For many professionals, a career is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning. Whether they need to maintain a license or certification or want to strengthen their skills in a new area, continuing education has become essential to keeping up with a changing job market and evolving technology. As these professionals juggle ongoing education with demanding careers, they need personalized tools that make it simpler to stay current in their industry.
Here’s a look at how organizations can leverage digital learning to increase learner engagement and drive success for continuing education learners, as well as their businesses.
Why is continuing education important for today’s professionals?
As businesses across the spectrum undergo a massive shift, professional development is no longer optional. Rapid digital transformation means that tech skills quickly become outdated, while disruption across nearly every industry requires workers to learn new processes and approaches. As a result, the more segmented approach to higher education is giving way to continuous learning throughout a professional’s lifetime.
Continuing education includes a variety of learning mediums outside of a traditional degree program, from continuing education units required to maintain a credential to corporate or skills-based training in the workplace. With more than a quarter of current U.S. workers holding a license or certification, learning-based organizations have a tremendous opportunity to build lifelong relationships with professionals. By offering accessible, highly targeted continuing education for specific certifications and skills, organizations can tap into new sources of ongoing revenue while supporting success for more professionals.
How do professionals typically receive continuing education?
Continuing education options are as varied as the skills they teach, with professionals soaking up knowledge through:
- Programs from credentialing bodies and professional associations
- Open educational resources, such as Udacity and Udemy
- Executive or professional programs through universities
- Company-led or sponsored training
These resources come in a wide range of formats, from in-person classes and webinars to websites and online programs. For professionals balancing learning with their other commitments, an efficient approach is a must. Many learners struggle to make time for a regularly scheduled class or travel to a conference, and open-source online resources can leave them wondering if they’re spending study time wisely. These professionals need a simple, on-demand solution that connects them with the knowledge they need to advance their skills and their careers.
How can organizations leverage digital learning to improve their continuing education offerings and drive learner engagement?
Combining personalized learning with deep insight into program performance helps organizations keep professionals on the cutting edge while supporting their own business’s growth. For example, CompTIA, the world’s leading tech association, leveraged BenchPrep to redesign its entire recertification experience. Through its revamped course offerings, CompTIA reached 15,000 new professionals while boosting program revenue by 20 percent! CompTIA built a learning program for today’s professionals that improves long-term engagement and knowledge retention while positively impacting their bottom line.
By aligning with today’s learners and adjusting its approach with BenchPrep’s digital learning platform, CompTIA now administers a recertification program that facilitates lifelong learning through refined, modernized methods.
Want to see how CompTIA revamped its program to increase revenue, reduce administrative burden, and drive higher user engagement?
