Continuing education (CE) has never been more vital—or more competitive. Associations and credentialing bodies face mounting pressure to deliver more value, stay relevant, and prove competency in new ways. In response, leading organizations are rethinking their learning models to meet these demands. In a recent webinar co-hosted with Leading Learning, Tagoras co-founders Celisa Steele and Jeff Cobb, along with BenchPrep’s Head of Growth, Evan Burton, shared emerging strategies that are helping CE providers succeed in this evolving landscape.

Microcredentials are rapidly changing the professional learning landscape. These short, skill-specific credentials give learners a fast, affordable way to build expertise—and present a major opportunity for associations and credentialing bodies to grow engagement, boost revenue, and become trusted learning providers.

For years, delivering continuing education (CE) meant delivering content—the right curriculum, the right formats, and the right expertise. But in a world overflowing with information, content alone isn’t enough.

For many credentialing bodies, CE has traditionally been treated as a checkbox: a compliance task to complete, not a strategic opportunity to extend impact. But in a world where industries evolve overnight and lifelong learning is the new norm, that mindset falls short.

For many associations, the quest to grow non-dues revenue can feel like an endless pursuit. But for the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), exam prep became the unlikely hero that helped unlock new revenue, improve learner outcomes, and fuel sustained growth.

The landscape of professional credentialing is undergoing a seismic shift. As demand for certifications continues to climb, so do expectations around how people prepare for these high-stakes exams. However, this heightened demand comes with a crucial caveat: learner expectations have evolved dramatically—they want prep that feels real, relevant, and personalized.