At D2L, we speak to many membership associations about how learning can help increase member value. At one time, learning may have been considered a “nice to have”, but that’s not the case not anymore. Learning is in fact integral to enhancing member engagement and therefore retention. It helps bring in revenue, support growth and, ultimately, further the impact of your association’s work.
A trainee nurse today won’t learnt what a trainee learnt 30 years ago. The world of work changes, so members know continuing learning is critical for their careers.
That carves out a neat—and important—role for learning that many associations fulfil. But it isn’t necessarily easy. Challenges such as disjointed legacy systems can disrupt learning journeys and affect how members engage with training.
I spoke recently to Teresa Beazley, Commercial and Training Manager for the Lighting Industry Association (LIA) and D2L’s George Ayley during a panel discussion about increasing member value, at a recent event.
Challenges membership associations face
You may relate to the challenges Teresa, George and I discussed. They are:
- Evolving member expectations
“It’s very clear members want more for less,” Teresa tells us. “And we have to be very clear in the added value and return on investment. Sometimes, as an association, that can be difficult because much of the work we do can provide intangible outcomes for members.” Teresa highlights a shift in the way people want to access services, with Gen Z And Gen Alpha more inclined to use Tiktok, compared with other generations.
George notes that members are busy professionals, working around the clock a lot of the time, and wanting to study at times that suit them, any time in any place. This makes traditional methods of delivering education in a classroom less appealing and self-directed, personalised learning more so.
- Increased competition
If members’ new expectations aren’t met, can they go elsewhere? George says yes: “I see day in, day out, the competitiveness of the market. Members now have the opportunity to spend their money at an array of different associations.”
Why learning?
In the face of stiffer competition and rising member expectations, why should learning be the differentiator that helps increase member value? Teresa says: “Not learning is not an option. We have to provide some form.
“We have to realise, as a UK economy to remain competitive, we need the right skills at the right time. The war for talent is real, and there will be more jobs in the UK in the next decade than there will be skilled technical expertise. So, we have to get to grips with the fact that training will make people successful, and successful people make industries thrive.
“From an association perspective, we’re perfectly placed to scan the wider environment, identify where there might be skills gaps emerging and develop something that addresses those gaps in a very engaging way.”
How to address today’s learning challenges
What kind of learning will make associations thrive? Our discussion explored four key features:
- Flexibility
Teresa says: “There will still be a place for tutor-led learning, but the more we go down this road, the more flexibility people want. They don’t want to learn in a manner that is dictated to them. They want ownership and accountability over their own learning, and how they access that learning.”
More associations are turning to digital learning which increases flexibility but, Teresa suggests, members’ unwillingness to sit in a classroom extends to attending virtual sessions, “for six or seven hours, sometimes over consecutive days.” Instead, she argues, members want to learn when it suits them.
- Modularisation
Modularised learning can help deliver flexibility and the demand for targeted learning content that members can work through more quickly. “It needs to be more modularised,” says Teresa. “So people can learn short, sharp, focused things, put it down and come back at a later date or time—that is where you can build true flexibility.”
- Personalisation
Personalised learning gets a mention because everyone learns differently, which is why micro-credentials—mini qualifications that demonstrate skills, knowledge and experience in particular subject areas or capabilities—and short CPD, self-directed learning are topical at the moment. These approaches enable members to learn at a pace that suits them and to learn from content that resonates with and is relevant to them.
- Experiential
Teresa points out that associations have access to a lot of subject matter expertise. I would suggest it is associations’ secret weapon but only if they can capitalise on it. “Tapping into that kind of experience is going to be vital for industries to remain sustainable and associations can really do that,” says Teresa. “They’ve got expertise at their fingertips. And that’s what brings learning to life, that experiential view.”
The learning journey
With all this in mind, our discussion turned to how associations can use their strengths and understanding of the market and type of learning members’ wants to meet members’ needs and the competition head-on.
Associations must deliver education that people want to complete. Anyone can put content online and provide some kind of learning experience, but if it doesn’t resonate, it is purely a box-ticking exercise for the organisation—people won’t engage with the learning or take away the outcomes and skills they need.
“Learning journeys have to be iterative and adaptable over time,” Teresa suggests. “The option of bespoke, based on where people are in their career, where they want to get to and where they’re coming from.”
Seamless learning journeys
Online learning is considered efficient and convenient for providers and learners alike. And so it is, but it comes with its own potential detractors if the learning journey isn’t seamless.
I talk to associations about the kind of member experience that can lose them learners. Multiple clicks to reach their destination and unfamiliar branding come up in these discussions. If members are taken to third-party websites that they don’t recognise and that give them a different navigation and system to fathom, they are put off and may drop out—the equivalent of abandoning an online shopping basket.
Instead, associations should strive for the same branding, look and feel, navigation and experience throughout the learning journey.
Operational efficiency
Your association wants to meet members’ expectations and attract the next generation of workers. That all helps with revenue, of course, but you must also be efficient to avoid spiralling costs and to deliver better experiences without breaking the bank. “We’ve removed so much administrative waste from our processes that we’re able to refocus that saving into developing courses and other initiatives to build talent pipelines,” notes Teresa.
That’s the dream, and a cohesive learning experience provided through a learning management system (LMS) helps achieve it. It tackles the time drain of manual administrative tasks such as logging learners, issuing certificates and sending communications. It helps in a broad range of ways to streamline operations associated with learning while enhancing the member and provider experience.
Need help with learning in 2025?
An LMS can play a significant role in helping you recruit and retain members to reach your revenue targets. Why not talk to D2L about your plans and explore D2L Brightspace, our LMS for association learning and training.
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