Knowing there will be challenges ahead is a given. Actually knowing what those challenges look like and being prepared to meet them is the key to success. Last month, the ASA Education Foundation Board of Trustees met to take on the challenges ahead for our industry and build a plan for success. The journey included a look back at how far the foundation’s value has progressed, consideration of where we are today, and a serious look at where we need to go as an organization to fully support the membership and the industry to meet our goal - ASA members will attract, develop, and retain a labor force that will become the best-educated, best-trained and most professional in the industry.
Dirk Beveridge, innovator and distribution specialist, encouraged the trustees (see sidebar) to think big and challenge the status quo. The group first celebrated its more recent achievements– industry-specific training, ASA University, ASA-U Advisory Service, Master of Distribution Management Program, additional resources and templates for talent management – and then dug in deeper when it came time to peer into the future. The mega trends, market dynamics, and disruptors that ultimately affect industry needs and training such as technology trends, political and environmental situations, as well as economic and social environments were considered and discussed. The need for efficient, on-demand, and effective training, customizable solutions and “cultures of learning” were identified. Work-life balance for the employees, attracting talent from outside the industry and the anticipated career pathways for those entering the workforce were grappled with.