Education: STLE’s leading indicator
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report May 2010
Increased activity and attendance point to a recovery year in 2010.
Dr. Bob Gresham, STLE’s director of professional development, instructs an education course to attendees in Gurgaon, India, which was part of a joint education and certification program organized with the Tribology Society of India.
One of those economic benchmarking reports on the state of the association business crossed my desk the other day. The study, which gathered data on 350 diverse trade and professional organizations, found that 67% of the respondents continued to have a negative view of the economy for 2010. That’s an improvement over last year, when 82% of those surveyed were in the negative column. However, there was still widespread concern that core services provided by many groups would continue to be at risk this year.
Although STLE did not participate in this particular study, we would likely have fallen into the one-third of respondents with a more positive outlook for the current year. That optimism is based on evident strength in one of STLE’s core service areas—technical education.
Interest in education courses being presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting this month in Las Vegas has bounced back nicely after a down year in 2009. When this column was written in mid-April, preliminary registration for the 10 one-day courses offered in 2010 had already surpassed the final total for the 11 courses that were presented last May in Orlando. Similarly, our certification department reports that there will be multiple candidates sitting for all four of the STLE certification exams in Las Vegas. That was not the case at the May 2009 meeting.
It’s worth noting that last year’s attendance slump was attributable to poor economic conditions, not course quality. Students who did attend the Orlando courses gave them a 90% positive rating—a performance on par with past years. So it is safe to conclude that a better business climate is now allowing companies to enroll their new and experienced employees in STLE-sponsored courses. As one employer told us in reserving course space this year, “The education at STLE’s annual meeting is value for the money.”
This trend is also evident at the local section level. During March and April of this year, STLE teamed with local affiliates and related organizations to present 15 training days that provided more than 400 students with 100-plus hours of technical education. Included in this total was a series of three education courses presented in the city of Gurgaon, India, in cooperation with the Tribology Society of India. Talks are underway regarding future joint education and certification ventures.
Another new education option will be featured in the STLE membership services booth in Las Vegas. STLE is previewing the first in a series of second-generation online education courses that cover the fundamentals of friction, lubrication and wear. This new series of courses will be more engaging and offer a level of interactivity that provides students with a richer online education experience. A full catalog of online course offerings will be rolled out over the summer and into the fall.
STLE recognizes that, for an individual member, education and certification are a way to enhance your value as an employee and as a trusted partner with customers. For companies, an educated workforce that stays current on new technology is a way to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
As the economy continues to improve (we hope!), one thing that won’t change is STLE’s commitment to ensuring that members view STLE as an industry authority and a top provider of unbiased information and technical education.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.