2019 Report: Growth of Continuing Education Programs Presents Opportunities, Tradeoffs for Association Professionals
According to the 2019 Training Trends Report just released by Omnipress, most organizations (60%) plan to increase the breadth and depth of educational programs they offer. This growth, while a positive trend for the training industry, is creating challenges for training professionals who already manage a broad program portfolio and a wide array of responsibilities.
MADISON, Wis., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For the third consecutive year, Omnipress, provider of print and digital content solutions for associations, corporations and other organizations, conducted an online survey of over 100 training and education professionals to understand how education is currently delivered to learners, and what changes lie ahead as technology, demographics and preferences change. The results have been compiled and published in the 2019 Training Trends Report. Omnipress also publishes a companion report—the 2019 State of the Conference Industry Report—that specifically examines content deliver trends at conferences.
Dan Loomis, Director of Training and Education Services at Omnipress notes, "Organizations are expanding the scope of their programs to meet the increasingly diverse preferences of their learners." According to the report, 70% of respondents offer at least seven different programs, while 51% offer 11 or more. These programs are being delivered multiple ways, with an increasing focus on providing a blend of instructor-led courses and e-learning opportunities. "That's a lot of content to manage," states Loomis.
What's more, education professionals are also tasked with a broad set of responsibilities, from developing programs and course materials, to marketing and instructor recruitment. Adds Loomis, "Educational content is one of the assets that organizations can and should be leveraging to achieve bigger picture goals. Unfortunately, training professionals are having to compromise the time they spend on strategic objectives in favor of simply getting done the immediate tasks on their plate."
Ultimately, this balancing act could have a negative effect on long-term growth and relevancy. Jonny Popp, Omnipress General Manager observes, "The report uncovered a surprising data point: with all of the conversation surrounding major learning trends like micro-learning, mobile learning, gamification and VR, few organizations are actually putting these into practice today." The practical application of these tools and technologies remains unclear for many, particularly given existing time and resource constraints.
"Where we see the biggest gap," continues Popp, "is in the area of generational preparedness." Only 14% of respondents indicate their organization has a strategy in place to meet the needs of young professionals. "For training and education programs to continue to grow, organizations need to effectively tap into this pipeline of new learners and be ready to deliver education in new and innovative ways."
Download the full report.
About Omnipress
Omnipress was founded over 40 years ago to help associations and other organizations simplify the process of collecting, producing and distributing print and digital educational materials for their members, attendees, learners and staff.
SOURCE Omnipress
Share this article