haven’t identified the skills their employees will need in the next five years. By displaying career pathways that show the skills required for different career stages, you help employees advance their career while creating a demand for your skills training programs. Career pathways serve as learning pathways that lead people into your education and credentialing programs.
Don’t limit program promotion to individuals. Employers have positions to fill and the budget for professional development. Run campaigns to win employers over to your side and away from the competition. Your mission-driven association is a much better choice as a destination for their dollars.
Gain the loyalty of employers by asking for their feedback on existing programs, skills gaps, and program needs. Make this new direction official with an employer advisory council who helps your team learn about training issues and workforce development challenges.
By partnering with employers, you’ll have a deeper reach into companies beyond existing member contacts and customers.
Education and credentialing programs have become a major source of revenue for associations that offer programs a la carte or via learning subscriptions.
Helping employers with talent recruitment helps you too. These new employees are your future members and customers.
Your association becomes a valued workforce development partner for member companies if you have the right learning management system (LMS).
A corporate learning portal helps member companies who don’t have the resources to offer in-house education or maintain an LMS to deliver and track employee professional development.
Give companies access to the programs their employees need via a learning portal, which is like a mini-LMS with customized branding. The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research sells training to insurance agencies via branded learning portals in TopClass LMS.
Managers use the administrative dashboard to create learning paths or professional development plans for employees, enroll users, assign training, and track progress.
L&D, HR, and/or supervisors monitor and enforce completion of mandatory training, see which employees have taken courses and how far along they are, and share data via an integration with their HRIS system.
Your association could also customize existing educational programs for corporate partners using the portal.
The Alliance also offers three levels of individual learning subscriptions that provide online access to credentialing programs and courses.
Allow member companies to purchase bulk licenses or a block of registrations for online learning programs. Encourage learners to keep coming back with an LMS that offers personalized recommendations for the next step on their learning pathway.
Keep your learner pipeline full by providing concierge service to corporate partners. Concierges connect employees with the right education and serve as liaisons with company L&D and HR teams.
Attract people to your industry with free job-hunting programs and affordable entry-level skills training. Host a career website showing career and learning paths, professional testimonials, and other career resources.
Teach basic technical and soft skills that people need to jump-start a career in your industry. Award microcredentials and digital badges as they proceed through these programs. Learners display these badges on their LinkedIn profile, which is more useful than a certificate hanging on a wall.
Besides younger generations, early-career programs also benefit career changers, military veterans, and mothers returning to the workplace.
Offer microcredentials for specialized skills. For example, a construction association might offer microcredentials in emerging technologies like drone surveying. Once someone earns a certification, encourage them to return for the continuing education they need for renewal.
Design leadership training programs specifically for your profession and industry. These programs help companies with employee retention, especially for those without L&D teams. They also help fill your association’s leadership pipeline.
The ASAE report said 68% of the participating association executives had already implemented workforce programs and 18% planned to do so. Before a competitor comes along to snatch up the business of employers in your industry, gather a group of them to find out how you can work together to attract and retain a talented workforce.
In our quick tour, take a peek at the ways TopClass LMS helps associations deliver the workforce training and credentialing needed by industry employers and professionals.